AGRICULTURAL AFFAIRS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 89, 11 October 1913, Page 12

AGRICULTURAL AFFAIRS.

PIG REARING. From a paper recently rood by Mr. E\ Gamlin, of Kaupokonui, before tho membora of the Otakoho branch of tjhe New Zealand Farmers' Union, and printed in tho Htiwera Star, wo take tho followPigs, if properly housed and looked aftor, are ono of tho moat profitable, as well as tho most interesting products of the farm, and it ie Buvpriising: how few, farnw have a> really well-equipped piggery. The extra profit will soon repay tho gmall expenditure on a good comfortable _ house. For general requirements I consider that a building 30ft by 7ft with wood floor, divided into four compartments, three for breeding 6owb, each 6ft by 7ft, a rail placed about 10 inches out from wall and the same distance above the floor, is necessary to prevent tho bow from overlaying her young. The remaining Bpaco, 12ft by 7ft, I use for a fattening pon, each compartment having a pen in front, for which a concrete floor with good fall is absolutely necessary. Tho concroto should bo continued 2ft 6in round the outeido, forming a path. About three yards of shingle and cement costing £2 is all that ig needed. A lean-to joined to above the floor kept dry and well bedded, will gorve us a sufficient Bhelter for store pigs. I consider that 90 per cent, of disease in pigß is due to improper housing and feeding. Some ten years ago Messrs. Borthwick a/nd Co., of \Vaitara, obtained from us a trial shipment of pork— 9o pigs. They were slaughtered under veterinary inspection, and not one or any part of one was con-demned—-a fact which I attribute to tho proper housing and feeding, particularly during the early months of life. With roferenco to the breed, I prefer the Berkshire-Hamworth first croßß. As a mother 1 considor tho Tamworth unequalled. They have good litters, which mature quickly and are in great demand by bacon oompanios. During farrowing, especially in cold weather, I find it invigorates the young pigs considerably if placed in the warmth of a fire and fed frequently with warm, new milk for a few hours. The bow should bo caiofully bedded, and for the first few days fed only on soft digestible food. After the pigs are a few days old it is imperative that the sow i 6 not kept enclosed. A board nailed across the bottom of the doorway will keep the young one in, while tho bow can wander to and fro at will. Tho yoling Bhould be early encouraged to drink from a shallow .trough such food as milk, pollard, or boiled potatoes, but on no account give barley meal till about three months old. If woll looked after they should bo ready to wea.o at six or seven weeks. Figs, if woll grown, should bo ready for the fattening pen at from five to bLs months. For tho final topping off meal well soaked should bo given liberally. A good plan is to have two barrels, ÜBing from ono white tho other is soaking. Tho trough should never bD ; empty, and under normal conditions a pig should increase in weight lib or more per' day. To save paying out lor grain, I would suggest when sowing down pasture, to broadcast a bushel of barley per acre with the grass seed. We have sown down several paddocks in this way, and have had. a splendid take of grass, besides cutting between forty and fifty bushels of harley nor acre. In some parts to cart grain to be ground takes a considerable amount of time. I would, suggest to farmers suffering from this inconvenience to club together and metal a grinder. A, number of farmers have been greatly perturbed in tho Eketahuna district (says the Express) owing a to Ijhe abnormal mortality amongst theur lambs. The worst feature js that the greatest percentage of deaths occurred amongst the best developed, of the flock, and post-mortems have failed to reveal any apparent cause, though it is generally assumed over-fat* ness is responsible. One farmer who feeds salt to his flock found that the lamto were keener after it than their mothers. This aspeot the farmer placed before an officer of the Agricultural Department, who said it was feasible, owing to the amount of salt taken, for the lambs to develop a boozer's thirst, tho quenching, of which tended to make them over-fat, more especially with tho ewes in the condition they were this season. There is quifc^ a keen demand for silver-beet seed in the Masterton and Wairarapa districts jue'B now. Silverbeet is said to be just as good as turnips or rape for topping-off lambs, and it ha« the advantage that, it is not susceptible to blight, and it will stand an average drought. One of the oldest settlers in the Maeterton district told an Age representative that tho present season has been the best for farming that he has ever known. Stock is, in splendid condition, cereals are coming. on well, there is an abundance of grass, lambing has been excellent, and there is a fine growth of wool on tho sheep's backs. With markets buoyant, the outlook for tho season was never brighter than it is this year. Those /horse-breeders who took horses over to tho Melbourne sales in July and August report that conditions > s for horse business were very bad , (reports the Hawera Star). Owing principally to the state of the money market in Viotoria, business was very diffioult. "To such a pass had things come," said Mr. L. Bremer, who with Mr. A. Mitoholl returned a little while since, "that I know of many cases where nothing but tho aotual hard cash would be accepted by the auotioneers, and this in cases whore clients were known to be men of substance. The pankß simply would not make adyanoes on land transactions." • These conditions aro said to bo due to the fact of having a Labour Government in power. Both Mr. Bremor and Mr. Mitohell quitted their horses privately before tho sales, and Consequently came off satisfactorily. ThoßO sales are said to have boon the worst for many years. Mr. Bromor hoard of Borne cases, where New Zealand owners loßt very heavily, almost giving their horses away. Conditions in Sydney wero better, and therefore those sellers who went thithor fared more favourably. It is expected that some fine crops of red clover will bo harvested in the neighbourhood of Masterton this year. The season promises to bo a good ono for hay. The President of tho Feilding A. and P. Association (Mr. J. H. Perrott), who resides at Sandon, submitted to the last meeting of the association ft report on somo eilvor boot, with which he had been experimenting (reports the Foilding Star). Ho Btated that owing to. tho wot spring the seed was not sown until 9th December, two months late. Tho crop was sown in a. small paddock, 64 acres in area, whioh had not been ploughed for 14 years. The seed was sown at the rate of 51b to the aore through every coulter, his idea being to eeo if it could be grown successfully in the same manner as rape and turnips. Ho experimented with the light green loaf, which he understood was tho second bost, the best variety being tho plain dark green known as tho Swiss Chard. Tho manuro used was recommended by tho Agricultural Department, and sown at the rate of 2cwt to the acre. The seed germinated woll, and was quite thick enough. It made rapid growth and was fit to feed off on Ist March, but ho did not put any sheep on until the 14th, wljen ho put on 90 fat lambs. These romainod on till the 26th. On Ist April 408 lambs wore put on and remained until tho 12th, when 275 went away fat. From the 12th to the 27th 130 lambs wero on, and this completed tho first feeding. All the lambs had previously been on rape and did remarkably well on tho boot. From sth Juno to 21st August five sheep to tho acre were run an tho beot, and from tho 21st August to 6th September Beven sheep to tho acre. From 7th September to 15th September, 136 sheep wero carried. Tho paddock was then shut up and is now making rapid growth. Ho recommended farmers not to put in a large area, but to put in what oould bo properly looked after. Ho woe quite Stttiefiod that it \v*s better to bow, my, 21 inches between drills and keep clean, a.ud as the crop would laot some two or throe yea™ it would pay to do th»<t, as the work of Looping olean was nothing compared with tho labour required to put id a fresh crop every year. The bpot appeared to thrive best in a dry and sheltered situation, but would grow very well in the open