THE POULTRY INDUSTRY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1054, 18 February 1911, Page 14

THE POULTRY INDUSTRY.

• • • : —> - (By- Chantecler.) ,

EGG-LAYING COAIPETITION. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) . ' • ' Chrlstchuroh, February 17. Tlio egg-laying competition grcivs keener. Sail maintains an excellent lead; Balch has gono into second piaco this week. Individual totals for tho week: Rangiuru,; 33; Wilson, 32; Sail, 31; Hawkc, 31 j Nixon, 31. The .loading aggregates to date" are: Sail, 1314; Balch,. 1284; Rangiuru, 1282; Knight, 1282; Bradford, 1281; Hawke, 1279; Total aggregate, 58,678. , Total for the week, 1241. ' Ducks: Only 39for the week. Knight, 13 and 10/ Totals: Knight, 1068 and 956; Hammond, • 950. . WAIRARAPA HOC CIRCLE. " ANNUAL REPORT. Thp annual report. of tho .Wairarapa Egg Circle, for tho 'year ended January 31, 1911, was as follows:—' As members aro aware, the Circlo commenced forwarding eggs to Wellington on May'lo last, 83J dozen being dispatched on that date, and up to tho ond of the year tho splendid total of 20,728 (twenty'thousand; seven hundred and twenty-eight) dozen wero forwarded, realising tho sum of £1099 ss. 6d. ( . 1 • . ■ . The success 'of, .tho. Circle has in a largo incapuro, been duo to our agent, Mr. W;; A. Jessen, who at all'times has done his best to' further its interests, and -members will'no.doubt bo pleased .to know, that tho delegates at tho late Poultry Conference made appreciative references' to his work, , and all considered that ho ; had dono remarkably well, t ; . . Members havo every.roason to bo satisfied' ivith tlio eight; months' .working of tho Circlo, , and , though,, tho bank balance is only ,4s. ,7d. '(four shillings and seven pence),* our-surplus .of £23 4s. lid, assets over liabilities, shows that we aro in a good condition financially, mo'ro so "when it is taken into consideration that quite a large amount of preliminary' expenditure necessary for the inauguration of. tho Circlo will not bo recurring. • During October ; the proposed 1 Carterton Egg Circle dodided to amalgamate _with this Circlo,-with a view to reducing expenses as to commission, etc., and up to 'the present wo liavo • 19 members from there,, and, hope to ; obtain many more. The thanks of the j Circle lire due 1 to Mr. W. Tucker, .who is i attending to tho necessary, forwarding j work at Cartertqn. ; v ; . A ( Last NovcmScr;'a c conferenco of-thoso i

interested in tho■ poultry industry was held in Wellington, at which our secretary attended as official "representation .from this Circle, and .who will givo a report in connection' thereto, at this meeting. ,

Tlio _ committee,>,Tecogr(isii)g tho;' nd- : visability of ; liceping Tits < existeffco' boforo tho public, decided to' hold meetings at Kuripuni, Fernridge, and Jjaiisdowno. Tho, first meeting was fair-ly-well attended, tho Fcrnridgo. oho lapsed owing ; to'Couiiter and tho olvmg to' tho-heavy rain.

, Tho committco.. havo considered tho ! question of supply of poultry food, etc., ; a »d ; as you aro aware, issued circulars .asking for information from members, 'many of whom for some reason or other have not troubled to give tho necessary particulars,- with tho result 'that tho matter is being held over pending this meqting. Tho committeo consider that by members supporting tho buying of 1 foot! s etc., from ono quarter (by tender) jt will mean a considerable saving during tho year..

r ' During tho year tho. committco hold 15 meetings, which wero attended as follow:—T. H. Rutherford ,15, H. J. W. Jaeks<Sir9, T. -Edgi) 6, 'W. '-H,' Shuto '6, C. A. Hanberg 4, W. P. Simpsoii 3, : J. M'Causland I,'and secretary-15.

