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of, were rather in commerce than in agriculture. He was led to regard the town and its ways rather than the country and its ways as the more likely to bring him nearer such ideals or aspirations towards material comfort as he had. Perhaps this is so still and it may be true of other places besides the New Territories but the isolation no longer holds. Roads and Railways have made intercourse easier until now it seems opportune to break in upon the time honoured methods of the New Territory farmer and assist him by example and precept to make more out of his live stock. If his live stock are considered in the order of their merit then the first place must be given to pigs, so I should like to consider them first.
SWINE.
A considerable amount of success has attended Chinese efforts in pig breeding. The chief merits of the local pig are (1) it is hardy (2) it is capable of fattening on very poor food (3) it is extremely prolific (4) it is very good tempered and docile (5) it carries a good percentage of meat to offal and so has little waste from a butcher's point of view. Its demerits are (1) it is of slow growth, (2) when it nas attained to a reasonable size it has too large a proportion of fat Lo lean meat (3) its conformation is such that the more expensive parts of the meat, the hams and loins, are too small and thin in pro- portion to the rest of the carcase. For some years the Dairy Farm
Company have experimented in pig breeding and they are now able to supply to their customers more and better pork than they did when they used native pigs only. This result has been arrived at by cross- ing native sows with European boars and the outcome has been the production of a pig equally as hardy and prolific as the native pig, but one which attains to a greater size in a shorter time on an equal amount of food, has a higher percentage of meat to offal and a higher percentage of lean meat to fat.
These experiments have already been made and been profitable so that if the same procedure were wisely applied to the New Terri- tories good results might safely be reckoned upon.
Naturally many farmers would be slow to adopt any innovation in an industry in many aspects of which they already excel but from their very knowledge of these aspects they would appreciate the more quickly advances which could be shown to them as possible in other directions. I have already been approached many times by Chinese as to the probable cost of pigs imported from abroad and the cost landed in Hongkong has hitherto been to them prohibitive. Doubtless the cost of such a pig compared with a local pig seemed excessive, especially as they could not foresee with much accuracy all the benefits likely to accrue nor forget that the beast might die at any time. That such enquiries for foreign pigs are being made, may be taken as an indication of some dissatisfaction with present con- ditions, and some appreciation of the improved breeds of pigs used by foreign countries. It may, I think, be reasonably hoped that if facilities for the use of foreign pigs were at hand Chinese would take advantage of the opportunity and if their efforts were guided along right lines much good would result.
POULTRY.
Local Chinese fowls have little to recommend them. They are small in size, lay small eggs and not many of them, have a great pro- pensity for brooding, do not mature rapidly and show no greater powers of resistance to disease than European fowls. Their only good point is that they are good rearers of chickens. They cross readily with all European breeds and the cross is an improvement on the native fowl in every respect, including hardiness and resistance to disease.
I am unable to speak of the effects of crossing native and European ducks since I have had no experience of it, nor do I know of any one who has tried it.
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Turkeys under proper care are profitable to rear and geese also give a good reward for the labour expended. The white Chinese goose is an excellent layer,
It is highly probable that poultry would be to begin with the raost successful line in an experimental farm as the initial expenditure is small and results are quickly apparent. There are few households in the New Territories which do not keep some fowls. Artificial hatching is also a well known and successful industry.
CATTLE.
More dairy cattle would be desirable from many points of view, but the production of milk is a highly specialised industry and much would require to be done to educate the New Territory peasant so that he might make a success of it. There is already money and experience invested in this business and it might safely be left to expand and develop on its own resources. I think the aim in the cattle industry ought rather to be to produce bullocks better for farm labour than the present type and incidentally better for beef. No such alteration in type must, however, be evolved as to produce a bullock unfit to maintain himself under such conditions as obtain in the New Territory. That is to say, the bullock must be able to assimi late the dry fibrous grasses that are now there naturally, do arduous work, and maintain his condition under what the local farmer deems to be the normal state of affairs.
There are three methods by which the breed of cattle in the New Territory might be improved, viz. :-
(1) Allow only such native Now Territory buils as are ap- proved to be used for breeding purposes and compel the castration of such as are not approved. This is the sim- plest and cheapest method and though perhaps the sloweat which would produce lasting results if persevered with. It would only require an annual visit of the officer in charge of breeding operations who would inspect all bulls in a particular village, brand those he considered suitable and castrate the remainder. Bulls found afterwards with- out the brand could be dealt with,
(2) Swatow cattle are the best breed of native cattle that come into Hongkong both for beef and for labour and this fact is well appreciated by the local Chinese farmer. Young Swatow bulls therefore might be bought and a few dis- tributed to head men in those localities which have the best agricultural land and the villagers induced to make use of these bulls. As these cattle are bigger and heavier than the New Territory animals it might not at first be of much use to put them where the land is poor. As may be seen this method could be very well made to fit in with the first method and be carried on in conjunction with it.
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The importation of foreign cattle and crossing with them of the native beast. In order to make a success of this method experiments which cost money would be necessary. So far only one European breed has given moderately good results in the Philippine Islands, where many breeds have been tried. Philippine Islands native cattle have a very considerable admixture of Chinesa blood in them. The European-Chinese cross is a violent one (violent in the sense of being a cross of very opposite types) and there are very little data available as to the results of subsequent crossings. Any attempt at crossing with European blood ought to be begun on a very conservative basis. No comparisons can be made regarding the results of crossing native cattle and dairy cattle as the progeny in this Colony are maintained under highly artificial conditions.
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