POULTRY NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2522, 16 July 1902, Page 57

POULTRY NOTES.

By Teeroe.

— Thursday afternoon, tlrs wet>k. all be jus veil, Mr Maudo, h^ ing pa»»ed judgacnt, tvii! have .vttlod for the time being maay burning questions in relation to the local fancy. There are many widely divergent opinions just now as to who is who in Minoicaj, Orpington*, Langshanf., Wjandottee. and Leghorns, and, though not &o prominent or numerous, the fanoiero of other breed, arc no doub* ju«t a= keen and anxious The judgment of Mi Double at Uoio, in con nection with Minorca?, though inten^ting, inasmuch ai it allotted the (banipious'iKp. will not comiuce the funci»rg of the breed as to their respective position. Tl.o pride of the year, «o far as New Zealand 1, concerned, is a win under Maude. In Mmoica. pi'llets there will be a very large class, some 62 birds, I believe, and, judging from the e\en quality of many of those entered, and which I ha\e seen, I by no means env> tlie judge his duty m allotting prize-: —certainly the work rut out for him i^ of no light order. In Laiuj'-liruis Mcooj's Double-, Ilcnder'7oll, Meek, and Sharman are all ■■trona;. I have not -oeu the birds of the tv.o la-t-inontionfyl fanciers, so am not qualified to prognosticate events. I may say, limvc\ci. that if there is a l>etter cockerel forthcoming than Mr Henderson'*, or pullets than Mr Double's, thoy will be worthy of award. A strong opposition to the latter will bo a pullet which was. I am told, bred by Mr Henderson, and shown by Mr Reid, of Moinmgton, at Mo^giel. This i.« a really pretty bird.

— The second annual s'iou of the lloic Fancier.-' Club commenced on Fri'ljiv Ther • wa^ a largo number of exhibit 1 -, about *50 fancier? sending binU from as far north :>s ClmeU liuich Tr c quality of the poult 17 was high-class and dojrs were fair. Thorp »a- keen competition in Leghorn-, Mr W W. Robertson, from nine other entrant.*, securing fir=t in cot kere-l« and aKo fis^t in pulietfi. Hiniburtj'?. Plymouth Rock", Ir.r'nn Game, and Golden Wyaniiottc* ciostTl yooc! competition. The feature of the poulliv oxhibite, ho r. ever, v.as the Minolta flat? Tue South Island uhauipiunsluD for Muioica

cockerels was competed for at the s&y^ •'» and from a splendid collection of 15 bii s en-" tered David Hampton (Sydenham) was ' awarded the championship. In Minorca hens Mr Hampton also secured first from 12 entue3, and A. Hendry first from 18 entries in Minorca black pullets. Dr Truby King sent a fine collection of poultry suitable for export, which was on exhibition. Pigeons were good, and campetition keen. In dog; the best exhiL jg were retrievers.

— The Oamaru Show opened on Friday with about 600 exhibits. Dunedin, Timaru, Waimate, Ashburton. and other placet were represented. The chief winners are: — Gold medal, most points in one varietj game cockerels and pullets, E. Rohan (Oamaru) ; gold modal, most points Dorkings, "W. H. Wilson (Oamaru) ; gold modal, most points Langshans, W. J. Graham (Timaru) ; gold mednl, most points barred Plymouth, Rocks, F. J. Lundon (Waimate) : gold medal, most points Pekiu ducks, W. Ewart (Oamaru) ; goid medal, most points white Leghorns. W. D. Burns : gold medal, most points brown and white Leghorns, W. D. Burns; gold medal, most points white fantail pigeons, J. J. Rawsou : South Island Poultry, Pigeon, and Canary Association's championship for frills. Guthrie and Maitland; cash or trophy, most poiiits in blackrod, and Pile (lame, E. Rohan : cup, bssfc Leghorn cockerel, W. D. Burns ; cash or trophy, value- £3 3s, most points in Houdans, F. J. liuin'on ; cash or trophy, value £3 3s, most points in Wvandottes, F. Hack; cash or trophy, value £2 2s, most points in bantams, J. Grant : cash or trophy, value £3 3s, most points in any one variety Aylesb'ury, Pc-kin, or Rouen ducks, W. Milne : cash or trophy, value £2 2s, most points in pigeon?, W. Fra?er.

— Messrs A. and O. Grant's (Mosgiol) wins at Oamaru were something phenomenal. In Miuorcas they got first and second cocks, first, Beoond, and third hens, first cockfirels. first pullets. In silver Wyandottes, first ancl second cocks, seoond Irens, first and third cockerels, third pullet*. In Orpingtons : Black cook or cockerels, b. c, third hen? or pullets, first, second, and third buff cock or cockerel : fhvt, second, and w h. c. buff hens or pullets.

—Mr E. Reilly scored two firsts and a second in black Orpingtons. Mr H. G. Hunt, of Oamarii, took first in white Leghorn cocks, first, second, and third in hens, second, third, and h. c. in cockerels, second and h. c. in pallets. Mr W. D. Burns took mo3t of the balance of white honours, leaving, however, second for white cock to Mr D Dempster, of Dunedin. Mr S. B. Burns, of Timaru. a woll-known Minorca fancier, got seoond in Minorca cocks, h. c. in hens, and third and v. h. c. in cockerels.

