THE POULTRY-RAISING INDUSTRY

Marlborough Express, Volume XXXVII, Issue 162, 13 July 1903, Page 1

THE POULTRY-RAISING INDUSTRY

ADVICE TO MARLBOROUGH

SETTLERS.

Replying to a toast at the Marlborough Poultry Association's dinner on Friday night, Mr D. Hyde, tbe Government Poultry Expert, said that, from what he had seen and heard during his visit to this district, he felt that we were alive to the possibilities of the industry and what it meant to the Colony. He ventured to say that anyone bold enough to prophesy a few years ago what was taking place to-day would have been laughed at. The industry bad gone abaad by leaps and bounds. It was thought some time ago that the Government were going to *• knock out" the fanciers, but the fact was that the Government had positively aided them. (Hear, hear.) When the industry was taken up by the Government it was being carried on in a spasmodic fashion; now it was on a sure basis. That the fancier had been assisted by this work w_as shown by the increased attendance at the shows, and by the increasing number of fanciers. A remarkable proof of the growth of the fancy was the success of the Show held at Christchurch a fortnight ago—the greatest exhibition el poultry south of the line. The establishment of stations by the Government may have brought down the price in some degree as far as the fanciers were concerned; but what had to be borne in mind was that a tradesman's profit was not calculated on a cent-per-cent basis, but on the quiokness with which his stock was turned over. It was hardly the general body of farmers who had to be thanked for the strides made in the poultryraising industry; it was the people who had pushed tbe thing a a matter of business. Mr Hyde went on to describe tbe slipshod lines on which farmers reared poultry in the past; and said that the sending round of Government experts and instructors had made a change for the better. With all deference to Mr Hall, who had said that not enough attention had been paid to Blenheim, he would tell them that this was the cry from one end of the Colony to the other. He himself travelled on an average over one thousand miles a month, and he conld not possibly do more. In his report this year he bad asked for assistance, and he hoped that one assistant would be appointed for the North Island and another for the South. He was certain that if such astistants went about among the farmers putting them on the right track the industry wonld go ahead rapidly. To show how the industry had already grown—last year they sent away to South Africa 38,000 head of poultry, and this year up to March 31st the figures had gone over the 100,000. The London market was not yet being catered for, for he felt that they were not yet ready for it. In England they require extra good quality, and it would be of no use sending a few cases of fowls. When they were prepared to send to London a thousand cases of ~p«Eoc-ehickens that market would be worth talking about. As showing how the New Zealand poultry was appreciated in South Africa, various firms there bad written saying that it was the best they had received from any part of the world. Notwithstanding the large increase in our poultry export, the trade of this year represented only one fifteenth of the oiders that came to this colony. (Hear, bear). It would bo seen that the demand was very great, and that it behoved us to cater for it. Having remarked that the poultry industry was akin to the dairy industry, Mr Hyde said that it takes on an average three acres to keep a cow, but on the same area 300 head of poultry could be comfortably maintained. After three years' careful selection and breeding, the poultry farmer would obtain twelve dozen eggs a year from each fowl. At Is a dozen that would be 12s a year from one, and subtracting 4s per bead for feed, and 3s for interest and labor, there would be left a profit of 5s per head in a year. That meant £75 on 300 fowls. No class of stock could compare with poultry. In America the value of the industry had reached 350 million dollars a year, and it re- | presented the largest product of that I country by over 75 million dollars. It was larger than the cotton crop. By all means let us have our Shows and create the fancy, but pay due regard to the. industry from the point Of view of the export trade The poultry export trade was going to be a big thing for this colony. In his own mind he was quite satisfied that in, say, ten years from now, it would j rival, if not exceed, the dairy trade. I Where one person could keep a cow hundreds could keep fowls. What was needed here, in his opinion, was what was already established in various places in the Colony—at Patea, Stratford, Eltham, etc. —that was, a company. Let men push ahead on these lines, and he felt satisfied a big business would be worked up. He also advised the people of thi« district to go in for egg laying competition. The competition at Hawkesbury College, Aust. alia, had effected more in one year than all the poultry shows that had taken placa during the last twenty years. Why 2 Because it got down to the business part of the industry, and came into touch with the markets. If we were to start here, probably in conjunction with fruit-growing and some other industry, a company such as he bad indicated, there would be, ha undertook to say, no reason to regret the step. There was plenty of scope here, and if all fanciers would take one or more shares it would not be long before the company wa< on a sound footing. The country was thoroughly well j adapted for poultry-raising; there was cheap ground, nearness to the markets, a fine climate, and other facilities. He submitted the suggestion for the careful consideration of his hearers Mr Hyde congratulated the Association on its excellent Show, which contained birds that were a credit to Marlborough, to the whole Colony. He did not hesitate to say that some of the birds would not disgrace the exhibitors at Crystal Palace, England. From what he had seen, he was convinced that in a shore time the industry would have made such strides that the present accommodation would be quite inadequate, and would have to !•©, extended, or the Association would have to find a larger building. It seemed hardly fair to some of the exhibitors to have their birds cramped up into the space ii tended for one bird only; and the convenience of the public had also to be considered. Having thanked the Association for their welcome, Mr Hyde ooncluded by wishing tbe poultry indu try here success, and saying that his servioes would always be at the couinisnd of anyone interested in it. (Applause).