WEST COAST, NELSON & BLENHEIM FANCIERS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2561, 6 May 1903, Page 49

WEST COAST, NELSON & BLENHEIM FANCIERS.

Br Terror

FOURTH ANNUAL TRIP.

BLENHEIM. (Concluded.)

Mv Thos. Patchett, of South strset, runs about 50 white Leghorns, and is breeding from a cock bird procured from Curry, of

Wellington.

Mr Reuben Eodson, South street, has black Mmorcas, principally hatched from ejgs imported from Curry, and is very well satisfied with results.

Mr E. Martin, Shaw street, favours Minorcas and Dorkings, and has very fair birds. Mr F. H. -HaD, Main street, breeds Dorkings cf Kcsteven'fc strair. He has a good many chicks, and has spent money on providing good accommodation, but, according to my inforinpjit, appears just now to be a little off tho "fever."

Mt John Patch-el* a'so favours Kesteven's strain of Dorkings, and has procured new blood repeatedly from the same source. He won the South Island Onampionship at the West Coast last year, and intends to compete ag3in. Last year he also competed and won at Blenheim. Ho has about 48 very forward chickens, and ii well satisfied with their quality.

Mr Cecil Gonlter, Temara, won in Wellington last year with Dorkings and Game, aud got second at Blenheim. He procured a cock from Kesteyen, and ha? bre-d a large number of fine chicks from him.

Mr Bernard Cook, Kigh street, has crown and whifcs Leghorns. He is a comparatively new fpaicier, and imported his eggs from Timaru. He has built splendid houses for hi 3 birds. He a'so 'keeps homer pigeons.

Mr Geo. Griffiths i» a big homer man. He houses soilio 60 birds, and iuiports largely. Mr Ronald Sowman has Langshans of good strains. Some of his birds are br'n! from Wellington importations, but tho bulk of his stock is of his own judicious selection over a course of years.

Mr J. W. Hodg=on is another believer in Curry's strain of white Leghorns, and has bc?n a successful shower. He is well m in pullets this season, pud promises to exhibit in Blenheim, Wellington, and Grey nouth at the ensuing shows. The foregoing concludes my notes on poultry, so far as my fourth annual irip is concerned, for though some 2W mi]« had still to be traversed before Christchurch and the ira^n to Dunedin were reached, scarcely a bird was seen en route.

As regards the trip as si whole, I may say that I again found confirmation of an impression received in all my travels smon^-t fanciers — viz., ..hat it is a very good thing-, financially speaking, to make a name as a leading breeder in respect to any utility strain.?, for wherever I have been throughout the South Island — and I have now practically covered the whole ground, — I ha\e found only some dozen breeders credited with all the quality stock kept. In reply to my regular question, " Where lid you ge^ the eggs? " or '" Did you buy stock?" I invariably heard a name or names as familiar to mcit of my readers as to my.-elf. Surely these p?oplc aro reaping a harvest that no oiio will begrudge their. Th»y are "at the top," whero, I understand, there is room for more.

Another point worth mentioning is, that m the best yards I almost invariably found cats thrown to call the birds for inspection. Expei lenoe has evidently satisfied those who.c opinion is worth having that oats give better results than wheat.

I must not neglect to mention either — though previous notes have closed similarly — that where I saw fine birds I always found the c'osest attention given to their comfort — i.e., bound roofs, plenty of limewash, uatei ves-.eh iv the shade and dust baths in the sun, dronping-boards clean, and grit-boxes apparently just replenished. Evidently experience has proved that such precautions are essentials, and not merely things to talk about. I havo in my experience visited yards bolonging to wouldbe, but undeservedly so-called, '" fanciers wheie is \v?s *aid "poultry-keeping did not pay," whero poultry were a bother, where the wife faid it was the husband's hobby and i.ot hor.s. and, per contia, where the husband pretended it was the wife's hobby and i.ot l)i~ ; and I have \;ond A red why isuc'i peopl" kept birds at all. EvidPMtly they had "no time" for them. In such places the wire netting is down, gates are unhinged, ru'is undrained, \v:itrr tins grr°n, cabbage Etumps are everywhere, grass ii all oaten or trodden down, n. ud abounds, and houses aro leaky and filthy. Ono never sees fine birds in such places.

Gretu bo'io cutters and mills for crushing cooked bone and grit arc FcatteTcd in profusion throughout the South Island, and tboto who would succeed with poultry will do well to note th° fact. Though, in a ren;c, expensive machines, they are> by no moaj f?ney article-*. In not a single case l.avc I found a possc^or of one of these nic'chines regret it» cost. Wh<*n there hn* been a complaint regarding such machinery it has b?pn invariably in respect to power. " Xot fast enough for the number of birds I have- to feed ; I must buy a No. — ," the owner will say. I mention these facts becauso I know that many breeders refrain from procuring accessories of tbie nature under iho impre==ion that they are made to " r-cll " rather than bought to be " used."

In conclusion, I thank tho fanciers met on my fourth annual trip for their courteous attention to myself aud party. My wish is that they may all have the utmost suec-p-sa at tho. forthcoming shows, or, if they prefer it tOj at tl c ensuing breeding season.