POULTRY NOTES.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 23 April 1913, Page 6

POULTRY NOTES.

(By Utilitarian.) We arc. now in tho doar season for eggs S hut wnat a difference to a few years back, when eggs would fetch from '2.s to l 2s (id per dozen for upwards of throe month*. The extra, •price obtained in the summer AvitHiin the last year or two does not balance, the w'inter loss. Not that wo advocate high prices in winter. It is a i>of>r policy in tho long run; but what is required is a, more systematic merhnd of -selling ergs, a system that- ! will prevent eggs jumping up say 6d I per dozen at the beginning of a week j and falling 7d :it the erd, or perhaps j Is Irl on a Menday. Is 9d on Thur.--chiy. and Is 2d on Saturday. It is "of the demand that is to blame. T'i.it would be as steady and consistent almost as butter, if tlio price was .• teady. Xor is it altogether the | supp'y which causes these fliuctua-tin-u-s.' True, tho summer production far overshadows the winter, and .prob- | nblv will for many years to come, but hens are nothing like -so irregular in their laying us one might be apt to judge if tho prices were taken as a ffuide. The fault lies, principally, without a doubt, with the uneconomic method of marketing. Not the quantity that goes c;n the market, but the manner in which it is placed there. Folks often sell when they happen to go to town if they have rememhered in time to have had a cursorv look rrund for the eggs about the farm. What are missed this week will, if found, go in next week, or later ptiill. Another irrational method is to hold the eggs for a rise, just as if they wore keeping potatoes, and when the price seems tempting enough dump them in, irrespective of the probability that there are plenty of others just'as unscrupulous. Con. seqently, though new laid eggs may be comparatively scarce, the market falls fiat, and another collection is saved up till the market recovers. We sing of patriotism, and go half crazy because we own a battleship to assist us in fightinc problematical foes, and yet with all our patriotic talk', we fight tooth and nail to each get the best of the other fellow when it comes to dealing. The result is a few nearly always come out a> shade better than their neighbours, and the majority suffer. While these lucky few exist, we endeavour to emulate them, and to do so scramble over each.other, instead of organising collective action, which will benefit the majority and not pull down the minority hitherto on the top. Collective action could bring about, per centralising agencies for the disposal of poultry products, better distribution, and encourage honest production by the farmers;. One-cannot altogether blame the farmer, bad!as his methods of marketing eggs often are. He is out on his own and must do the best lie can. Tt is the system, not the producer, which .is at greatest fault. Any poultry reader who. wishes to see improvements in marketing his or her products, should join an egg circle or failing one in tho district, set about to create one, for egg circles have, and are achieving some measure of success, and the speed of this success is limited by its supporters. Those within reasonable distance of M-asterton, Carterton, Featherston, Greytown, Maurieeville and Mangamalioe. can easily help themselves and the industry bv joining. The fees are small, the Utility Circle in Masterton being only 4s to new members and 2s 6d to old ones, and even if one has only a dozen or two a week to sell, it will pay to join. Though many bons are not now laying, it will pay to give them just as much attention as when in full swing. Fresh , water, grit, green food, sound grain, meat, and comfortable sleeping and scratching sheds will tell a very different tale even in June and July than neglect. The Utility Club at Christclmrch recognised the value of warmth, in the winter time during the last two tests, when the birds were housed through the cold weather, in the day as well as at night. Result was more eggs in winter than during any of the previous tests.