The Circle's thanks are due to Messrs. 3. A. J. Maclean and Co., who generously allowed tho use of their auction mart for a receiving depot for' somo ■months frco of charge, and to'tho local newspapers for their kindly assistance in giving publicity to the Circlo's doings, which materially helped to increaso tho, membership, and to Mr. Jarrett, .who audited tho accounts.

; Tho committco wisli to placo on record tho splendid services given for many .months gratuitously by Mr. H. M. Bod'diiigton, tho secretary.

• The Wairarapa Egg Circle has a membership of seventy-three, together with Seventeen'honorary members.

1 Since tho Wairarapa Egg Circlo camo into existcnco in May last, no fewer than 20,728 dozen oggs havo been dispatched to Wellington, realising a sum 'of £ 109H ss. Cel.

' The amount paid by the Wairarapa Egg Circle to! members, for tlio year ended January 31_last was £841 9s. Id. ITlie total amount* received for tlio sale of cgcs from May 10 to December 29 was £963 12s. Cd.. A SPLENDID MOVEMENT. ' ; Tlio report of tlio egg circle abovo shows what can bo done through combination. Considering tlio'many disadvantages to which, tho Masterton circle lms-becn subject, tlio year's working is remarkably good. Tlio circlo moyoment contains the' co-operntivo principle, gives producers tlio best returns (or their goods, avoids tho raising of capital and expensive systems of management, demands that eggs and poultry bo marketed in better quality, and in every way upholds tlio poultry industry. Thero, are somo weaknesses in tlio system, but theso can easily bo eliminated to suit local requirements. I have studied every co-operative poultry combination in existence, • and find nothing so suitable to, Now Zealand. '■With' every now movement thero is adverso criticism, and tlio promoters aro especially subject to attack. Theyarp rarely credited with honesty of purpose ' or receive tlio encouragement they deserve. Still a sound business proposition will always como out on top, and tlio success of Masterton is in the favour of tho egg circlo movement. It has worked single-handed, has had all tlio initiatory expense to faco on,its own, but now that Carterton and Levin have joined in and aro sending their eggs to tho one' agent it will bo considerably easier to demonstrate the valuo of tho movement. It was predicted a few weeks ago that tlio bubblo of tho egg'circlo liad burst, but tlio forecast was evidently somewhat prematura. THE SECRET, Oft SUCCESS. In nil co-ope'raliyo -'movements' tho secret of success lies with' tho management. At Masterton tlio circlo has been singularly fortunate in securing Mr. Rutherford as chairman and Mr. Boddington as secretary. Tho latter gentleman has had a peaceful year, but not so tho chairman, lie had to take tho initiative, lias been accused of all sorts of selfish motives. Ho is not so, and after the year's work his worth has been recognised, lie was re-elected on tho committco with a full complement of votes, and has been re-elected as chairman. In Mr. Boddington the circlo has a worthy secretary,, and no doubt 1 thia gentleman ban been marked by, the

