POULTRY DIVISION.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXIX, Issue 7819, 11 June 1909, Page 2

POULTRY DIVISION.

That poultry farming is anl import^ ant and remunerative branch of farm-, ing is fully borne out by the-fact that 1 each year the industry-keeps movingforward., To a great extent this haa' been brought about "by . the Government, which lor some years has engaged special experts to educate the people on the methods of successful poultry raising, with very excellent results. The exportation of poultry and' eggs has also been deservedly encouraged, and now a fairly large export 1 trade has been built up m the interests of those engaged m the industry. A great deal of praise is also due to the individual efforts of breeders of prize 6trains of fowls, for they have spared neither trouble nor expense m intro--ducing the best birds procurable from other countries. In fact, the industry, which has a great future before it, is expanding, as it were, by leaps and ! bounds, year by year. Only a-few years ago farmers and poultry fanciers were content to keep mongr-el crossbred fowls, that while devouring large quantities of food gave very poor returns; but during the past few years farmer* and others have learned that by keep* ing proper well-bred strains of fowls, first-rate financial returns can be obtained, and'the result is that to-day the fowl yard m both country and town, contains birds of approved breeding. Each of the numerous classes at this year's show are exceptionally well-fill-ed, and the entrants'include a large number of local fanciers, some of whom now exhibit for the first time at a show. All the chief breeders m the South" Island are represented, and tliG exhibition, if not equal to those .held m the larger cities, is unquestionably the finest and most comprehensive of poultry ever seen m Ashburton..