BY THE WAYSIDE

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXV, Issue 159, 21 June 1935, Page 10

BY THE WAYSIDE

Of Interest to Farmers PLEURISY IN PIGS Pleurisy in pigs is a trouble which has been resulting in a considerable loss to farmers in other districts in the North Islam! recently, and readers will have noticed a number of telegraphed accounts in the “Herald” recently regarding occurrences of this condition in different provinces. When mentioned ■Io Mr E. E. Elpliick, Government Veterinarian for Hawke s Bay, the “Herald” was informed that although a number of cases occurred from time to time in Hawke’s Bay, this condition was fortunately not serious. Mr Elphick stated that most of the eases of pleurisy were caused by bad management in housing, with dirty and draughty conditions. Draughts should be avoided, and the pig houses should be kept clean and dry. * * A type of housing which Mr Elphick commented upon very favourably is that which has been adopted on a number of Hawke’s Hay piggeries, namely, the use of baled hay and straw, built up and covered with corrugater iron. These provided shelter and were dry and clean, and could also be easily moved, us it merely entailed building up a fresh number of bales. Mr George

Meredith is one farmer who has been very successful with this form of house, as the writer lias observed from his own observations. The "rovvtii of the pig industry in Hawke’s Bay has been remarkably rapid during the past few years, and whereas some years ago only a few hundred pigs were killed for export at the different Hawke's Bay freezing works, nowadays the total pig killings in this district run into many thousands. There are few dairy farms to-day in this province which are not carrying a lew pigs, as farmers have found how profitable these animals are in enabling better returns to be obtained from dairying. ‘ «■ * * While discussing pig husbandry with the writer, Mr E. E. Elphick, Government veterinarian, stressed the importance of providing pigs with a run-out on to pasture. “Like any other animal, the pig likes to get out and about,” he said, “and farmers will find that they experience less trouble in their herds.” The day of the sty whiMi was rarely cleaned and in which the pig wallowed in filth was, he was pleased to notice, going. * * * During the current month Mr C. E. Robertson, manager of Messrs Wright, Stephenson and Company’s stud stock and bloodstock department, will depart for North America to investigate the possibilities of the export trade in the United States and Canada for the Dominion ’s stud sheep and thoroughbred horses, which have already found a small outlet there. Mr Robertson will take the opportunity of attending the leading shows and stock exhibitions of both countries and hopes to gain firsthand knowledge of the present-day position of the best, beef cattle studs and herds of the leading dairy breeds. Mr Robertson is accepting commissions to purchase sires of various breeds, which ho will personally select. In addition to acting for some of the leading breeders in the Dominion who wish to import fresh blood, Mr Robertson has also been asked to make selections and purchases on behalf of breeders in New South Wales and Victoria.

The earliest importations of Clydesdales to New Zealand were brought to Otago about 60 years ago. It is believed that the pioneer in this respect was the late Mr W. H. Valpy, of Forbury, Otago, but the late Mr John Nimmo, of West Taieri, was probebly just as early in the field with his importation of the famous old sire, Napoleon, about 1860. * * * Research in the problems of heredity has established that, in cattle, the polled condition is dominant to the horned, that a black coat colour is dominant to red, and that the characteristic white markings of the Hereford to any other colouring. In fact, animals possessing these characteristics are what is commonly known as prepotent. A letter received from a Home breeder bears this out. He has been crossing Galloway cows with a Hereford bull. All the calves had the white face and markings of the Hereford; all were hornless, with the exception of one small stub, and six were black. Similar results are experienced in Hawke’s Bay with the P.A.-Hereford cross.