THE POULTRY INDUSTRY

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1699, 15 March 1913, Page 21

THE POULTRY INDUSTRY

1 (By Chanteclcr.)

England's Egg Bill. The Trade and Navigations returns for England in 1912 prove an instructive study in the consumption of eggs and poultry. To us in New Zealand the figures appear enormous when compared with our own production of poultry foods. They indicate a remarkable growth of immense value, and as part of the great British. Umpire we look forward to a development in poultry trade that will enable us to provide a good slice of what England reo nives. We share, her trade in mutton, Geef, wool, butter, chcese, and corn, and we should have, a hand in supplying her noultry and eggs. . A study of the statistics shows how great is the poultry industry in I!us?ia and Denmark, when, in addition to supplying their own needs, they can take from England , over X 8,000,000 annually for poultry and eggs. It also shows how badly England is in need jOf organisers to induce the small farmers to take up poultry farming. It is a problem We cannot solvo why a country so favourably situated cannot raise more of its own poultry. There is Ireland taking ,£5,000,000 for poultry and eggs, whilo the value of English products form only *£9,000,000 of her .£23,158,499 supply. t There must be a cause for this state of affairs, and wo can only judge from her poultry literature and make] a comparison from our own indifference! I'or many years the poultry industry in New Zealand W£i3 at ft standstill. The poultry, press, shows, and supply of eggs arid poultry were lately iu the hands of fanciers who always deoried poultry farming as a living. It was to their interest to do so. They mado tho sales ■ stock birds and reaped a good harvest. We have no fault to find with them. It was a purely commercial transaction. It was not uhtil the utility man threw off the shackles and began keeping poultry foi' a living that the industry began to advance. It was a loug and deadly fight. Naturally the fanoier's business died, and now lie is compelled to breed good utility stock to get. a 'cut iin at the trade at all. In England the fancy is deeper rooted than in New Zealand, and it requires stern measures to deal- with it. The ipoultry papers are always full of letters, and articles and correspondence warning, people of failures and asserting that, poultry farming does not payj and from what we can see these are the inspirationsoo r fanciers who jean see the possibility of .their business dwindling a\vay sliould. tiio, farmer take up poultrykeeping. in earnest. We may add that somo of the letters •against poultry-farming aro tho merest trash, and- remind, us of the same kind of thing we had to fight in New Zealand. While tlio fanciers rule in England, the ptiblio will have to put up with tho inferior articles from otllcr countries. If we couM only transport into England such men as Messrs. ICnight,' Hawke, Ward, Brown, Mumby, and Legor for five years,' i:liey would help show what, could bo done in poultry fanning. It would be a oheap advertisement and a ready means of reducing that .£9,000,000 important item to have them there for a term. Now we believe there are good utility poultrymon in England. We, read of their succ.ess occasionally, but they have no infiuenoe. The successful poultrykeepers are always in. tho limelight, but as fanciers and breeders of . shew slock. The remedy could .bo easily applied, but indifference rules. \ Increased Values. In a study of English imports the 'great lesson is the increased values of poultry and eggs. Numerically, tho number of eggs imported are really less, but in commercial value they liavo increased enormously. We shall spare our readers figures' as much as possible, though wo feci suro they will ire 'as ! interested in ■England's standiiig in the maiter as tho writer himself. The following ore tho net imports after deducting re-exports of poultry as there are none of eggs:— ■ ; 1910. 1911. 1012. Efg3 ' 7,296,145 7,%5,809 8,394,524 Poultry .... 788,131 810,014 763,925

. . 8,084,27G 8,805,823 9,158,449 Here we have a growth of more than .£1,000,000 in eggs in the short spaco of two years. However, this is soen to be through the increase of values and not numbers. The year 1904 is shown to be the. maximu:li one: of. numbers, lid less than-' 19,942,549 groit - hundreds (120 dozen) being imported, valued at ,£6,730,574. Now, in 1912 the imports were fewer by 877,497 great hundreds, while tho value was J81,663,950 more. Of this amount Russia takes nearly X 4,000,000, and Denmark, only tho size of Canterbury, takes .£2,000,000.. Tho figures should appeal hard to the English farmer, whilo tho consumer must see how bostly his eggs, and poultry aro becoming to him. When we study these rising prices we noto how poultry products are, rising-in value. In 1898 England's imported egg supply averaged 7d. per dozen, while in 1912 the price rose to 10Jd., or over 50 per cent. Quality, not Quantity. Another, important lesson is noted from Denmark's policy of sending only tho best quality cj&s. In 1910 she averaged 'J}it. a dozen, in 1912 sho clips Is. Id., a dozen. Quality talks. Eranoe, on the other hand, who evidently does not give her export trado tho same attention, averages • Jd.,.* .dozen.-,less ,in the same period. \\ hilo,-'- on ' the' other Jiand, Franco gives .moro attention to table poultry, and soars 18s. per cent.,- above .other :Countrics for her supplies! The consumption of egjjs and poultry is enormous, and yet it is only one-eighth of what takes Jplaoe in the TJnitod States. In all the European countries -there is a marked rise in tlio valuo of eggs and poultry, 1 due to great consumption among themselves and a growing export trade. England's supply Is of interest to us, and in a few years wo should be bringing to this oountry somo of .tho '.£3,000,000 she spends annaally on poultry and eggs. The wholesale values in England for 1912 wore:— £ Colonial and foreign imports ... 9,158,499 British products 9,000,000 Irish ■ products 5,000,000 Tots! .023,153,499

