SIXTH ANNUAL TRIP

Otago Witness, Issue 2671, 24 May 1905, Page 31

SIXTH ANNUAL TRIP

I Bt Terror,

XI— INVEROARGIIxL— (Ciontinued). Mr Robertson's pens, at South Invercarglli, about which. I spoke in glowing terms ok commendation on the occasion of my visit some three years back, I found entirely rearranged, and extended to accommodate a much larger number of birds. To giv© an idea, of his possible selection for show and breeding I was shown about 14brown Leghorn cockerels of ,Jiigh quality, and though two or three of these were an easy selection for points, the balance were *11 extremely hard to fault. These birds ! have each the accommodation, pi a gepa-

rate pen opening into different runs, from three to four pens to each rxm. The runs are nicely grassed, and the pens well built, and in every way suitable for their purpose. About 20 brown pullets which I saw in one niob were a real fancier's lot — good in leg, nice sound hackles, good salmon, light as regards colour, and promising to be large and low set. Mr Robertson has about 40 pullets of tiiis breed, all told. In breeding hens I was shown several prize winners heavily in the moult, but all of grand shape and size.

In black Orpingtons Mr Robertson has a cock, in his fourth year, of Hutchinson's strain. This bird has plenty of size, good eye, is low set, and of wonderful colour. In pullets and cockerels of this breed (some two dozen in all) this fancier has a lot of very shapely birds. To attempt to report upon Mr Robertson's birds, particularly with regard to his Leghorns, in a way to please him would interest " brown " fancier readers only, and even at that, I iear, I should do the " show " but poor justice. I must therefore eonteux myself by explaining that 'n the owner's company any fancier of his pet hobby might profitably spend a ccuple of hours admiring the birds and their accommodation. In short, Mr Robertson is one of the leading brown Leghorn faiciera of the colony and a great prize winner.

Mr Gsorge Double, noted as Langshan and silver Wyandotte breeder, also as judge of poultry generally, is another fancier about whose birds I need, on this occasion, but generalise. On previous occasions I hwe spoken of his admirable arrangements for accommodating breeding pens and for training show birds, and have attempted to convey some idea of his successes as showman — speaking not only of recent years, but, in conjunction with his late brother and partner, Henry, for many years back — years before the majority of present-day fanciers knew one breed from another. Every fancier from Auckland to the Bluff should know without my saying it that at Mr Double's 1 would find everything in applepie order and the birds of highest quality, for how could the nro-geny of cup, special, and first prize winners be otherwi&e in ,«ucn hands? I may say, however, for it is a novelty nowadays, that I saw several silver cockerels nicely laced, one big bird being right in this respect to the very throat. This bird has a grand broad chest and nicely barred wings. Ten or a dozen pullets of the Crumbleholme strain were very nice in back fluff, sound black and white throughout, and of true Wyandotte shape. Mr Double's golden cockerel, the cup winner of last year, is looking very nice yet, and the hen of the same breed that won two years back in Dunedin is moulting out very nicely. The old winning cook that won the cup two years back in Christchurch is still fit, and a hen which won three years running (being first pullet in Dunedin. iwo years ago) is also, though heavy in moult when I saw her. still showing high quality. In Langsfeans I found the best of the young stock rather late hatched for the breed, but a cockerel or two looked very promising, and no doubt in Mr Double's hands -will be forward enough for Dunedin show, if not for Invercargill. As I saw them they were racy, in build tight and full. I was shown a. few buff pullets of very nice quality, colour and build being good.

At Mr Noble's (of whose death I had to speafc last week) I saw a newly-imported white Leghorn cock and two hens from Cheetham, England. The cock is good in comb, face, and neck hackles, has good shoulder*, nice carriage, upstanding, and splendid length. Both hens are good, though one leads the other at all points. Pullets from the imported cock are very sound in colour, and otherwise good. Amongst the cockerels I noticed some witJi well-serrated combs, and promising in every respect. Who will continue to take an interest in this* excellent strain oi white Leghorns henceforth I do not know, but I sincerely hope, for the good of the fancy, that it will be kept intact.