IMPRESSIONS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1551, 21 September 1912, Page 3

IMPRESSIONS.

NAPIER BREEDER TALES OUT. (By W. C. Davis.) Boijig- one of the deputation that waited on the Prime Minister last month, I seized the occasion to pay a visit to some of the poultry plants in. and around Wellington, as well as Canterbury. The season of .the year made it somewhat difficult to leave my own plant, but it is just tho timo', when you can' find out what the other • fellow is doing. The Government farms I had already visited, so that I was ablo to make comparisons and form an idea, of the progress the industry is'making. In the North Island I visited Messrs. Knight, Muniby, Ferguson, Hopkins,"' Leger, and a number of smaller plants. I'rom the above 1 gathered a good deal of information,, and fonnd them all in .full working order". On the smaller places I found a want of cleanliness, as many of them were ir a very dirty condition.- Being anxious tc eee what was. being done in Canterbury I first called on tb&New Zealand Poultry Institute, Christphuroh. This is only a two-penny tram ride from the Square, and is a model/ of up-to-datedness and cleanliness. I. < was;, prepared to- expect something, as 'it's proprietor is well in the front as a leader, in our industry. The institute is an'education'to : beginners, and no one who-wants to keep poultry on a largo scale should fail to visit it. -By means qf. motors and trams, I was able to see most of'the poultry plants, for miles round,-'and'l much regret that very few of them revealed tho pride in them that an up-to-date owner desires, especially in the want of cleanliness. Somo of these people are asking for Government assistance, and they should get it by means of a visit: from an officer of the Health Department;... In .fact,, from what I saw the necessity arises for compelling these plants to bo kept clean. The lanenforces cleanliness in-the-'dairyman; , .and tho ; poultrymah .should by no means'be exempt. The plants,- many of them ans up-to-date enough, but' the management is poor and sadly ; negligent; If some of these same men were in other kinds • of business they would-not.be tolerated; and would soon have to close up shop. I can well understand why tho poultry instructors ■ should write as follows in last month's Gazette:—

Cleanliness.. "One of my unpleasant experiences—and it is far too common—is to become cover-., ed- with vermin- on entering a fowlhousb in order to give advice in .regard to tho plant and the stock. A man desirous to learn how to advance in his methods, and to extend his operations is hardly likely to proceed if he fails to appreciate in the first place the necessity of cleanliness in all that pertains to poultry. Science has rendered great service to the dairy-farmer, but its greatest service has been directed to overcoming defects arising from dirt; and, nowadays, it is .being realised that the old secret.of dairying—.'cleanliness — is the modern secret. If this be true of dairying, it is even more true of poultrykeeping; for with poultry dirt means disease, and poultry.-disease comes under tho ' heading of those things which cannot be profitably cured. Unless the poultryman realises the necessity of cleanliness as the foundation-stone of success, he need, not hope to be able to conduct the.business on a commercial scale." No wonder the industry is retarded when poultrymen are so negligent, and it is to be ; hoped that those in arrears with their work will soon remedy matters, y The Egg-Laying Test. While at Christchurch' I spent a ver> pleasant two hours at the egg-laying competition. In company with the general secretary, Mr. J.. H. Shaw, 'I was given full information concerning. the club. This officer is a painstaking and diligent secretary, and I should say the club owes its present solid position to the work of this officer.'. ..-. ' ' ■ At the competition tho poultry breeder can see the cream of the .utility birds of New Zealand. It is to be regretted that the heavy breeds are not better represented and the club should certainly do something to foster the table breeds. A special prize should be given'to farmers who breed table varieties, so as to induce thorn to get interested in table poultry. The club, too, might very well have a little booklet printed, giving the owners and names of the pens, past wins and records, etc. It would be useful to visitors, and a charge of sixpence would cover the cost of preparation. The water supply at the test is bad. In supplying water to poultry p opening is afforded for economy of labour, and the-plant that is not watering automatically is behind the times, _ The competition could be easily fitted out with a water supply for a few pounds, and save a lot of labour, and have the work done more effectually. I think, too, that members of the committee who are competitors should not have access to any of the pens unless : accompanied by the caretaker. It is well to avoid an appearance of dissatisfaction. Tho caretaker is a capable officer, and competitors may have every.confidence in him. * A Poultry Market. . One of the be4t indications of the growin" industry is a visit to Wilson's poultry safeyards at Christchurch. Here every Saturday are marketed thousands of birds. The proprietor informed me that he sells annually through ■■ his yards ,100.000 birds. Some idea of Canterbury s supdlv may be gained from this fact alone. The birds arrive in crates on Fridays trains and are'penned and graded with great" care. On Saturday morning a stream of farmers' carts nmve, each loaded with poultry, and by twelve o'clock the nens are filled.'- They are auctioned off at a marvellous rato. The bidding is hrisk and on the day of my visit table birds wore bringing B=. to- 9s. per pair, ducks 7s. to Bs., nnd turkeys up to 365. This market is a proof of what co-oper-ation could, do, as nearly , all the poultry