LAYING COMPETITIONS. J

N.Z. UTILITY POULTRY CI,UB. [Eighth' laying competition for fowls. Returns for 48th week.] ■Total Total for to week. date. W. A. Nixon, Burwood, W. Leghorns, No. 1 30 1552 J. W. Green, St. Albans, White Leghorns 25 1440 H. Loger, Wereroa, White Legnorns, No. 1 27 ■ 1404 A. AY. Irvino, Epsom,. White Leghorns, No.. 1 22 1401 Herotannga Poultry Co.,' Sil- 1 ,'verstream, Brown Leghorns . N0,..1, 2fl 1397 Heretaunga Poultry . Co., Sil,verstream, Whito Leghorns, .'No. ' 2;. ; -30 ■ 1396 A. K. Browne', Petano Beach, White Leghorns 28 1380 A. E. Kent, Shirley, White Leghorns / ....: — . — Prankish Bros., Wanganui, Whito -Leghorns 20 1300 Mrs. It. W. Hawke, Papantii, White Leghorns 24 1301 Wm. Scull, Christchurch, Black Wyaudottcs, 17—1004; John Wordsworth, Geraldine, Whito Leghorns, 27—1242; James Ashton, Hanmer, Silver, M'yaiuVjttcs, .12— 1062; Martin Bros., Auckland, White Leghorns, 14—1259; Verrall Bros., Swannanoa,- Brown Leghorns, 8—1140: \Y. A. N'ixon, Burwood, Brown I.eghorns. No. 2, 2(i—1221; H. S. Wood north, \Viuton, Brown leghorns 23—1245: W. A. Nixon, Burwood, Brown Leghorns, No. 3, 14— 1161; li. M. Smith, Auckland, Brown Leghorns, 17—865; [{nngiuru Egg linnrh, Ofaki, lirown leghorns, 20—1174: I{. \V. llawke, J'aianui, Brown I.eghorns, 2S— 121S; li. Willis 'anil Son, New ; Brijlitoii, Brown Leghorn?, 22—1185: A. E. Wilson, Shirley, White Wyandotles. 15—079; D. Stewart. Normanby, White Leghorns. 14— 1172: Master G. Wilson, Shirley. AVhile Leghorns, 17—1064; Romain Mlinger, Lower Hutt, Whito Leghorn?, 10—1147j A. Stevenson, Kaiori, White Leghorns,

19—982; H. It. Wainman, Eunanga, White Leghorns, 15—1259; W. Knight, Lower Hutt, Silver Wyandottes, 24 —1281; ,T. H. Shaw and E. James, Christchurch, White Leghorns, 24-1117; W. G. Goodwin, lhmnes, White Leghorns, 11—925; W. A. Nixon, Burwood, Silver Wyandottes, 16—1262; A. K Wilson, Shirley, Silver Wyandottes, 24—1095; Hisses Bradlev, Papanui, White Leghorns, 19—1128; 'I'. Kennedy, Rangiora, White Wyandottes, 13 —823; C. M. Peck, Avondale, White Leghorns, 8—795; N. Solomon, Westport, Black Orpingtons, 18—10G0; C. 31. Peck, Avondale, Black Orpingtons, 21—970; G. H. Bradford, Oust, Silver Wyandottes, 12—992; A. W. Irvine, ISpsoni, White Leghorns, No. 2, 18—117(1; Middlepark Poultry Farm, Eiccarton, White Leghorns, 18—1192; T. Strong, Doyleston, White Leghorns, 12—1110; P. Keller, Eolleston, White Leghorns, 19—1048; Percy Holt, Papaka-a, White Leghorns, 19— 1299; W. Knight, Lower Hutt, White Leghorns, _ 16—1147; G. Anderson, St. Albans, Silver Wyandottes, 15—1147; J. W. Bradley and Son, Papanui, White Leghorns, 5—1154; Mrs. J. Mills, Dunedin, White Leghor is 12—1137; W. 0. Sail, Cust, White Leghorns, 21—1177, Crawford and Pudsay, Lower Hutt, White Leghorns, 23—1273; E, A. Lazarus, Lower Hutt, White Leghorns, 21—1200; W., O. Sail, Cust, Silver Wyandottes, 22—1088; Misses Radford and Harker, Oliau, White Legherns, .4 —1090; A. W. Adams, Sheffield, Silver Wyandottes, 21—1102; J. Corrie, Beokenham, White 14—1153; E. H. Borcliart, Eltham, Whito Leghorns, 13—1057; W. A. Nixon, Bnrwood, White Leghorn, No. 8, 7—1266; T. K. Collins, Lcwer Hutt, Black Orpingtons; 18—976; Dominion P. Plant, Corotnandel, White Leghorns, 21—1247; T. Kennedy, Eangiora, Silver Wyandottes, 20—1198. FOE DUCKS. Total Total for to ■week. date. Thos. Avondale, Indian ilunnars 19 1403 W. Knigjit, Hutt, Indian Hunaers 11 1082 S. H. Scott, Onehiniga, Bull Orpingtons 21 '993 T. E. Hall, Woreroa, Indian • Emmets 25 1373 P. Keller, Eolleston, Indian ( llunnera .. 4 1217 D. M. Peck, Avondale, Indian Runners 18 1104 S. H. Scott, Onehunga, Indiali ■ . i ' ■ Runners 8 872 Heretaunga P. Co., Silverstream, Indian Runners ... 14 1392 Miss A. J. Donald, Dunsandel, Indiaa Eunners ...,i 0 1038 P. Keller, Eolleston, Indian . P.unners 13 1123 Total 130 - 11,597 INCUBATORS FOE 1913—Now is the time to book your requirements for coming season. Full particulars on application. A. and P. FOOD CO., Wellington—Advt.