STUD PIG IMPORTATIONS.

Wairarapa Age, 4 July 1933, Page 7

STUD PIG IMPORTATIONS.

The development of the pig industry ;n New Zealand has encouraged several breeders to make recent importations from Australia where some very highclass English pigs are at present in use. The Department of Agriculture in New South Wales despatched its Senior Instructor in pig raising to England to make selections for the Government studs and as a result some of the best pigs procurable in England were imported. These pigs have been extremely successful at the various experimental farms and in the Hawkesbury College stud. The most notable of the imported Tamworth boars introduced are Hacking Hero, Caldmore Arthur and Whittingham Red Start. These pigs are all represented in the importations recently made to New Zealand by Messrs Wright, Stephenson and Co., Ltd. The first importation made was of two Tamworth breeding sows from Hawkesbury Colege on behalf of Mr. G. Shattock, Hamilton, who is found 1 - ing a stud with imported pigs. Both sows which were full sisters were by Hacking Hero (imp). Large litters were procured from each sow. These litters were sir,ed by another English importation in Caldmore Arthur whose stock did exceptionally well at the recent Sydney Royal Show. A further importation was recently made from the Wollongbar Experiment Farm, Lismore, New South Wales. This time two of the leading prize-winning Tarnworths at the recent Sydney Royal Show were secured. One of these, a rising year old boar, Wollongbar Aby, was also selected for Mr. Shattock. This boar is a grand son of Caldmore Arthur and he won second prize in a very strong class at the Sydney Royal Show. According to experts who examined this pig when he came out of quarantine at Wellington, he is one of the best typos of Tamworth boars that has yet been brought to New Zealand. At the same time a magnificent year 1 old sow was also secured from the Wollongbar Experiment Farm for the Massey Agricultural College, Palmerston North. This sow is also a grand i daughter of Caldmore Arthur and she was also second prize in a strong class at the Sydney Royal Show. While in quarantine on Somes Island she produced a splendid litter to the service of the imported English boar, Whittingham Red Start. Whittingham Red Start was bred 7 by the Whittingham Mental Hospital, Preston, England, and has proved a wonderful breeding boar his stock having figured! very prominently in the prize list at the Sydney Royal Show. Caldmore Arthur was bred by Mr. R. P. Haynes, of Delves Green Farm, Wednesbury, England. The descendants of this sire are outstanding for type and quality and he has brought about a very noticeable improvement in the Tamworth pigs at the Hawkesbury Agricultural College. Not only are his progeny outstanding for type development but they show a special improvement in the hind quarters. The importation of such valuable high class pigs to New Zealand at the present time should be of great value to breeders as all these importations represent entirely new strains of blood in the Dominion.