POULTRY NOTES.
Manawatu Times, Rōrahi XXVII, Putanga 7742, 18 Pipiri 1903, Page 4
Mō tēnei niupepa
POULTRY NOTES.
The Prices of Grain.
Winter Show.
What About Those Cham-
pionships P
A New Breed.
(By " Cackler.")
Orpingtons and Wyandottes are the leading classes at all the late Australian shows, with Indian Game and Leghorns next in popularity. The disastrous effect of unseasonable weather on the southern grain output must have the effect of limiting the amount of stock in local yards, and force some, perhaps, out of the business. This will not be an unmixed blessing, as many poultryraisers in this district make the fatal mistake of breeding too many birds, which came into the world by means of the incubator, without any provision being made for their accommodation, in their chicken and adult stages. The result of this was that disease cleared out many a yard, and in the absence of proper disinfection, the fatal germs are now waiting the warm weather to attack the young flock of the coming season. It will, then, be almost providential if the price of grain will have the effect of restricting numbers, so that proper attention may be given the flocks. They will thus develop better and the per centage of losses be much less. The common tendency is to overbreed, and the fatal results of this during the past season proved disastrous to many a Manawatu poultry breeder."
Exception has been taken to a recent paragraph appearing in this column regarding the poultry section of the Winter Show and the attitude j thereto of the A. and P. Association and the representatives of the combined committee of the delegates from the Poultry Association. It is said that the A. and P. Association, the governing body of the show, had a perfect right to register with the North Island Poultry Association (and thus secure championships for its spring show) without consulting the combined committee of the Winter Show or the Poultry Association. Again, that as the Poultry Association had neglected to register with the North Island Poultry Association, the attitude of the former body practically absolved the A. and P. Association in its action. This is no doubt a very specious argument, but does it not appear strange that the A. and P. Committee neglected—like the Poultry Association—
to have registered with the controlling poultry body and only discovered the necessity for registering when the Winter Show was being promoted ; and, stranger still, when the necessity of registering occurred to the governing body of the Winter Show—-an undertaking which greatly depende 1 for success on the poultry section - it should have studiously ignored the interests of the Winter Show, by doing nothing to ensure it being held under the auspices of the North Island Poultry Association ? On the contrary, the Winter ■Show—held at the natural time of the J year for exhibiting poultry — was allowed to take its own course and
continue on to possible failure, while
every care was being taken to conserve the interests of spring fixture, that is of course as far as the poultry section is concerned. Fortunately, the Poultry Association—certainly late in the day—has affiliated with the JNorth Island Association, and the winter show will thus be held under the auspices of the latter body. The laggard affiliation means, of course, that few, if any, championships are left, and the A. and P. Association will have more important championships for its spring show than the Poultry Association will have for the winter fixture. The action of the A. and P. Association in placing the interests of the poultry section of the summer show paramount to ,the interest of the winter show—which it certainly appears to have done to the casual observer—has no doubt
been responsible for the regret exist-
ing among many members of the Poultry Association that they had agreed to amalgamate with the A. and P. Association in the holding of the combined show.
In future the difficulty will not exist, as an affiliated society can, I understand, only hold one championship show in the year, so that future winter shows must have the cooperation of the Poultry Association if they are to obtain the great advanvantage of being able to offer North Island championships. In the world of science nearly every great achievement has been the result of experiment. In the smaller domain of poultry modern breeders have, by experimental crossing, evolved new and improved varieties of fowls. The most notable of this was the evolution of the famous Orpington, which made for Mr William Cook, of Kent, an everlasting name. His success in establishing a new and valuable breed led others to experiment in crossing different kinds of fowls. As a result, every now and then new breeds are produced and exhibited. Recently four comparatively new breeds have been penned at Sydney shows, says the Herald. These were Faverolles, a big muffed fowl allied to the Dorking ; Campmes, a small variety with duckwing. game markings; Lakenvelders, pretty little fowls of Hamburgh type ; and Imperials. For the last named breed Mr W. E. Boutcher, of River-street, Canterbury, near Sydney, is "responsible. In April, 1902, Mr Boutcher, Mr Dunnicliff, and Mr E. Butcher compiled a comprehensive standard for Imperials. The cock is a handsome and symmetrical bird weighing about 101b. Its rich plumage recalls the bright colouring of the Partridge Cochin, but its dark legs and feet are free from feathers. Its headpiece and general shape suggest the Orpington. The ground colour of the hen is dark with buff pencilling, the average weight being 71b. Classes
for Imperials were provided at recent shows. As a table bird the weight of the Imperials speaks for itself. As a prolific egg producer no better evidence of the value of the breed can be given than the result of the laying competition recently concluded at the
