PIG BREEDERS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 8, 7 December 1935, Page 8

PIG BREEDERS.

MANAWATU-OROUA BRANCH. MONTHLY MEETING. A meeting of the Mannwatu-Oroua branch of the New Zealand Pig Breeders’ Association was held at the A. and P. Association’s buildings this morning. Mr H. E. Thurston was in the chair and the following members were present:—Messrs J. A. Russell, TV. L. West, E. P. Nielsen, W r . P. Bickers, G. M. Whitelock, C. P. Hunt, O. C. Ellerm, and H. E. Fieldhouse. The secretary (Mr B. Trow) reported 11 new members, bringing the total membership to 140. The financial position of the branch was sound, a credit balance of £42 11s lid being shown. In reply to a request from the branch as to whether the reduction on unexportable pigs included porkers as well as baconers, a letter was received from the Assistant-Director General of the Department of Agriculture, stating that the one penny per lb deduction applied only to baconers. The department understood that in the case of porkers, the deduction was 2d a lb, but whether all operators were deducting this full amount or not he was unable to say. A later letter from the department was received, stating that it understood that after November 25 a deduction of only' Id per lb was to be made in respect of unexportable porkers, thus bringing them in line .with bacon pigs. Members stated that this was very satisfactory and the fullfilment of what they had set out for. The North Auckland branch of the Pig Breeders’ Association wrote stating that regarding the judging competition it had agreed to add this competition to its schedule for the Diamond Jubilee Show in March next. The society had agreed to subsidise the transport of stock on the following terms: —The society would pay half, railage on full trucks of stock from anywhere south of Auckland. Would the Manawatu branch bring this to the notice of breeders and ask them to combine to fill a truck, or more if possible. It was decided to appoint Mr Nielsen to see what entl’ies he could get, and also to get the secretary to circularise those interested. Notification was received from the major association advising that, after January 1, all litters must be littermarked within three weeks of the date of farrowing and that litter marks be shown on the litter reports. It was decided that sows competing in the class for eight months and under 14 months should be eligible to compete if with a litter—the litter not to be judged with the 14-months-okl class but the sows being eligible to compete in the open class for sow and litter. The Manawatu A. and P. Association is to be asked to amend its rules accordingly. The following members of the branch were winners at the Manawatu A. and P. Show of prizes presented through the branch: — Berkshires.—Perrett Shield : Cheltenham Dairy Coy. 1, H. E. Fieldhouse 2. £5 prize: Cheltenham Dairy Coy. Tam worth, £5 prize.—H. E. Fieldhouse. Large White, half-ton meal.—G. M. Whitelock. Large Black, half-ton meal.—G. M. Whitelock. Special prizes.—B. and A. half-ton of meal, Cheltenham Dairy Coy.; Mr Giendinning’s prize, Cheltenham Dairy Coy. ; Mr B. E. Iveiller’s prize, W. A. Davison and N. Sorr.aghan, equal; conteen of cutlery, G. M. Whitelock. The winners were congratulated by members on their success. It was decided that the major association be asked to take up the matter of appointing only pig breeders as stewards and that exhibitors be allowed to bring out their own stock for judging; also that the major association look into matter of numbering the various pig pens or providing duplicate numbers. The recording officer, Mr E. P. Nielsen, urged close co-operation between all ’bodies interested in pig breeding, including commercial pig-breeders, supporting his request bv reading extracts from a report by an overseas expert covering his investigations in East Prussia and South Sweden. A national outlook in pig-breeding was what was needed, lie said. Mr J. A. Russell said that he objected strongly ,to adverse criticism of pig affairs in the' Press written by writers without any knowledge of their subject. When he had visited the Department at Agriculture some time ago he had been told there that New ’Zealand pig meat was the best in the world. Mr Neilsen said that he had read an article not long ago in a weekly paper that was trash.