THE FARM INDUSTRY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 126, 20 February 1908, Page 2

THE FARM INDUSTRY.

THE POULTRY INRUSTRY,

. ECC-LAYIMC COMPETITIONS. WHICH BREED IS ON TOP?" ' (By W.T.) I . Until-two • or, three : years ago egg-laying-competitions were unknown to t lis Dominion, while in Australia they, were fall the rage," being run by firms as an: advertisement. There .is a good deal of .value in thoso contosts, as they raise :-the-utility standard. They help to exhibit the merits' of the birds where the- egg basket .is concerned, and enablo owners to cull out those that are only fit for the , table. There is a certain amount of honour attached to : winning an egg-laying competition, in addition to the monotary gain. A point, .however, which is overlooked by many is the fact that a pen of birds winning a competition do not remain champions for ever. It may happen that a: different variety of bird will -break the record in another competition. The fact that one person's white Leghorns have won a competition is no.proof that all white Leghorns bro equally good. It has happened that different breeds have won different competitions.. -~ :: For instance, take competitions at present in vogue. At Bcrowra (Sydney) white Leghorns are leading. At Subiaco golden wyandottes.. At Lincoln College, Blenheim, and Roseworthy (Sydney), white Leghorn's are at the head. Here it will be seen that, the white Leghorn is proving the superior. But if we refer back to past results we find 'that in 1906 there was a good deal'of variation, and for that reason 1 will ataote a* few. The Winners. . . Winners Lincoln College ... Silver Wyandottes Blenheim College ... White Leghorns Rockdale ... ... Black Orpingtons Hawkesbury College White Leghorns Dookie College \ ... Silver'Wyandottes South Australia ■ ... i, White Leghorns j Queensland ... ... Brown'-Leghorns . The Duflers. v ' Tha lowest pens oii.the'lists were:— • - Blenheim ... Barred Plymouth _. - ,''■■■ Rocks Lincoln College ... Black-Langshans . > : Hawkesbury College ' , White Leghorns , Rockdale ; .../ Silver Wyandottes . i South Australia > ...'V:White Leghorns . Dookie College -...i 'White Leghorns Queensland •Golden Wyandottes This tends to show how: breeds vary, ana how unreasonable it is to expect to . find all . breeds of ono variety equal.... The first and most- 1 important point in poultry raisiiig is to get properly-bred birds,. and then give them careful attention. - Origin of the: Competitions, Egg-laying . competitions .' owe/ their • origin, in Australia to a challenge by Mr.- W. F. Eyenden after a controversy in regard to the laying of Various breeds'of birds. /The first was ,beguii at Hawkesbury on April 1, 1902, with 28 pens of six birds each. The winning nens were rose-comb brown Leghorns', and they laid.lll3, eges, or an' average of 185} per bird. .The following year 70 pens' ' were ■ ontered,' .and . silver .wyandottes came' first, with. 1308; oggs.- That same, year, on the suggestion of Mr. H: - M. Pugh, backed up by Messrs. Marshall and W. C. Grasly, a competition was started ill South Australia.: The number of coinpeting pens were 26, and .the winners .were silv.er wyandottes,.. which' laid 1032' eggs'. .Fr'ohl this low performance South Australian birds have worked up to top place. . The third Hawkesbury competition had 100 jßens,-rapd .jWas.-;you, silver wyandottes, ; with 1224'.' -In tne samo'seasonthe', second South Australian-competition resulted, in whito Leghorns .winning with 1251, and the first. Dookie College competition ;• enabled the. white Leghorns to put up a record of 1313,,.. . .. . .' ry-'Y'; " Y/orld's Records. / : r v : •'•' 'At the sam<e time an Australian paper organised duck'competition : and a -pen of six buff: orpington ducks' put' up a world's record of 1326 aggs. The following year quite a number ot competitions were 1 held, and. the. record of the year was- taken by black Orpingtons :at Rockdale,' -with 1461eggs, or an average of four oggs per day ■ frpm, six liensi: 1 In the-1906-7 competitions -at'Hawkesbury the langshans mado a record of -1481, and _ Leghorns - scored 1437. '.. At Rockdale, white Leghorns .were top with 1473, ana white wyandottes next with 1444. At Gatton, Queensland, white Leghorns led with 1480, only one behind the record., At the' Rydo competition, black orpiiigtons led 'With 1332, ana at ! ifarrogin brown'- Leghorns won with 1280. All these results go to show the importance of, breeding rather than variety. '.

NEWS AND NOTES' FOR THE MAN ON THE LAND.

