MESSES. H. AND J. BINSTEAD'S AVONDALE PIGGERIES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 9336, 20 October 1893, Page 6

MESSES. H. AND J. BINSTEAD'S A VONDALE PIGGERIES.

About a mile outside Avondalo Messrs. H. and J. Binstead, butchers, of Freeman's Bay and Arondale, have established extensive piggeries, where they have for some time been engaged in rearing first-class stock of porkers. The range of styes are erected on the banks of the Whau Creek in an 18-acre paddock, with feed rooms, slaughterhouses, scalding shed, boilingdown place, etc., attached. They have have now a grand stock of well-bred swine in the pink of condition, and in the various stages in the life of a pig. Great care appears to be taken to keep the pigsties perfectly clean and wholesome. The too common filthiness'to be found in pigsties is generally the fault of their owner rather than of their occupants. A clean, dry sleeping place is proved to be of great importance in the profitable keeping of pigs. Amongst the stock are to be seen some celebrated prizetakers at various agricultural shows, the proprietors having recently acquired some valuable additions from the best Canterbury stock. They have a fine Berkshire pedigree boar, never yet shown,'named " Hector," whose sire is Sultan, dam Rose, by Prince Victor. This pig possesses excellent points, the breed being renowned for its fertility, as well as for the rapidity with which, without materially increasing in offal or bone, it lays on flesh. They possess also a splendid Berkshire sow, " Rebecca," with litter of pigs at side, sire Tekod, dam Mabel, by Abel, bred from imported stock, and which took first prize for the firm at the last Auckland show. Then they have two Yorkshire sows named "Princess" and "May Queen," both with pigs, the pedigree being sire Young Royal . Windsor, dam - Pride of Canterbury, by Earl. "Princess" took first prize at the Auckland show, and " May Queen " was awarded similar honours at the Whangarei show. The valuable characteristics of this breed are, that they possess short and thick head, ears erect, legs very short, chine high and broad, jowl wide, and belly hanging very near to the ground. The flesh is to be found very delicate and white. Tho improved Yorkshire breed is now very much esteemed. There is also a Yorkshire boar, " Prince Charlie," sire Windsor Boy, dam Countess, by Silver King, never yet shown, possessing grand points. Amongst the herds are a good many pedigree sows, bred from noted stock, and some strains of blood from pigs imported from the Windsor farms, and which have repeatedly been prize takers in the old country, and in the colonies as well. One of the groat advantages of having this class of prize stock is that the pigs are comparatively small, but weighty for the size, small of bone, yet give the largest quantity of meat, without waste, whilst these pigs thrive on half ■ the , quantity of. feed required by a scrubber. There are pigs in this farm, which at six months old, turn the scale at 1121b. It would well repay anyone to pay a visit to the Avondale establishment, besides which valuable information can be gained in the car* of porkers.