NOTES.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LV, Issue 91, 15 March 1935, Page 10

NOTES.

(By “Brooder.”) It is stated that, to meet the dif-ficulty-high prices—that North Island buyers are reported to be experiencing in the purchase of fowl wheat, the Wheat Purchase Board has decided to release a quantity of its stored wheat, at 4s 4d per bushel, sacks extra, f.o.b. Lyttelton and Timaru. As this wheat will be used for the purpose of relieving the northren situation, it will be sold only to North Island distributing merchants. Anything which will help the work of eradicating the white butterfly is welcomed by fowlkeepers, particularly those working on intensive lines. We are told that purple and deep blue flowers have an irresistible attraction for white butterflies and such growing near the green crop of the garden will attract the butterfly and save destruction of much-wanted green food. Experiments are now being made for spraying these patches with some attractive poisonous mixture, honey or sugar being added. The poison used must be of a very weak type. Already large numbers have been destroyed m this way. Experiments such as these should make- the splendid work of the parasite liberated to destroy the butterfly much easier and should in time prove effective,, thus , enabling the , poultrymen to nave again green teed . enough, other than silver beet, which , seems to be immune. Birds which are now right in the moult should not be fed the usual eggpromoting mash—they do not need it. Nature must have its rest, and if these birds arc to be kept for another season, or for breeding purposes, then it is wise to allow them a spell. More or loss, all our egg producing rations are forcing, and it stands to reason that to feed’them during the moulting process is harmful. It would be far better were these birds to be given complete liberty with only a grain ration morning and evening; of course, care-1 should be exercised as, unrestrained,

these birds may expose themselves to all kinds of weather. Chills perhaps will follow and generally there wil be a retarding of that back-to-conditiop stage, for which eager poultrymen look. If a mash is used, the ingredients should not include a large proportion of meat meal. Perhaps if would also be better to include a small proportion of linseed meal, this to assist feathering. In feeding moulting hens the great thing to avoid is fatness. Fat birds are useless for the brooding or the laying pen though they are welcomed as table poultry. Keep the birds active ; prevent them moping at all times. An Australian has discovered that one of the best ways to eradicate red mite is to use a plumber’s blow-lamp. Direct the flame under the perches and into all nooks and corners, he says, and it will certainly have a devastating effect on them. Australian export authorities are looking about to prevent a proposed quota for Australian eggs on the Lon-, don market. Hence they are calling the attention of the British public to the large number of Chinese eggs sold in England. By showing the manner in which these eggs are produced they hope to turn the public against them. Evidently it is not known that Now Zealand has an embargo on the importation of Chinese pulp, or why the following: Sir Hilton Young, Minister of Health, has stated that he did not know that the United States of America or any other countries prohibited the importation of liquid eggs on the grounds of health and he was not aware of any reason for prohibiting their importation on grounds of public health. Evidently the Australian propaganda has not yet borne fruit. AUSTRALIAN” EGGS. COMPLAINTS TO MR BRUCE. The London Egg Exchange and the Egg Traders’ Association jointly sent a deputation to the Australian High Commissioner (Mr S. M. Bruce) to complain that Australia’s former reputation for quality had been undermined during the current season by five of the 25 Victori an packing firms, who had been identified as having sent bad eggs. The deputation alleged that the Commonwealth inspectors had sometimes been hoodwinked into certifying defective shipments to be in good condition. The badness of the eggs was obviously not due to faulty carriage. Mr Bruce said that the Commonwealth commercial officer in London (Mr F. C. Faraker) had already directed the attention of the Government to tho faulty shipments, and Mr Bruce promised to transmit the complaints, with which he sympathised, to Canberra. in order to ensure that there should not be any repetition of the trouble next season.