UNDER HOSTILE EYES. MR. M'NAB AND HIS EX PERI M EMf.B,' A TRIBUTE TO .MR-! J. G,., . Following up his statements to a Dominion representative on the subject of ''experiments that pay," the Hon. R. M'Nab observed: "There are feally very few peoplo in New Zealand who help-us. .rAnd there are very many who watch, us with, hostile-eyes." How do they show it? . "In almost overy new departure that we make there : is: some interest that feels that it is affected—some .trade, some industry, that imagines, itself threatened. romember.that I said,'recently that those: ii 7 the wine trade resented : our ; wine-producing work at; Waer'onga. : That statement,': Wa/„ immediately ridiculed in - Auckland, , but!- at, the very same time I received a letter' froa- 1 a, man in the wine'trade' strongly condemn- - ing those operations. It is no t-,; ni fact, [the wine retailer at all who is competed against by ..the' work of Wine >. production.But' : he' apparently, imagines it .is.. . ; Again,'you ..will . remember, the great:'outcry .that :was, raided when the Government Bet up a. poultry divi- , sion. I well-recollect the ridicule. that speakers in the House heaped upon: the proposal. But'it has done excellent work: It has' given an astonishing ' impetus to • tho industry associated with utility :- po'illt-ry throughout the Dominion, and-has' enabled -farmers to obtain birds of ascertained utility,y ' qualities, or breeding. The dopartiirq' in- "' volved in establishing the poultry division was, I. think, the farthest incursion that the Department has yet: made into the • realms of private: enterprise.' 1 . . v. : • The farmers appreciate what '.is '■■done.'' - "We owe it to the sympathetic assistance and friendship of Mr. J. G. Wilson, the President of the Farmors' Union] that the attitude of _ the Union toward tho Department has improved. Formerly tho Union was among the most active opponents of- our work." : ,;. ~ -,- v "'. .! \ ',V -

ABOUT NOXIOUS WEEDS.

I -saw-ati'odd .thing, ono ■ day. last week (writes bur travelling, correspondent). Riding down towards jVlangamairo, just before crossing the bridge, I noticed that somebody had boen catting the Scotch thistles along > the sides of. the approach,-but had very, carefully abstained; from dealing with ragwort, which was.in full bloom at tho same place. , I also saw, a number of ragwort plants on the sides of;tho river, just below.the bridge; :.What use for careful farmers to endeavour to cope with these noxious weeds when the careless and indifferent ones make no attempt to do so? It simply. means that tho latter are raising seed which, will still further infest the lands of the farmer.' Thero seems to be " a screw loose" in this nosious weeds business. What it is I am not prepared to state, but this I do know, " one man may not look' over tho -hedge, but another may steal; a horse with, impunity."- Take a district I know, in which there is- a good deal of blackberry..".A knook:at tho door. "Mr. Blank?" ' " Yes, that is my name." "Oh 11 am Mr. Fluffem, noxious weeds inspector. I see you are'badly infested with blackberry. ..You'don't seem to bo making any attempt to 'get rid of it." " Indeed, you evidently don't Jtnow what you aro'talking'about, .as I have cleared a considerable area this seasons 1 ' aiid at presenthave moro under treatment;"Oh;: well, T haven't seen it." Mr. I<\ goes on another two miles to tho Maori pa, whero not the slightest attempt'. is mado to' get : rid of . the weed;' and 1 never opens his mouth. This is an actual fact.

SMALL BIRD PEST.

• For . several: yearspast .the; depredations of: small, birds hare' been considerably discussed both by farmers and orcbardists, and this year'has been no exception to the rulo. Our Manawatu representative hears daily complaints, and has reason;: to believe' that in some instances tho damage has been considerable, as the birds no doubt experience a difficulty-in gathering up their daily .sustenance'and naturally harbour at the nearest orchard. 'The writer-was shown a crop of tomatoes tho other < day. which wdre attacked just as they were- changing colour; so the owner ■ had no r alternative but to gather tho whole ;crop in a 'green state.' Tho agricultural farmer has the' same , complaint to make, and' one remarked that it was absolutely'useless to attempt to grow a small field of early or late gram crop, as the birds congregated there, in thousands. The question of systematic poisoning is one that will sooner .or later have : to bo faced, and as tho winter season will soon be upon us, the farraors have only ,to put tho machinery- in nlotion,,and there;is no reason Why the deBired effect should; not be brought about.

TUBERCULOSIS HEALS.

There is a general belief, writes our Wairarapa correspondent, that if a boast is infected with , tuberculosis the disease never stops. This is not so. An authority mentions the case of a pig which was suffering from consumption of the throat and recovered through the growth calcifying. This portion was found to be very tough. The aninial lived, although it always carried with it the traces.of the disease.

CENERAL FARM; NEWS. !

