FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 239, 2 October 1908, Page 4

FARM AND DAIRY.

It is said thai there arc 2,7M(i70. hens in New Zealand., of which Jay ami that there are ul»o 2S-2,mi1l ducks, at' which 170.0110 are layers. The laying hens and ducks produce about Hi) eggs pt- r annum on an •average, so that the total egg output consists of about 1 !)3.(i44.K0i) hen eggs and KUioiUKin duck cj^s. The mortality among the sheep i'.i the higher country of Xorth Otago, though serious enough in all conscience, is by no means so paralysing as had been supposed, says the Oamarn M.i:l, Sbeep continue to turn up on country Hint had been regarded as homeless. Hut, if the losses in fins respect are beting minimised, an other directions they are becoming augmented. An Olckaike runholder. whose section at the time oi" the ballot was regard.«d witli a jealous eve, has been a serious loser in respect to fencing, quite apart from the decimation of his Hoclm. During the six weeks that the snow dominated all things, new fences of a value of over l'soO were laid, and the arduous work of months will require to be repeated. Fencing is rendered particularly costly on many of the runs by the fact that owing to Uie inaccessibility of the locality much of Ihe material must be packed.