Rural Gazette.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 15, Issue 2014, 16 December 1870, Page 3

Rural Gazette.

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To those who desire to feed pigs, either for pork or bacon, bur advice is never feed a bad pig, and never starve a good, one. Here, in a uu't-shell, lies the main / secret" of : pig-farmiug. In America, = -where there i. are "'forests producing abundance of acorns and beech nu ts, -; indifferent -pigs may :contrive to f get their own living j^and in New Zealand, even the" wild pigs, which cannot have improved in their personal appearance since Captain Cook landed / their ancestors in these islands ; even these long-legged, long-snouted, rough, --;•- ungainly '•■' animals, may make fair pork at times, although we do not suppose any of the race ever aspired to the dignity of bacon. A young barrowpig, or a sow of the same age with maternal expectations, these, on a station, are regarded as a pleasant change from the everlasting mutton j and if an appetite has been acquired by hunting after the grunter for several V miles, and. then "humping" him home _.\ to the station, we will answer for it the hunter will not turn up his nose at the repKstjTijß has thus earned. It is probable' he .may have killed half-a--dozen of these wild swiue before he has found one worth the trouble of carrying it homei,.' • dfijte,': however, one of-these wild pigs whilst young, shut it up in a sty,; if you have one that will hold it, and, feed it.ag you may, it wilLnever. half .pay'for your trouble. Therefore, we say, if you want to feed a pig, get a good one. It is not always easy to get a good one ; but. pay a good price rather, than put up with a second rate animal, even though yoa get him for nothing. The best pigs we have met with in Hawke's Bay, are those of the Berkshire and Chinese Varieties, neither probably,' very purd specimens, as it is no easy matter , to maintain pure stock from occasional importations, without depreciating the quality by too close breeding. ; Still there are some very good animals to.be met with, and it is a pity that so little regard is paid to this kind of stock ; but it is certain that pigs occupy a very subordinate position^ as compared with sheep or cattle, in .this Province. Probably the reason of this is that it takes more labor r t(T raise. pigs than either cattle or sheep i\ and pigs, if allowed to run at large, are very mischievous, rooting up the pastures, • destroying fences, eating lambs, &c. There is little sale for pork, and that not at a very tempting .' price, ..but "bacon and hams will always find a market, and generally at prices that would be remunerative to anyone who should devote bis attention to this pursuit. Having obtained a good pig, you must feed him well, if you want to fatten him quickly. Pigs will eat almost anything, but they will not thrive on everything. Eaw roots may ,do for store-pigs, but will not fatten them — skim milk, whey, meal, bran, boiled potatoes, and other roots, together with that savoury combination called " wash ; " these are the materials out of which to make prime bacon. It is usual to feed a number ofpigs on the offal of the slaughter houses ; and the boiling-down establishments will have extensive piggeries attached to them. Animal food, however, is not the natural diet of the pig, though he is a creature of such an accommodating stomach that nothing seems to come amiss to him. Hoots — such as potatoes and beet — should be given to dilute, as it were, the stimulating food from the slaughtering establishments, and the roots should, if possible, be boiled. We have good reason to believe that one gallon of boiled potatoes will go as far as two of raw ones. Whole grain may be given to pigs,' and, where maize is used, it is convenient to give it iv the cob ; but all grain will go further if ground into meal, aiid mixed with such liquor as maybe obtainable. Pigs should be fed with regularity, three times daily. They should have as much as they can consume at each feed, but it is not a good plan to leave stale food constantly in their troughs. If they have not an abundant supply of milk, or slops, it will be necessary to give them water. We are no. advocates for over-fattening any animal, but we consider that the barrels of lard, upon legs, which are exhibited at the shows in England, are disgusting objects. We differ from an old- and experienced farmer (Cobbett) who- writes of the bacon-pig :•— " Make him quite fat by all means. The last bushel, even if he sit as he eat, is the most profitable. If he can walk two hundred yards at a time, he is not well fatted." . We should prefer, if it could be carried into practice, the plan of an ingenious Irishman, who fed his pig one day, and starved him the next, iv order to make streaky baconk