THE FARM.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 33, 8 February 1905, Page 7

THE FARM.

THE SMALL PRODUCER. Mr W. Harker. who called the meetiaat Avoiidale to discuss- the subject of the disposal of the produce of the small farmer has since received numerous letters indicative of the strong feeling that amen;: small producers. The following is ty-ni ai of many others, and is written by a sural! farmer at Clevedon. He writes — Xt- [ mon reform. For I take that to be tee key note of your published letter vvhi'-h you were soort ecoeg-h to send mc" I entirely njrree with your views. The absmdlty of the whole system upon which in" prouci'ts of farmers are disposed deserves "'ounemnatiou at the hands of every thinkmjr person In the colony. Last rear we made an attempt from here, through Che I mon, to nut the butter product from Hairy ami separator ou a mo-re satisfactory • •j.-?U. with the result that proved concHistreiy tne utter inability of the Exectrfiv; to grip that, or any other matter that would benefit the small farmer And yet there is a deep yearning on the part of small producers for unity of a character rhac will protect him asainst the rapacity ■ ;>: the unscrupulous middleman. As an individual, he is victimised on every bandas one in unity is his only hope of defence I do not know whether yon have your line of remedy mapped out. hnt I have the opinion that eggs and batter are two products -K-hu-b are included in the earnings and part earnings of ne.itly every one on the land, and are not sold by oae farmer to another, and therefore 3ttitable in every way to build np a ••unity" upon srachYs nms not hitherto been dreamed of. Take epgs. Could not an e?g producers' association be formed for the Auckland prorince strong enough to command a fair and provable return to the poultry man? Were onp product dealt with in a basines3 like and successful manner, butter and other associations wouid qniekly follow. At the present moment there is no hope through the Union. It sounds a bit Irish but it seems to mc we will stand a better chance with unity in *wtious, for we most confess we have not cue ability to grapple the whole problem under one organisation However, any movement you make for improvement will receive support from here and will be looked for with interest. FOWLS FOR FARMERS. The general farmer is the man above all others who is most advantageously situated to make money out of poultry. Yet he will be the last to believe that there is anything at all to be made out of the feathered stock. It is natural that lie should look askance at the occupants of the dunghill, -who make themselves a nuisance in seed-time and harvest, and seldom pay for the corn they eat. It is, hownver, beginning to dawn upon some agriculturists that their poultry are like as uncultivated field that only requires a little attention to make it profitable. The hens have been lying fallow too long, and many of them have degenerated almost beyond recovery. They are so anti- | quated, and possibly diseased, that the farmer who means to give poultry a fair trial will clear them all out and start with new stock. is an almost endlesa list of breeds for him to make a selection from, and my object here is to give the inexperienced a few guiding hints. Before choosing a breed, one should ask himself the questions, "What am I going to keep poultry for?" Is my object to be egg-pro-duction, or table poultry, or a little of both?" Most farmers will find ft best to go in for eggs alone, and in that case a purely laying breed will pay best. Then, as the birds will be housed on the colony plan, having ample range, an active breed —one that is always searching for natural food—is most desirable. The Ancona is perhaps the most ac- ■ *■■'"<• "T>fl nrnrhipfivp nf fill the non-sit-ters, and average specimens will probably lay a greater weight of egg 3in the course of a year than any other. Strains, of course, differ enormoushiy in every breed, and one who desires to make egg-production a success should never lose sight of that fact. Therefore, when mentioning the Aneona, 01 any other, I refer to average birds—the breed as a. whole. Minora a and Leghorns (white and brown) may also be placed among our beat laying breeds. All the above lay white egga, and in most places these will sell as well as tinted ones, particularly in the scarcer months of the year, when "an egg's an egg." For various reasons many people prefer a crossbred fowl. These are usuallj hardier, and when table qualities are required ac well as proflicacy, a cross bred is more likely to combine botl properties. In producing an all-rounc fowl by crossing, there is no sire thai can equal a Houdan. In itself a first class layer and table fowl, this breec can scarcely be put in a wrong place The cock may be mated to Orpingtons Rocks, Wyandottes, or Langshans, and the progeny will be very prolific, hardy and good table fowls. If a Houdan cocl is mated to other non-sitters—Anconas Leghorns, Minorcas —the result will b< increased size and hardiness. The Hou dan-Leghorn has long been a favourit< • cross. Among water fowl, the Indian Runne: duck is perhaps the most profitabli breed that a farmer can keep. It is • essentially a layer and a very activ( forager, delighting in free range, when for the greater part of the year it wil • entirely maintain itself. Unlike othei : breeds, the Runner continues to lay 1 with the exception of short intervals o rest, throughout the year, the numbei • of eggs generally exceeding that lait ; by ordinary fowls. Then there is an ! other point which ii distinctly in it; - favour, and that is, it will do without 1 swimming water, so that a flock of Run ' ners may be housed away in the opei r fields and treated just as if they wen ! laying hens. : Of the various breeds of geese, thi \ Chinese is one that should be mon : popular with farmers. It is smaller thai I the Toulouse or Embden. but is a grea ~ layer. If crossed by a Toulouse gandei tI we can depend upon getting far mon ■ i effgs for incubation or disposal, and th ; I youngsters from such a union will b r amply large enough to suit all require 1 ments. Fuirthermore, they feathe 1 quickly, and arrwe at that siage whei I goslings are known as "green" at ai s i earlier age than any other variety.— r I "Live Stock Journal."