Poultry Farming in Belgium,

Horowhenua Chronicle, 19 April 1910, Page 4

Poultry Farming in Belgium,

No more eloquent exposition ofthe vduo of poul.ry farming, from a rational point of view," has been put before the public than tho report (tn. the pou 1 icy industry in Belgium, compiled for tho National iViiitry Organisation Society by Mr I'M ward Brown.

The book is published at the society 1 !; headquarters, Regent Hoiisoj Regent street, at the nrico of ono shilling, and a copy of it ought to In , in the hands not only of every small holder, but also of overyono who has an ambition to become a small holder.

It tells what inextimably valuable results poultry have secured "for tho Belgian nation; and y<;t it shows under what iikinifold disadvantages tho industry is conducted. The great, point about the book is this suggestion : ff the Belgian small owner, under his somewhat priinitivo .system, can do so well, how much better would tho British small owner do if he took all that is good in tho Belgian system and added to it Jill that modern science can supply?

Tho fairy-tale description, "golden is hardly an exaggeration in. Belgium, when ono considers tho advantages which poultry havo conferred on the nation. Tho report tells thai Hit* peasantry is "deeply attached to the soil," and possesses "a knowledge of cultivation and breeding probably unequalled by that of any oilier people."

'Mil spite of tlit.* growth of cities, tnwins, and nianufai'turiug districts, this little country not only feeds itself, but h<l s a considerable, surplus fur export, to neighbouring connrries, whicli is true as to eggs and p-iultrv equallv with, other tint ides of foocl." Tho seciot of the* Belgian small holder, one can gather from Mr Brown's report, fire intensification r if production; sp:. , tiding of time, not nioncv, whenever po ; sihlt>; Spartiiii treatment of tho birds. A LAND OF SMALL BRRRDS. Belgium is a land of small breeds. Whore t!.lit> Briton—in tho days when tho British yeomen were- a greater factor in the population — would breed horses, tho Belgian breeds birds, or, as a largo venture, sheep. 'riii' .Belgians discovered aiiid d<. , veiopr:l Lbe li.'iining pigeon's powers of ilight. Netherlands founded tho caiKiry-briieding industry of Norwich. IJ.abbii-s and their skins form an enormous industry in parts of •tilio Icing.loin. Kven cocks for crowing and the ]iitpular but illegal pursuit I' (-(wk-iighting are. bred in largo nuinb'.'i'S.

It has ahays been so. 1:) 10-TI, idle, booklet points out. tho Brussels people were (••■Hi"! "chicken-eaters." C '}'.:M"lfina <j;i! f> demanded that .all udlhrs (mi the banks of streams should ktvp ducks and fa .-mors .should keep poultry, a.s they had to pay tribute, in. fowls, ducks, and carp.