— Mr Perry, of Roslyn, of who:te Miucrcas and home-made brooders I made much mention last year, ha^ a -flock of about 30 very fine pullets thia season, and, given a good 6 ire, may, by the advance he is making, be looked upon a3 * sure showman next yrnr. A pen of white Minorca, sports to be bhown this week will interest many fanciers. It is a curious fact, often noticed in similar cases, that these sports are many points superior to their black mates of exactly similar parentage. Another venture of Mr Perry's, regarding which I hope he will become famous, is a method devised by himself of preserving e<?s?s without immersion in liquid or smearing the shell with grease of any kind % Two boxes of eggs packed in bran last November were handed, one to Mr Leiby, the Government poultry grader, and the other to myself, in February of this year. Fancying that the packing was plightly musty, Mr Leihy changed his to dry husks immediately upon receipt, but the box given to myself was not interfered with in any way. Both boxes were tested at the beginning of this month, and all the t%gs, *ith the exception of one, were found to b« perfectly fresh. In boiling. «he sheik did not crark a.=? generally happens with preserved eggs, and in the eating there was not the slightest indication of staleness. It may be mentioned that eggs at the top of the box, and partially uncovered, wers a little discoloured just where the exposure bad been, but apparently the shell only was affected.

—In reoly to a fancier who inauires for old English same, T have to say that I do not know of any fancier of such in New Zealand. The modem blaok-reds »re the ue-arest approach to the old English that can. as far as I know, be procured. — Importers of poultry will be interested ml reading the following particular? of action by Mr Harold Cadell, of Sydney, and no doubt many will feel erateful to him for". lestniß a ca^e of imposition. It is a good thing that for once in a way English fanciers hare" been mad© to understand that "anytKng" is not good enough for the colonies: .Folui M'Kay, of Scotland, sued Harold! Cadell. of Beecroft. for £25 for two trios of minorca fowls. Defendant paid £2 5s into court, and pleaded not indebted a.* to the balance, alleging that the * ow j« supplied wore not the quality ordered, in appear^ that tM<7!unnf\ who is a breeder or prize birds, ordered two trios of nninorcas for breeding birds for show purposes, but on reooint of Hip bird.-, from Scotland it was found accordine to the defendant's case, that they were inferior birds, being use-lee'? for breeding from, and on.v fit for lavinp. After healing the evidence of several experts breeder* of fancy fowls, who had seen x,\\o I.ikU ut question, his Honor found a verdict for the defendant. Mr W. Arnotfc ai-».o-,ip,l for the olaiutiff. and Mr C. A. Walker for the defendant. - Speaking of the paragraoh re preeerv."~ lion <if oes-i to Mr Hyde, who m n..«' in Dunedin. he informed me (',,,(■ o<rcr.s preserve*! in the Government fi-efveiK at about 33ile<r Fahr had proved perfectly fresh after six months storage, and wVo si ill good a full month after beiti?: t-.ikon fiom tlio cooler. Mr Hyde that tlie total consumption of oners in Yew Z<»aland la-t veru wn- 70.100 000 During the pa-t 12 >nontli? one merchant in Wellington nuichft'»d 14.000 dozen epgs. and it is his ii>tvnlton to double the number this v^ar. Mr Hvd<- ;u!vorates that breeder* of poultry slxi 'lfi 'tamp their opr(?s and sell them Ijv wpwjhf A» to poultry export, he suggests tlia* in orrlef to obtain the highest m'ice3 no birds over five tnont.hs old should be ex-i,ovtt-d Birds witl< wbUe- flesh and \etta • hrnisr the bo-t nnc->s in London, but in. Aive) tfnn mnr!;'"tf tl>os° with yellow flesh, .iiv '1,-efprrec l . Mr H-viHo has found that •*■ mv very inferior bir-ls have been" sent "■.me »nn V>p i<; therefore trviner to have ♦ 'w* cxnort of all lioultrv prohibited uri*M it i- err. 1 Ahv a f-irivprnmont expert. M? Hvdr> will be a'lowed to leeh'v^ on the poultry iiifin irv dnr'.nc this week's ghow.

— It is p s timated that about 1.000 000 eps* li&ve pa<-*ed through the Victorian colds c tcri2~ c':aTT>rorf in thp pi«t pix or =evermci.th<\ an-! that the amoi'iit paid to the.' ('ovf > '")'.tt"iit for froezm.' :<nd storage v.a^, about £700. Ica\iii2 <t vi 'fit to the aueculc;.

lore who placed the produce in the chambers of something over £2000. When the Bggß were bought the ruling price wae from fid to 8d per dozen, and by the time they jfrere taken out for sale or to be used by the lownere the price had increased to Is 3d and over, reaching as high as Ie 6d per dozen. ftke coat of storage for 30 weeks came to ■.bout 2id per dozen, this including the imaintenance of a temperature of from 33 to P5 degrees. The results of the experiments *ith cold storage so far have been perTectly satisfactory (adde the Australasian), not only on account of the cheapness of treatment, but because the eggs at six months old open up as sound and free from characteristic flavour as when they were mewly laid. The troubles of the past in connection with setting eggs aside for the eoason of scarcity and dearness have been )thos» associated with unpleasant flavours derived from" packing or from the process of o>reservation treatment. All faults are absent from the cold storage method, and it is regarded as probable that in the incoming season the Agricultural Department will make arrangements for more fully meeting )the demands for space that are regarded an certain to be made. j -,'On Saturday some mischievous persons changed several of tne pen numbers at the pamaru poultry ■how, and liberated a valuable exhibit, wfach has not yet been found. of tße «ulprita is (says th« North Otago .Times) known, and it is possible that legal proceedings will be taken against him.