A LADY READER SPEAKS HER MIND.

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2920, 4 November 1916, Page 15

A LADY READER SPEAKS HER MIND.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —I always read your poultry notes with, much interest, and always look;, for them, and I'm glad to see you are waging war against those imported eggs.' Also, don't you. think it would bo a fair thing to sell eggs by,weight?; I believe Mr. Hyde tried to work it so once. For instance,.l'm only an amateur at poul-■try-keeping, but our fowls are never fed 011 anything but tlie best, feed, and havo every attention (they are not running out to pick up what they like in tho way of soap and fish), and my eggs weighed over the' standard' weight that eggs wero suposed to weigh—as published some timo back—and it's 110 uncommon thing for six of mine to weigh lib. Another. thing; they are always clean, lind when you compnro these with some of tho dirty little things soul in shops,v it doesn't seem quite the thing. Then;, because you .charge. the . highest prico for your eggs people thilik they . call get them for less at the shop.' They don't take into'consideration that yours aro fresh from tho nest, whereas some of tho shop eggs aro not only stale, but bad, when they get thorn home. I speak from facts, because I have a neighbour who has had to wait for the fowls ft) lay .eggs when slio wanted half-dozen, and I know a girl who brought eggs from town and then found some of them bad. At tho samo timo. If you' are not in the way of getting rid of yomr eggs you either Jiavo to prcscrvo them or sell them below value, on account of tho shops, for they never givo you' the price a customer is expected to pay. Then there is also tho work attached to same, ami-the high prico yoni havo to pay for food- As I say, you cither lsa,vo to prcscrvo your eggs or sell , them at a loss,, for feed, keeps, ever at high prices, and besides the fowls'havo.to: bo*fcd,.wJiether they'!are laying or not.,; As to,tho .stuff confectioners use, it's' -time it was inquired into, for, peoplo are payftig for what they can't eat. I went with a friend into •' what is considered a highclass tea room in town, but. I'm told other frionda never go-there, for the cakes wo simply couldn't eat, they ' wero so horrid,'and judging by what we BiMV, all tho cakes were the, samo,. aiid cvoryono was of tho same mind. There is only ono place in town I ever get cakes at if I. want them—but what about others? It's simply taking money from the people for what they can't eat. .. There are - a lot of peoplo dependent on bought confectionery, but until they realise what they are eating poultry-keepers hero will have no chance against that imported stuff. I guarantee that nono of the bought cakes either keep or tasto as well as those uhome-made, for the boys at the front,' and why shouldn't they havo tho best? This might well ,• be' called God's Own Country, if people would patronise their own produce, instead of sending the best away and importing such'stuff. Tno wonder- ponltrykeeping doesn't pay! Anil yet there's a cry-out about' high prices and scarcity. If: peoplo could get" eggs and poultry thero wouldn't be such a cry-out about dear meat, and the other would be better for them in many cases; but people havo no inducement to go in for poultrykeeping unhfis they are possessed of means. In the meantime, what of thoso trying to. make a living in their .own land by poultry-keeping, even in a small way.. If wo all gave up poultry-keeping on account of the high cost of feeding and work, there would be another outcry. Tlicy sell bananas by the weight in Wanganui;''why not eggs, produce of our own country? Hoping you'll stir' things up in your coming conference.—l am, etc., E.F.P. October 31, 191 G. [We agree with out lady reader in what she condemns in Asiatic eggs. ■' It is a question the public will cvontuallyfsettle for themselves. Bakers who use Asiatic eggs will soon suffer in loss of business. Selling eggs by weight is practically carried out by grading firsts and seconds. First grades are 2oz. and over, lind realise more than second grades, li to 20?.. The prico producers are obtaining in Wellington, Is. Id., is high enough .-for summer eggs. In Canterbury, first grades are only Is. Id., so that Wellington producers are doing well enough at tho present. We must not aim at too high prices or we will encourage importa-

tion. The retailer, too, must bo allowed his profit. Ho lias reut to pay, bags to supply, coupons to give, and bad uebta to risk. AVe thank our correspondent for her interesting letter.] COMPETITIONS. The official rcaults of the twenty-niuth week of tho Hew Zealand Utility Poultry Olub's twolfth cge-laying competition for fowls for the week ended Tuesday, October Jl, are aa follow:— LIGHT BBEEDS. Total Total

HEJIVT breed test.

