The Evening Star FRIDAY, AUGUST 15, 1873

Evening Star, Issue 3272, 15 August 1873, Page 2

The Evening Star FRIDAY, AUGUST 15, 1873

The Poultry Show of yesterday, and the success that has marked it, naturally suggest a few thoughts on the value of exhibitions of that character. Although canaries and singing birds in cages are valuable in the eyes of many persons, as pets, they can never be considered useful in climates unsuited to them, in an economic point of view. But it is very different with barn-door fowl; and it is matter for surprise that with the splendid breeds of different descriptions now in the Colony, more attention has not been devoted to hatching and rearing them. Most of the exhibitors who carried off prizes yesterday were persons unconnected with farms. They were of the well-to-do class, who can afford to feed the tenants of their poultry yards, regardless of expense. They look upon them more as ornaments than as contributing to their profit or comfort. We do not suppose that an egg less would be consumed in the year, or a bird fewer smoke upon their tables did they give up keeping poultry. They feed and rear them without the slightest regard to utilising the sweepings of the fowl house in garden or field cultivation. They take pride in the beauty of the birds, in the completeness of the arrangements for their comfort, in the cleanliness and sweetness of the fowl-house, and in the admiration bestowed upon them by friends and visitors. But farmers and dairymen should regard exhibitions of this character with different motives. However beautiful the fowl may be as pots around a gentleman’s dwelling, they are equally profitable as beautiful to a farmer. We do not imagine, however, that their real value or profit will be realised as aids to agriculture, until the slovenly system of wasting straw instead of turning it into manure in a foldyard is abandoned by the farmer. We do not suppose that that combination of agriculture and stock fattening brought to such perfection in some establishments at Horne is likely to be adopted in this country to any great extent for many generations to come. It is too refined a process, and the results seem too remote for thepresent race of farmers to comprehend. But the time must come, and that shortly, when they will discover the necessity of returning back to the earth the constituents of plants drawn from it during the growth of crops. When that time comes, the fold-yard and manure-pit will become first considerations, and farmers will be glad to Ixave the help of poultry to free the straw from seeds that would otherwise spring up and become weeds ; to free it from grubs and worms, and to add to its fertilising properties the most stimulating manure 1 that can be obtained. With the range

of a fold-yard and dunghill, and access to a little line gravel, poultry can be fed at comparatively light co.st. A few handfuls of corn, that would otherwise he wasted, and meat that nobody would care to cook, are feasts of fat things to them ] and when it is considered that a well-fed hen may be estimated to lay two hundred eggs annually, there can be little question that this branch of stock-feeding is worthy of much greater attention than is usually given to it. We were disappointed at not seeing a better show of dairy produce. It cannot be denied that of late years something has been done in this direction ; but much remains to be accomplished. As specimens of what can be produced the butter, cheese, and hams were superior. They point to the capabilities of the Province where effort is well directed. There is, however, a very general complaint amongst housekeepers that good cheese, and especially good butter, are scarcely obtainable during the winter months. Dunedin is progressing so rapidly in population that to supply it with good dairy produce is matter of growing importance. No doubt as railways open up communication with the interior this difficulty will be overcome. The surprise is that those who are already in the field do not consider it to their advantage to make their ground sure; for to a certainty, as soon as a regular supply of the best that the Province produces becomes available in the City, nothing inferior will be tolerated. One word about the exhibition itself. It is evident that its success was mainly due to the energy of the Committee and Secretary. To them every praise is due for their exertions. Through the absence of such efforts the failure of most Societies in Dunedin, agricultural and pastoral, may be traced. The Poultry Show may fairly be considered the first exhibition of the agricultural and pastoral year, and we trust that the proof now afforded of what may be done through adopting means to an end, may lead to our floral and other exhibitions being made equally successful.