Our Woodville oorrespondeht writes i—Elitries for-the A. and P. Show are being af- >'■ feoted by the'drought; -in the dairy cattle and fat .sheep classes.. The' secretary . informs :nie,' however, ; tbat the showVilltbe./ worthy of patronage for tho 'exhibits that" aro coming forward. ■ V ''■ . : . .The milking season in Woodville, oiir-cor-respondent adds, is almost crippled,. the supply being about half,of what it-should be, and farmers generally are- hard pushed , to :feod and water stock.- Should ram not fall within a few weeks all hopes of a. groivtli for winter will.be gone. . - ■ ..

OUR DIARY. . V

; WOOL SALE 9 Gisborne.—Feb. 20. ... Wellington.—Feb. 21. Titnaru. —Feb. 27. Dunedin.—March 5. . , ' SHOWS. Fob. 26.-7rWoodville. .. ......... Feb. 26,' ; 27.—Karon Flower Show. • Feb. 27.—Eketahuna.Horticultural. • ... March;s, 6.—Waikato, V;; STOCK SALES ADVERTISED. :Thursday, .February :20.- i -Dalgety' and'"Co. 1 , ; ; in conjunction with- Now Zealand- Loan and :■ Mercantile/ Agency Co., Ltd;, Stock, :at Pnlmerston North. ; Thursday .'arid' Friday, -February .20 and 21: — Combined'Auctioneers'.Ham and Ewe Fair, at Show.Gfpuuds,;Masterton. ».*>.•. Friday, February 21.—Dalgoty- and" l Co., ■ Stock, at Levin » * ' i Friday, February-.2B.—Murray Roberts and , ; ;Co., ..Stock Salo at Maramanga- Station,• '•> Akitio. --< Wednesday, February 20.—Dalgety. ; :and' Co.y~ 1 ,' Salo Horses,' at-AVellineton;. > Thursday, March s.—Dalgety and Co., . in conjunction-with Macdonald,.Wilson, and •••:: Co.. Horses, eto./ at' Abel Smith Street, . Wellington. •/ '•• '' ■'■

UNIFORM SCHOOL BOOKS.

A CONDEMNATION, j .i / SINGLE SET OF IDEAS NOT WANTED. • IB* - TEI.EGBAPn—SPICIAt. COnEISPONDENT.i;' Dunedln, February 19. This morning • the: Otago Education Board received tho report of their'inspectors on* the proposal emanating from, the ;Education Deapartment to have uniform .'school books-'in all tho public schoolsiof. the Dominion;- The "report said, inter-alia: :i''' ;- ' . :' "For uniformity,. as suoli,. we- havo -no desire ; indeed,, we are' strenuously' opposed-' to the adoption of any course' that ; would; tetid to cast in the sanio uiould tho minds' of . all the children in tho: Dominion, and tho adoption of the. same readers throughout the. Dominion; would without , doubt strongly, tend that way.- At present : the' Department has, and exercises, what is ■ in-reality power to forbid; the use of books recommended by local authorities, and if ; it'published, books bf..jtsown it' would: probably forbid ; ; the . vise others,, however strongly- they, might', [bo-.mk commended by local authorities" who,.ought; to be and generally are' better judges of !tho needs of. their: districts' than' any' central au-. thority can'be. ...,-' "The books, in present use. are the outcome of keen "competitiony; among ? competition that will cease .'.to operate:; in New [Zealand when books, are/ publisKe.d'..,b"y a State Department that .lias 'the' power' to impose them',. whatever : th'ojr. .' quality,on every district in the;. Dominion.' Wo ..lrnbw. .no bookspublished.;by. a. State Departme'nt■ that are! equal in quality and.form-to those published, by private .'firms,.' and .we .have, no reason'".to" suppose' that, our, own,would s'uecoed. where others have failed;'-; Failijro, is inevitable in the circunistanccs;' in which such departments,havo to'work." ' The: following 'motion was carried"That tho .Board express their earnest .and ; emphatic 'protest against; such'.'a- proposal'.'.##' a uniform set of school books, being on tho schools of the Dominion, as being'ojv. posed alike, to th'e'.best.interests of education and of tlio. freedom ; Of : the.-! people." ' Tho Board ;wilL:btfer' streriuons; opposition to any ondoavour, to ; ihibue the. minds. of the children with oh.o set of ; ideas from one-end of the Dominion to the other.";

■' an opposite View*. (NY TEr,EOnAPH—PRESfI ASSOCMTION.) •' • Auckland, February/19 v " . The Board of Education has expressed, ajs Sroval of uniformity.of schbor'book's in, tho dominion, ths inspectors' having expressed ; an opinion favourable to. mfTformity in reading books and school books generally. .