THE STATE AND THE POULTRY FARM.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 13097, 23 April 1908, Page 9

THE STATE AND THE POULTRY FARM.

SOME INTERESTING EXPEKJ- ■-•■>. MI3NTS.

(SPECIAL TO "TIIE PRESS.') WELLINGTON, April 22. During his recant tour in the eoutih the Minister for Agriculture paid a visit to the' State Poultry' Farm in the j ililbon district. In a conversaition with, hiun- last aislit, lie gave mc some interesting deta,ile cf the work tOuit is being carried on there. The man. in charge is evidently an who spares no trouble in hi«sofltorts to make the farm of practical u«> to tilie Doir»inion. Tho farm, co fair, has been used mainly in connection with, tihe pure breeding of birds, and exporimeaie in connection with thedr feeding. EfeSß are sold to farmers and poultrybreeders w<ho wish to raieo pure stock. A quan-tity ere also disposed of m tteWiß market fox. food purTxieee During the coming reason E 850 IBjiBK birds ™» J» k <f <£ tbO'fwm in addition to the brood stock. There has been a great demamd for the eggs from «» farm, end they ■Mβ rer.d'iJy bougiit for food purpcece, and retailed at « penny-half-iK-nDv a dozen more than can bo ob>kine'd for fhe ordinary eggs sen* to thft Dimedin market. Mr MaSab states that the Department could en.ter vnto a contract ivith any one of thTW or four Dnnodin morchante, who would take the whole output of the farm, heth egge and birds that are fattenc<l off at hi"Wy satisfactory prices. It i≤ found best to dispose of t.h«. layuis birds after they have beon laying for two 6CQ&cn&. Dncte ond titrkr-ye aro a!*o k«pt oov tho farm. • During xho past year tho manage* - h-KS. at Mr AloXab's suggeßtion, Hrgh dealing with New Zealand wild dueUu to sco how they will thrive in captivity, r.ud' whether or not they are cap.aWo of domeiitication. So fnr pao-adi-so ducks alov.o have beon experimented with, but th*> manager is now scouring the country for otlieir varieties of Zealand wild ducks. Attempts will also be lr.ado to ascertain to what extent the different breeds of tfoceo wild ducks can be developed for table pnrpesce. The. farm also concerns itsol f with the rearing of pheasants for sale.

Everything that can profitably bo realised is turned into hard cae3i. Tho capacity of the farm is to be increased, and by the end of another year Mr ifcNab hopes tho farm will bo entirely solf-eupportihg. It has an area of 23 acres. and 'has on it buildings of the most up-to-date nature. So groat is the demand for poultry and eggs from this farm, that- the manager estimates that if the necessary sr<u>e is available it coiild be profitsbly increaeed for the supply of the Iccal market to t-en time*: its'present size. At present rnrarly nil the lecol farmors and poril-trj-crowers to the farm for their 6tcck. Tliis ywir, in addition to the e\T>erim<-nt6 already boing carried on, furtlier esnerimeJits in regard to tlie developmejit of the- bast class of table bird are being undertaken.