SEfGIiB PEN TEST. Total Total for to

The M\v Zealand Utility Poultrv Olub'a seventh, cgj-laying test for ducks, netarns for the twenty-ninth week are asi follow:— / ■ , Total Total for to m week. date. W. Knlglit, J.R 34 714 Herotauliga Poultry Co.. I.R. ... 30 . 863 H. W. Bower, I.R. 35 1 999 . Totals ' .;. 99 2,576 Tlio letters after eaoli entry denote the broed, as under:—B.L.. Brown Loeliorn: •WYIi., White I Leghorn; S.W.. flilfer Wyandotte; R.1.R.. Bliodo Island Eed; W.AV., White.Wyandotte; 8.0., Blaok Orpin EtonW.P.R., White Plymouth Rook; I.E* Indian Runner. .. .

Totaa xotai for to week. date. Verral Bros., B.O. 27 766 Brackenlield Farm, ii.0 28 608 W. Davey, W.L. 33 733 J. B. Mcrrctt, WX. 25 769 I!. G. Shearman, \V.L 26 .746 Heretaunga Poultry Co., 1VX. 25 674 H. Ball, W.L.-......; 35 725 M. A. Ourrin, W.L. ...: 28 774 Dalmuir Poultry Yards, W.L. ... 33 • 738 lire. H. Graham, W.L 30 661 J. Wordsworth, Wi. ™..i 33 . 637 II. E. Itoss, M. 35 782 E. II. James. W.L ;... 24 615 0. J. Norton, W.L 30 707 Alfred i'aton, W.L 31 685 M. U. Walker, W.L 28 . 638 Green Bros. (No. 2), W.L 31 772 E. Leger, W.L 32 7C4 J. Nancarrow, Vr.L 33 825 Colder Bros., W.L 1 34 832 R. Pounsford, W.L 31 760 A. W.'Adams, W.L. ..' 31 ' 794 A. E.. Phillips WIi 32 783 T. Kennedy, W.L 36 645 V. J. Hill, W.L ■■•••• 38 727 B. P. L. Olayson, W.iL 31 751 T. E. Conway, W.L 29 695 Heretaungo P.O. (No. 1), W.L. 30 783 Eangiuru Egg Ranch, W.L 35 801 S..Diok, Wi - 35 '731 a. Geo; W.L 29 703 H. 0. Yates. W.L. 30 670 E. P. Amjcs, WJL 24 731 A. E. Wilson, W.h. 3® -706 Jlrs. J. Mills, W.L ' 33 866 A. G. Brailcy, - W.L 30 551 Greon Bros. (No. 1), W.L 28 703 Atkinson Bios., W.L. 33. 764 A. A. Hoaro, W.L 24 666 L. T. Wright, WJj 33 736 To Anau Utility Stud, W.L— 39 762 T. M'llwraitli, W.L. ..' 31 678 1!. A. Lazarus, W.L. 34 717 H. W. Bower. W.L '. 35 664 H. S. .Woodnortli, W.L 37 592 Hokowliitu Poultry Co., WJ<. ... 31 631 Calder Bros., W.L 34 798 J. B. Mcrrett (No. 1), W.L. ..... 34 748 jack Green,' W.L 32 ; 828 Totals ;.. 1,530 35,355

Total Total i for to ' iteek; date. T. Kennedy. W.W. -30 470 Green Bros., W.W. 25 . 630 : W. Knight, W.P.R, . 20 ., 670 A. S. Cooper,' 11.I.E 31 669 Miss E. Willis, B.O. 28 . 713 C. J. Norton, B.O. ....: 32 '702 T. E. Conway, B.O 29 815 J. Nancarrow, B.O ... 22 . 743 Miss J. James, B;0 22 v 724 T. Dowthwalte, S.W. 31 •" 705 A.' W. Adams, S.W. 29. 576 Totals- .. 299 ' 7,377

week. data. A. S. Oooper, K.I.E. 6' 130 A. S. Cooper, E.I.li. 5 153 T(. H. James, W.L; .'. 7 156 T. L. Wright, W.L : 1 5' 101 Rimgiuru Bgp Ranch, W.Ii. :..... 4 127 Green Bros., WJj; 6 • 147 Oalder Bros.. W.L :... • 5 154 W. Davey, W.L. 7 .. 150 iT. B. Merrett, W.L 6 83 ! A. E. Wilsoi), W:L. .1 ;.... — 41 Mrs. J. Mills,' W.L 6 i 156 Atkinson Bros., W.L 5 131 B. P. L. Clayson, W.L. ; 6 129 J. Wordsworth. W.L 7 84 Totals 74 1,74J FOR DUOKS/ ..