NEW BREED OF PIGS.

Waikato Times, Volume 106, Issue 17268, 14 November 1929, Page 10

NEW BREED OF PIGS.

DUROC-JERSEY. INTRODUCED INTO DOMINION. Some months ago there was brought to New Zealand a shipment of DurocJersey pigs—a new breed to the Dominion. The introduction was recommended in 1924 b.y Mr C. E. Robertson, stud stock manager for Messrs Wright, Stephenson and Co., Ltd., who paid a visit to South and North America, in the former country lie found that the largest breeder and exporter of pork products in Argentina had decided to discard some of the older breeds and specialise in this breed, which had been imported into the Argentine some eight years earlier. Going on to the United States it was found that that country had evolved quite a number of breeds of its own, but foremost among these was the red pig known as the Duroc-Jcrsey. To-day the breed has become the national breed of America, for 51 per cent, of the pork and pork products marketed in the United States is produced by this breed. After some years’ delay authority was given by tlic Department of Agriculture to make an importation of these pigs from Canada. The first shipment was landed in New Zealand some months ago. The breeders for whom the pioneer shipment was imported are Messrs It. G. Dalzicll, liuntcrville; Fred Discombe, Ilaulapu, Cambridge; D. and S. Ross, Te Puke; and G. Newcombe, Tauhoa. Keen appreciation of the new breed has been expressed on I all sides, and Mr Discombe, who lias tlie largest piggeries in the Dominion, lias expressed his opinion that the Duroc-.lersey is in type 11 i e ideal for which he, as a pig breeder, lias been striving for many years. The DurocJersey is a lengthy but particularly well-made pig, arched in the back and very deep in' the hams and sides—practically all waste lias been eliminated from tlic conformation of this pig. The fact that this breed is the most popular in tlic United Stales proves that it is the best for utility purposes. Being an active type of pig and of sucii quick growth they are naturally the cheapest to bring to profit, and both as a fattening breed ) and for crossing purposes must have ) a great vogue in the Dominion.