THE POULTRY INDUSTRY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1533, 31 August 1912, Page 3

THE POULTRY INDUSTRY.

(By Chantecler.)

The Deputatiw to the Prime Minister. The poultrymen who waited on the Prime Minister on Monday last received a favourable hearing. It was not to bo expected that Mr. Massey would make any lavish promises, as he will need to make some inquiries before committing himself to any of the proposals put beforo him. The requests were reasonablo and iiracticable. The speakers put the case in a vasmesslike manner, and, v considering that Cliere were few speakers, and the whole ifcisrview concluded in half an hour, tho deputation did well. They wisely met to discuss matters on Monday' forenoon, and went ovor each subject carefully, leaving out of their request all matters of minor importance. It was generally agreed that never beforo was tho poultry industry so flourishing, and also in such need of organisation as at the present time. The. producers of eggs and poultry (out of which, the deputation was formed) agreed that the possibilities were great in New Zealand, and given • encouragement, they would extend their plants and increase tho production. Export Question Raised Once More. It. was generally agreed that the export trado was the most important subject to bo asked for; Air. John Studholme is the pioneer of tho movement at tho present juncture, and-suggests , that a practical man be'sent to Honolulu, Vancouver, Seattle, and the Western potts of America;'also that ho take with him a sample shipinent of eggs and poultry—the eggs ta be sent in two or three, different ways, su as to gather information on tho best method of shipping. The trial, would not cost a great deal, and, considering, that the producers guaranteed sufficient supplies, the test could be'easily made. It is lioped -that the Government will spare a few pounds in making this experiment. To merely ship eggs to Vancouver, and ask the commissioner there to markot them,'would almost surely result in failuro. . Information is needed as to the best method of shipping, packing, grading, and marketing, and this will demand moro experience in eggs, and more timo for the work than the commissioner could givo. Private enterprise can accomplisn ns much as, this, and it would simply bo a waste of time if nothing inoro than were sent, without someono accompanying them. It 'is more than nkf'ly that at Vancouver more eggs could be cabled for, and thus the cxpprt trade got going without delay.

Preserved Eggs. The deputation also asked that prescrvetl eggs should be stamped as such when being placed on the market, ihis seems desirable, inasmuch as many unscrupulous vendors sell preserved eggs as fresh, and tho public aro tho victims. It is not everyone who can tell a preserved egg from a new-laid egg, and tho consequence is many traders mi* up the preserver eggs with fresh, or even sell their preserved as.fresh eggs. ... llr. Jlassey considered this a reasonaule protection for tho public, and, though special legislation would bo lu bring tho matter under the Pure roods Act, ho could see no difficulty in gettin D the matter made law. The Government Farms. Mr. Massey showed eomo knowledge of the poultry business when he affirmed that tho money spent in the Government poultry farms "staggered nira. It is fox tho lavish expenditure m the past that the poultry branch of agriculture stands'in such a wretched position to. day. Poultry men are denied v. hat tliey ask; their experts are reduced to one, while very little money is spent annually in the industry. , It is hoped that Mr. Massey will reconstruct matters. The deputation asked that tho farms be closed, and that experimental poultry work be done at the proposed agricultural colleges. Experimental work is needed. lho Pj'esmt farms aro not experimental farms, though they succeed as poultry-breeding establishments. They' disseminate good stock through the country, but now that poultry-breeders aro so numerous, this feature of tho work is somewhat unneces6aTy' Poultry Instructors. If all the other countries are fright. New Zealand is wrong in. the method oi its poultry work. In all other countries we find tho Government taking up experimental work only, while tho educational results are obtained by the poultry instructors. In Denmark their men go round among the farmers, and spend a great deal of time in teaching them the best methods of poultry-keeping. Tho results are so great that Denmark sends as "Teat value in eggs into England as wo do in butter, and yet Denmark' is onlv the sizb of Canterbury! The possibilities of the poultry industry in Iscw Zeala'ud, properly organised, may be easily estimated by what Denmark is doing.

The Chicken Season. We are now right in the heart of tho chick season, and all our advertisers report good business. Xow is the time to get tho chickens hatched. The heavy breeds should bo all out by Iho middle of September, while the light breeds may be hatched up (ill October. Beginners should take care that tho clucks are fed regularly. A good cluckraiser should be used, and the chicks fed often. A largo quantity should not be given; just enough for them to eat up clean, so that: they will be ready for their next meal. Some beginners report a lot of infertile eggs ■ and chicks dead in shell. There are many things to account for this. The infertile eggs may result from too many lions mated, or the cockerel is weak in constitution, or is too closely related. Tho dead in shell may bo caused through breeders lacking exercise, green feed, eggs kept too long before setting, | want of moisture, or weak constitution of parents. ' These defects must be remedied to ensure good results. To Correspondents. "Hawera."—Your du'.ks must have access to some injurious food.. The symptoms indicate' ptomaine poisoning, caused through eating decayed meat. If tho trouble continues, send particulars, methods of feeding, and the foods you use. Curious Place for a Nest. A Mohaka correspondent writes:—A remarkable discovery was matte at Kakariki station last week. A white leghorn hen was continually missing, but a boy saw it one day .'•lying up into a willow tree about 30. feet from tho ground. Climbing tho tree with difficulty, owing to the slender branches, the lad discovered her nest with seven eggs in it, which had to l>o : lowered to tho ground , in, a basket. Had it- been a stump, it would not have beem noticed, but, high -up in the swaying branches, it was remarkable. A WINNER-OF COMPETITIONS. Tho Egg-laying 'competitions for 1910-11 and 1911-12 wereboth won by pens reared on. 'A. and P." Chick Raiser. The first essential for pr'ofitablo poultry keeping. Obtainable from all Storekeepers — Advt.