BelLiiuni (onla;i!is, in Liu area rfiual to that of the counties'- of Hertford. I/Hic.-i.-hir; 1 .. Uncoln.shire, ■ind Vorlcshii-e, u population of 7,'J.'sS.<*22 : and of these no fewer than Si'!).li:r> hare small holdings, divided is follow-.: I', acres or !;-«, 45?,,- |-_ ; i»: Ii to '2'i acres, ;Wi.M]!): 2."i to 1L , ") acres, 11.10:!; ahovo I_'."i acres, :5181. "It may pndher h,> oxplahvc'l." the r, , p.;:'.:' s/iy«, "tliat many _of the -.viiidh'T h'll-d.iii'is n:'::r the cities are nviiv'd liy mcMi w!■■» 'lo to- wo-rk there, Kt,\ii!'i: Ilieir wives and families to l< ok ;■!'*••!• the IV.nit." \ v < ■!!>•■!• ~i'-,.••,._;;> is tfir-nnt :•- "''....1'-i-r. : hr,-: , families ..'is •i s-.rnir;-,' ci' ri- la.-'.. Th.; , - women or childr; n l;::d; ai'ter the jioultry. In '1:-, L-; , .! --po'di rv i- i>-s it is the v:;ii:"i' ; ':- ]ie.-ph j with children who ■■-:•]■ '..'■i-.-ke-n's "iirl the o]-l iH-oi)!: 1 . ,v|"! lv-,-p hen- ; fci- layin-r. a* the 1 1- ; ,;-;; ;• \\-\\ ■) thf-'. , . is niir h I.s^.' , IN'.LK 0' TIH'MH M.Iα'MODS. '•i"r..' Wi:i-d udiich l)est di-.s:i-ih; : .s i!ie poultry industry of (Senium," .': - report says, "is simplicity," and 1 ■: ...s •::.:!;■.' niL'-ol'-tliiinib maxims I' ;.!:o. Hel.i;iaiis, such as: "'Ducks .' uid .".lv/ays he k: pi; wit'i pijiiltry. lor they are said to purify the .- -i: I :!!'! j-.revi'iit lnup." It is almost idl rule-of-thiimb .■.■;■;!.i:i'.;-. "The are iiidr to c:;.-.ervc v>urmlh hy the exI-! :.' !.;' Mi-.' 'air! this poultry also have to live stuffy lives. Later, m>, re:;tl : "Whero eti'j; prtidiictian J .■i tie. principal aim natural feeding ; in; ; rr!,-d, :>u'! the WwiU linil most ■f L':-:r livru- on tlie fields. That ! ■ f.-.-,v!s t'M-ive and 1-iy well under such a system is acknowledged on .11 <].[.'•■■/' in fad, to 2s (5d per !i>!i j!v-r p.-!i:uni is civon as their ■:■■■!!,il v:::■:{ of fond. A;-i ; iic:al mvi;:;:":- ( f artificial cramming, and ro-(>])orntion ire idl practically unknown. Hail-■v-.v i-ptes arc- pn-t-fy muc!i the same ■is in IviLcla.'id : a.'.'i'iculiur.al instrue-:i.-.n is piDvided in the same stvuit <vav. But yet. with Jiens produci:t'i. as a fl'.-ck average. l ; ">0 a year. ,i-ith iiiiuiv rpatdiiiiii 200 or more,-the !s;dui.-!iis-are ahle to dispose of their !)i-od:ice -it Is Id to Is 7d a dozen at ihe end of Ocl-ohcr, n.ld a dozen as ■i uiiv.-iniiim in the sprin.2;. and 2s a '.■7. 11 so i lie times in wrnter. FACTS AND l-MGfTxICS. ,:>r,o:vj; lho example's of the. prosperity wi'd.-li poultry has brengh-t to iJel;j;iinn may l>: , quo-led a thirty-acro !i:d' ? i:;sA attached to n small inn. The owu.'i- told Mr Brown, who visit■d i'-e iittl. , fnrni. in .June, that he \v.y\ air.-ady f-old 3-">0 birds, and had UK) i lH yi;j f.-;r disposal. In tii-o pro--ions yt-ar his sales of poultry had :-mom,t:d to JCIGO. , ~ On aiiotlier farm 300 birds li.au b:-en said in one day at 12s a couple. Still another of the results of poiilirv farmius is afl'ordud by :.!,e fail "that what was once the :iri 1, s:irdy plain" from M..;ilines east•ir:!' ru: Ji, l-o too Dutch frontier, •'.•:■■■'.-> ie i '.villi Jir trees and inc.ap■i!)U> of i-ultivacio-n." is now, to _ :i evteiit. a land of productive m-rkf{. ir.'ir '-'IKS, c-;t.:ibli:--hi*d. to ihn f; i-i:-lis.ition of the hy the μ-iihry farms which tho gardens succeeded. , The cs.;erc ■ of Belgium's ksson i« cDiitained in this paragraph in Mr Brown's " Conelusir.m;" :—■ "I'hait with a view to the, eolo'iiisatiou"of the uncultivated .ftro.Ts.ol which there are nearly 24,000,000 acres i'i Great Britain, ra.tlier more Uiau 12 par ront. of tho whole courtIrv, tlio fiillost !>neour.!.c;onienfcshou Id be. rive-n to p-tnUry-kuopi-ng, n° ; t 0,1 '.V for"th'> immixd.iak 1 increaso ot supplies of cws and poultry, but also ■'f! a rapid"ms:ms of rwlvniiPinß the fertility of the Foil and the R-rovMv of ordLrary crops." . -and. as' tlu» report con>tMumll.v r.V/nvs'.' for tli» raising f;f :i rontentwl chss of small landowners and a homo 1 supply of food.