THE POULTRY INDUSTRY

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1675, 15 February 1913, Page 15

THE POULTRY INDUSTRY

: -4 (By Chantecler,)

A Prosperous Concern. "Chantecler" has been favoured with a report and balance-sheet of the ! Wairarapa Egg Circle, It iß s gratifying to note tho continued sneoess of this organisation. It is an object-lesson for poultry-men throughout the Dominion, and ehows what, cooperation under intelligent management, tan do. The days of failure in poultry-, keeping are getting less, and it appears as if tho commercial undertakings of poul-' trymon aro being governed by a f more intelligonti spirit, and' have better chances to sucteud. Poultrymcn begin to,realise that it.is to men with' business training that they must look to for guidance. The appointment, of cheap, inexperienced managers has rosulted in loss, and hindeied mo progress of the industry. Tho Wairarapa.'oirolb is'a striking instance of-what capable men can do. The secretary, Ifr. Boddington, of Mastertoii, is an cnthusiastio and painstaking officer, and to him tho circle largely owes its-, success. In.Mr. Jesson, tlie Wellington agont, the circle'has a hard worker, and one who has watched the interests of tho producer as closely as.-possible. The circulation of "thousands ; of good, fresh, stamped and tested eggs in Wellington each week has created a demand that is daily growing in'importance."" The circlb is a preliminary movement that will lead on to other further progress. -', It will do the initiative work .that will enable poultryniea to form a"'financial concern for the handling of all the products in cohhectioa with the industry. -..'.-;'•.

,: Annual Returns. Tho report,' says year, just coucludod has,been, like tho two previous ones, most successful from every f point of vww. 'Thirty-fire new members wero elected during"'-the year, and the member-:' ship now stands at 120, as against 101 for the same period last year. The members' aro distributed as follows:—Masterton 12, Carterton 85, Greytown 26, Feiithorston 10, Mauncevilh) 5, Majigamahco % '■•'; ! . :..' During tho year the circle's ■ agent in Wellington (Mr. Win. Jessen) disposed oi 10,635 dozen, eggs, -which realised: 17s. 7d., as against 36,613 dozen for 6s. Bd. in the previous year. The'forty thousand. eight hundred and thirty-five dozen eggs were sent from tho following, branches of the oircle:—Jfasterton 19,111 dozen, Carterton 8812 dozen,. Greytown 1915 3308 dozen,, Mangamahoe 2^56, : . aud-for- this year-ieecureil-a contract for the supply of 3000 dozenprcserved at a guaranteed prico of Is. 3d; per dozen.', ..,".-■: . ''■'■■:■

As ana of the objects of the circle, tho committee were again successful in arranging a, contract for tho supply of poultry feed, and though in some linos the prices have recently dropped; the contract.on a whole has.proved benefioial to those.who havb taken advantage of it.

: Eggs, and Losses, ..;..-. ..It inay.fnirly'be computed that thousands of pounds are lost Annually to'the producers in the marketing of eggs. The farmers lose heavily.;; ,; ill.; the. irregular grades, the need'of'.'stamping and cleaning eggs, arid' where producers give atten-tion-toithese things.they lose in irregular ,marketing.. A striking. instanco '.of'loss, may '.bo cited in the iocal market 'during January.;.';..Eggs,inJChristchurch, during January, Bold at least 3d. to 4il;- a.- dozen mtiro than in: Wellingtons', Through'wont of organisation producers had to, accept outside assesaments of.market value; with tho result'that for. no; reason whatever, they .lost .hundreds.of pounds.. This stato of affairs• emphasises- the need', for, .unity and a 00-operative system of disposing of tho : products.'... It, is; to,' bo ,regrettetfc that through loss'e3;6f.this,nW'u're.tho iiiSustry'' is so handicapped^'££i*\ ■"' 'V'-Wi/ 1 ~' ■ - -■■ ,: : "- ■ ■■■'.!""■■-' . •■ :•' C-fi- ■ Tha Auckland Conference

Preparations are going forward 'for the Auckland conference, whioh. proiniMß to be a great success. I Every etfort should bo mado by egg circles l to send forward their delegates.., There'is scope for muchorganisation, and poultrymen should be alive to '■ their; possibilities. Neglect will' Surely carry its penalty., Other industries are alive to the need of commercial organisation, and, poultrynien should, wake up and attend.to matters' of such importance. .■■..:'■', ■"■'

;'' \Preserving'Eflgs- 1 -French scientists have' discovered a new method |of -preserving eggs, which, they deolai-e, will'keep the eggs untainted and of the same delicato colour of the albumen, for.ten B.buthh. This methdd consists, for tho main part, of the use of carbonic gas. and compressed nitrogen. ' Tho manner in.which tho work-is dono socnis, as though if; wero! altogether too m'uch trouble'and too expensivc/but it. is claimed; the extra expense 'iconics to' no more than forty cents a thousand eggs. , The eggs are placed in a tin case:holding five hundred each, and. these cases are in wooden frames,to enable them to bo set .in-cold storage. '.First, a littlo chlorate, of lime is used ,to absorb the moisture,'then the cover is soldered on, leaving a quarter of an inch ■ bole. A vacuum : is.iicxt produced, thereby removing all the dir surrounding the eggs,' and the gase3' dissolved in their albumen. ! Next,''heated carbonic gas is introduced, .'a vacuum pump then, removes part of .this, and. compressed nitrogen takes its place. A '~'lrop' of solder then covers the hoje in the-cover, and tho eggs are placed in cold'storage at 35/ degrees. By this means it-is not necessary to bother.about ventilation or tho moisture of tho air. in the cold stage'chamber. ' ', TIY; adviintages df this method, the discoverers claim, is that there is no evaporation at the'.'surfaco of the egg, no oxidation, nnd.no stale taste. : Tho eggs may be eaten from ..the.shell :a year later/ and the. albumen still retains the fine whitish tint of: the'.fresh: egg. .'"Furthermore, these eggs may be kept much longer, after being'taken from cold Storage than the ordinary.cold storage eggs." All bac-; teria is killedi and there aro ro\ mouldy or decayed eggs. . '■' ■ ' The fact that attention- doos not nave to be paid to'tho humidity of the.,air. in the cold storago for these' eggs, and that : the whites do not become •■yellow as with ordinary preserved eggs, adds greatly to tho benefits of this method and more than counteracts the extra cost of forty cents, per thousand eggs for this method.