EGG-LAYING COMPETITION.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1013, 31 December 1910, Page 14

EGG-LAYING COMPETITION.

(By. Teleffraph ; —Special ■ Correspondent.) -.Ghristchuroh, December 30. Tho highest totals for tho week! in tho Papauui hen-laying competitions are:—■ Sail, ,36 35; AVallis, 34; Wilson, 31. v ■' -. The'highest totals .to date are:— Knight, 1092; Sail, 1086; Balch, 1072; Smith, 1076. The totals in the duck class for tho week-are:—Strong, 35; Seddon, 33; Knight, 33. ...The aggregates to date are:—Knight; No. 1. pea 896, No. 2 pen 862; Hammond, 851 Tho layings for the week aro:—Hens, .1383; ducks, 295. .. . The : totals' for ,; the 'competition now :stand, at:—Hens,"49,6ol';' ducks, 8998. v Tho Need—Table Poultry. . : Oho', of the'great ; weaknesses of tho •poultry business -is 'the need of better table • poultry. The Government experts and; the poultry papers spend,far too much time in talking of eggs, that have experienced almost a slump in the market,, while,'at the "same time, there' is a famine in goad table poultry. The writer spent some time displays of 'poultry in' -the-' shops during Christmas, and must confess that' the specimens on view were poor reflections of the, industry. Were sheep, cattle, 'or pigs to be .marketed-'inra' condition similar, there would: be an uproar throughout '' the land. Scores of birds, that came under my view were mere skeletons, and legislation should bo . enacted to preserve such specimens being..'used for human; -consumption. '•W«' ; h'ave;. ; 'Mard , '. , 'enough.'.abput; strains.; '.It'is-;'-time, now. that something practical-were done,' to remedy th,e .evil''of. placing -poor poultry. on the market. ■' Thousands of :• birds" are "mSrketed each week\whicli would' pay. for fattening/ahd/the prices paid for even ptor''cluckens';this..ise9feon have , been higher than -inv/any .previous year. In the opeit market 9s...per pair has been paid. , This-serves .to','?liow the greit need that there is for' improving the table poultry of the Domihioh.'.....

Farmora' Fowls. we .live.,in: days when specialities are pronounced, .we usually look to:- tho -generil'-farmer..: for developing tlio;poultry industry: . Quite a large increase in the, production could bo obtained ,-if, farmers wo'uld "-only seek -to improve their poultry:, flocks as ,a. side : liri-ei' -They:: wilrdemand' the,, best, lines .of: sheep"/. cattlbV J alid;ho'rs'os,'but poiil■try 'is,'^adly'neglected, an'd yet,there is hot, ,ono;;branchC'6f: - agriculture', that' prbves 1 : so'profitable; ih:a .farm -.'as the poultry.' l --The farmer's-wifo knows this, and were it ncit for. her efforts the condition of. poult-ry, flocks would be worse than it is./' '

V-* "IHe'-writeri.'is ;inot advocating poultry- . farming' for... a ' living itself. '/This is well'enough in' its-,way, ..but; if demands; min'-of experience, capital and ,ability. /,;To. go into ,itJ without either of. these is to court failure:,; In visiting ; 4h6:'!farmers';]iouies-one'. ik : -st'riick with the'erude' provisions, made' for' poultry, i SThey. are often allowed to. roost in any ofd*'siie3.or amorig'the trees.; They are usually-fed bountifully enough, but ,t}icir,food' consists'of .one ,kin'd—usually grain'. Most-of the. birds show signs of •age;- an'd "it:,is <ho' uncommon thing to hear '• the /farmer .say: "The Hens die off.". , ... A ; . ; ;3S T o hen /should *be/;tept on .a farm more'than /two -years, while the males should be marketed in four to seven months.' The . high'prices paid for young, chickens.. this year demonstrate the need ..that there, is for farmers to givo poultry their attention. To erect !i/suitable house arid ~ yards,.' to purchase .g oo^ -strain's with,which to pro!.vidCa',,flpck 'is. only, a ;mattcr of: a few pounds,'- and will-' return - to' tile owner many times their virtue.',in; the year.' •The , Christmas Goose. The goose has always, been the favourite dish for a Christmas dinner, and, : to Christehurch papers, the poorest workman, could, have had a goose'' for his' table.. One- farm alone I marketednearly 2000 geese at from 45.. 6d. to 7s. a, pair.. It appears that, last year, geese were very- scarce, and prices'ranged from 9s. to 12s. per pair. The Canterbury, farmers' ■-. wives never cased talking about it, with the result that they raised geese by the thousand, and the market experienced a slump.... ' To I 'have a gtiose weighing" eight or nine pounds placed'on the table at 3s. is-indeed a great ,treat for the public. However, tho birds do not cost a great deal to feed. Most of- them livo on ■ grass.and-roam over the fields in search of foo:l. It is estimated that nearly 10,000 head of poultry.' were marketed in Christeliurch during Christmas week, and this,' in addition to the heavy stocks kept in cold storage, and the birds raised for home use by. the people themselves, gives-, some, idea of ;.the demands of the city., Tho Poultry conference, The late Poultry Conference has attracted favourable comment from : the Australian -papers. -The "Bulletin" says:. As a result of persistent effort and dogged perseverance on the part of Editor M. B. -Merrett, of the "New Zealand Poultry Journal," a conference of poultry breeders has at length been arranged Jor' in tho Island Dominion, and an "excellent programme put' forward for consideration. 'That such ;a gathering will do much to promote a greater .measure of. cordiality: amongst breeders, and stamp out-many of the •evils that at present, attach to the producing and exhibiting -of feathered stock ;there can-beilittlo doubt, 'while "various details attaching to the- utility side of the business must also, of necessity, re- ; ceivo careful attention at the hands, of such a. deliberate gathering. The innovation is one pregnant with immense ■possibilities - of the poultry. industry in' this portion of the globe, and: m'akes the suggested .Australasian Conference an item to be eagerly awaited.

Australasian Conference. 1 .Strong efforts ard : being made to hold an inter-State poultry conference. in ~ Australia next year. , It will be held . probably-in April 'or . May,, and it is expected somo ■ representatives will attend from New Zealand. ' The confer- ■ eneos at Hawkesbiiry and Adelaide have done much to stimulate interest in Australia, and the-poultry industry has received a big lift a's the:result. • In tho matter "'of'' strains':,and .'knowledge in , breeding, it'is assumod that the Aus- \ tralians are ahead of us, but, in tho - matter'of up-t-o-date poultry plants, we excel. The first' egg circle was inaugurated in South Australia, showing that the poultry men. .there are alive to their interests, and seek to maintain tho growth of their industry. Tho export trade is receiving their attention, and, close to South Africa, they have an excellent niaxket open to them. v Egg Rocords, New Zealand is spmewhat behind as regards records from their public tests. : The present competition gives promise . of good returns, and an effort is to bo made to retain tho leading pens ,for 1 whole year, with a .view, to establishing a record. The present test does not complete the year.