DOMINION POULTRY INDUSTRY.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 173, 24 July 1922, Page 3

DOMINION POULTRY INDUSTRY.

MAKING RAPID HEADWAY.

POULTRY EXPERT'S OPINIONS.

Mr. C. A. House, editor of "The Poultry World," London, who hae been on a tour of Australia and New Zealand, arrived in Auckland from the South yesterday. When asked this morning for his general impressions of the poultry industry in New Zealand, Mr. House said that the industry was undoubtedly flourishing and seemed to be making rapid headway, with every prospect of development in the future. The New Zealand Poultry Association, he said, was a wonderful organisation. It had accomplished a great deal and nowhere in the European Continent, or Australia, had ,Mr. House come across such an excellent organisation as the association, and he had an extensive knowledge of nearly all the exporting countries. Mr. House remarked that the wonderful climate of the Dominion was the greatest asset the industry possessed, and this, backed by the work of Mr. J. B. Merrett, the secretary, and other officers of the association, no doubt was responsible for the magnificent wort accomplished. The enthusiasm shown Ix 7 the utility poultry breeders and farmers was excellent, but Mr. House could see one danger looming, and that was that poultry farmers were paying too much attention to egg production. The breeder who made that mistake was bound to fall. Breed characteristics required more attention than egg production, and if this was ignored the stamina of the birds would 'be lost, while stocks would degenerate. Turning to the exhibition and show side of the industry, Mr. House said that he was much, impressed with the quality of the birds on exhibition at the show at Nelson, which he judged last week. In the Old English Game section an Australasian record was established, there being nearly 350 of this game family shown. The majority of the birds were of such a high character that, in his opinion, they would hold their own with the 'birds in the •show cages in England. Of course there were several general weaknesses, and a, lack of condition, but the colour and type was very good. The exhibitors did not have the incentive tk) put their birds in the pens in tip-top condition. The heavy breeds, *uch as Plymouth Rocks, Wyandottes, and Orpingtons, on the whole were very good in type but failed in shape. In the laced Wyandottes a noticeable failing was the smallness in width of feather. The exhibition of White Leghorns vas, in Mr. House's opinion, good. They followed in the main the American standard, and had not the purity of colour and lo>be demanded in England. In the Minorca | tion he saw many good birds, that could ! win distinction in England. Mr. House, i continuing, stated that he was surprised with two of the oldest fancy breeds shown at Nelson—the Hamburg and the Polish. Some of them he had ne%-er ?een excelled, except in Holland, which was the home of these breed*. The other Hamburgs -and Silver Spangles wern easily the best for colour, shape, and marking that the expert had seen, but failed somewhat in the head properties The Bantams seemed tn be great favourites at New Zealand shows, and he was struck with the exc-Hencp of the Black Rosecombs, which were superior to any he had seen in Australia. In all the other classes, the display wa= a credita-ble one. the general average beino particularly high. Mr House went, out tn tfhe hsrg Laving Competitions at Mount Albert this morning, and this evening he "ill be the guest of the Poultry A*«ociat:on at a social function. To-morrow Mr. House will leave by the Makura t..r Vancouver, visiting the Ijmted Stnte* ! an.l Canada before returning to Kng-