poultrymen of Now Zenlaiid for a prominent position inthe •government-of tho Poultry Association's affairs,; s ''.A PROMISING SEASON: " t Poultry-men may look out for .good 3 business during the coming season. ISovor has there been wider interest shown that at tho present timo in tho " possibilities of tho lien. In Nciv Zea- ; land wo'have somo of tho .choicest layers in .tho poultry world. Sail's and : Knight's pens at tho competition aro among tho fewpens that havo put .up | a record of 200 eggs per bird in nino ' months. Those who wish to clip some of, tho business offering this season should get their advertisements going now. In our columns we offer special inducements to advertisers. Applica- | tj on s should bo sent to tho manager of The Dominion, . NOTES. • Ducks are not so popular as layers owing to their, sensitiveness in laying. To me it .is,: as much a. problem that they can stop laying for threo months as that they can produco' an egg every ' morning at their will. .. Great, interest in being shown in tho i egg circlo movement in tho South . Island. Duncdin is specially interested. . Mr. Rutherford, of Siasterton, who has ; been appointed organiser, for tlio New Zealand Poultry Association, leaves for ■ the south on Monday week, and will spend somo timo ,in forming egg circles iirCanterbury and Otago.' ■The Levin' Egg . Circlo has commenced sending forward its . supplies; so that tho cn tern rising'; local agent, Mr. Jessen, will bo kept- busy dispensing eggs. ■ Tho best.market:for eggs this year is Dunedin.; Wellington has lost the placo that It held: for so'many, years. . The Poultry Conference report lias been issued,, and is a creditable production. A. roviQW; will bo given next week. ' ' THAT TOP. PRICE.\ , ■ Tho following, article, specially written for The Dominion jjy Mr. T. H. Rutherford,' is full of suggcstivo matter for .poultryihen:— "Those -who can command a higher price than their fellows are to bo much' commended for their business capacity, especially when they tako tho pains to put on tho market a woll-got-up article.This applies as much to eggs as any - other commodity: But' let us pause aiid think for a moment. Eggs this season' havo been down to eightpenco per dozen, and oven, in ono or two instances, as" low as scyonpence. Somo producers-will nave obtained ono penny moro all; through, a few twopence, and hero and thoro not less than ono shilling. All theso prices, however, aro comparative' only. -If "ordinaries'.'- hnd realised but sixpence, how many-would havo obtain-' cd even ninepenco, and as for a shilling," it .would havo been as rare as bristles, ! on a baby's face. , j ' Egg circles, amongst other objects; s aim ,to keep eggs from falling down to! t unprofitable prices, in spito of ridicul-' 1 ous assertions, lo; tho 'contrary. What c possible chauco have' wo got: if wo do not' t umto? Not a ghost of one. Thero aro 1 at least threo great dangers in front of 1 us. First, increased iinnortations of. 1 eggs from other countries. Secondly,' l ? .possible combination of egg dealers to . ■keep tloVn the prico, if it does notaalt ready 'exist. Thirdly, ,in tho near fu- £ ture, an over-production from our own 1 UOckSi r

• Surely it docs not require much shrewdness to sco that if wo support tho circles, bjj becoming members, and centralise the eggs into a lesser number of ohannels, that •is . tho circlo agents, of each ono chasing tho ! various dealers with his or her lot,' great or small, wo aro completely turning tho tables to our own advantage. . For tho purpose of illustration, let usi 6uppos<y that all tho eggs-in tho Nelson district wero sent to ono agent, or even' a grocer, in Wellington, would not that gentleman havo a good deal.of! tho say m regulating the price, especially when! other districts , wero also working • on tno same lines.' TliO' other 'dealers and the general public, would eithor. havo to pay tho prico' asked or go without. Do not think, however, I am advocating a "corner ,> in eggs; far from it, but I certainly do advocate for a higher prico in tho summer time.

Under tho present conditions wo turn over m tho winter.very often eggs to tho same, value as wo do in the summer, but with only about a third 'of tho quantity. How many beans make fivo? In other words, what is tho difference to our pockets. between, say, thirty dozen at tonpence and ten dozen at half a crown?, Consider now tho extra labour involved -to get that other twenty dozen in the summer. There aro moro eggs to' collect, cleanse, crate, and_keep cheek of, besides tho annual hatching. Is that good enough? It "'ill, take a long time to become Carnegians on this principle. If there was an immediate danger of an over supply of eggs throughout tho world tho position would'bo, entirely difforerit; it is not_so", judging by tho prices realised m London and Now Yorl<. •

' You smart, enterprising, top-prico chaps, why bo satisfied with any topprice just because it is a littlo moro .than tho other fellows get? Many avoid tho egg circles becauso at present they can do better, but how long is this going to last? Onco again I wish ,to warn you that without cooperation .our. industry is in danger of. being extinguished. Wo 1 pay now nearly twice as much for poultry food as wo did awhile back, so 'that while wo aro making our liens lay two hundred eggs a year, we aro but littlo better off than when they laid but ono hundred.