POULTRY NOTES.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 11 April 1913, Page 3

POULTRY NOTES.

(By Utilitarian.)

A little before If) o'clock in the morning following tho closing of tlio conference, delegates and visitors began to assein.bl.' o;i the Auckland railway platform, preparatory to leaving for Kotoru'n. A special carriage was engaged for tlie party, a;ad it was not long before business questions were again brought up for discussion. Hut. business was much more in evidence on the return journ;y the following .Monday. Indeed, so much so, thai many'were of the opinion that more solid' ' work and general satisfaction were obtained in the travelling, than at.' the formal conference itself. I Hussions weiv dispelled, and information disseminated, and whether travelling is in itself conducive to clearing mental cobwebs or not. the fact remains that, all present must have been gratified with the results. Th? weather wa> magnificent until arriving at Rotorua, when rain commenced to fall continuously until nearly Sunday at daylight. On arrival at the party's .destination Mr McLean,' who had given the invitation, was there reach to be introduced all round. A shore while elaps.d before everyone had removed the dust of travel and partaken (,'f dinner, when the party, guided by Mr McLean, walked into the Sanatorium grounds and thence into the Government bath house, a palatial building. Here was shown the various electrical treatments as used for numerous complaints, and more than one openly expressed his wish to stay a month and give, them a trial." The baths themselves were also inspected—'baths of all sorts, hot, tepid, cold and steam. Ihe temptation to have-a. swim was too irresistible for some, for they stopped behind and freely indulged in the luxurious pastime of bathing :n water, whose temperature was all that could he desired. The following aft. moon, a bus being kindly provided bv Mr McLean, the party was driven to his uoultry farm, some-two miles distant. This is probably as fine a' plant as i,s to be seen in the Dominion, and in many points undoubtedly the best. Some I7i!0 birds are kept, white bghorns and black' orpingtons. The quality is superb, reflecting the highest credit on the owner and the manager. No expense has.been spared, several importations of stock having been made from time to time. Th? houses, too, were fine examples of what can be done, plenty of floor space and light. A somewhat uncommon method adopted on this farm is having the door of each house in tho middle of the back, the perches running parallel with the hack from the end" to the door. To prevent the birds from flying out on opening the door, a piece of wirenctting is hung at the ends of the perches, suspended from the roof. Water is laid on and a tap and can in each house, the water having been connected with the town supply. This farm is run on good, economic principles, a large portion of the birds' requirement* coming from Mr McLean's private hotfiK and the latter's poultry necessities for the table returning from the farm, a daily trip to and fro being the usual method. A nice flock of Indian runner duks is also kept, but we understand it is the proprietor's intention of dispensing with these. After a couple of hours profitably spent amongst the birds a start was made for Whakarewarewa, where tne party made the acquaintance of the almost amphibious Maori girls, disporting themselves in the water, and 'frequently diving from a bridge of yome considerable height. A tangible answer to their call, "throw a penny," would result in quite a. number simultaneously diving for the coins. An inspection, somewhat inarral by the wet weather, was then made of Whawa's principal features, to it, the boiling springs and porridge pots. No geysers were playing at the time* of our visit, the damp weather, perhaps, being too much for their ardour. Sunday was spent in a motor launch, taking the party over to Ham a ram a spring, a hole from whence issues no less than 5 million gallon< of most excellent water daily. Here is one spot wh*re, almost liberally, you cannot throw your money away. Fling it down the hole and 'gucti is the force below that it is thrown up against the ledges of the rocks sun-rounding' it. From Hamarama the trip ivas continued, across Rotorua lake, through the Ohau stream, on whose banks several Maori habitations could be seen, and the inevitable erv, "Throw a penny," be heard. Into Lake Roto-iti, a body of water abounding with quite extensive inlets. Here the power house for supplying Rotorua lias been built, using' but a few hundred of some twonty-five thousand horse power that could be obtained, more than sufficient to .supply Auckland, upwards of two hundred miles distant, with all its requirements for years to come. The;.- falls run for a couple of miles and can be heard a considerable distance. ,