SIXTH ANNUAL TRIP.

Otago Witness, Issue 2719, 25 April 1906, Page 31

SIXTH ANNUAL TRIP.

Br Terroe. ALEXANDRA. 'Mr Grimetone, the manager cf the Alexandra Poultry Farm, was the fiist fancier I ; met with in Alexandra, and it -\\as by his ! courtesy that I was able during my one-day ' staj to fct- d.5 many as I did of others j uroilarly interested. Mi Grimstone has a I pen «ii about 18 golden Wyandottes of fair ! quility upon hi* own premises, but seen.s pleated with them as a hobby only ; for ; utility purposes he favours the white Recks found so profitable at ihe Springvale farm. Mr H. I?. Pucock. president of the local Poultry Club last year, is a fancier of black Orpingtons, and possesses birds of really high quality bred from stock obtained from thtT Government Farm, Milton I saw a cock bird which obtained first at Xa'ebif last ye*r, and amongst the pullets is a bird exceptionally good at all points. It i 3 nice and close in feather, of typical fc-m, all right in fluff, has black eye, and r.-?at, small head. Shoitly put. Mr Porock'< bird 1 * are beautiful to look at, splen- , didlv housed, and properly cared for. .Mr Duncau Bringans run« buffs, white Ijejhoi'ns, and silver Wyancottes. With the exception of one pullet I thought the buffs patchy, the outcome, apparently, of mating the hens with an exceptionally dark cook. One very nic:? silver pullet ga\e indication that Mr Bringans has, in his sloj'k birds, quality capable of i-eproduction providing- there is judgment used in th*» n.ating. In the Leghorns I saw good leg colour in one bird only, the others heing , fair. Two cockerels are very pretty in head points. Mr J. D. Thomson has buffs (so called) rather too rich in colour. In Langshans he , has birds easily recognised by their fineness, ■ of bone and quality throughout as of Hen- : derson's (Forbury) strain ; also some of coarser build from Hudson of Victoria. j Mr Murray has a, trio of white Rocks j from Brown, of Sacramento street, San Francisco, bred from record winning strains. The cock faii'd I found heavy in the moult, but he is broad in back, has nice head, is strong- in 1-egr, and clean in face and lobes. A cockerel on the ground promises, I think, to beat the imported cock in size, and generally. Tlfs fancier ' has built a paroid house 12 x 10, with low ( perches and large windows — the latter so i contrived that they can be- thrown wide • open when desirable. Starting, as he did, j with first-class imported and well-cared-for < stock, Mr Murray is justified in expecting j his crop of young birds to prove most j profitable, if not to himself, at least to the fancy generally, all reports tending to sho\r. * that the white R/jck is easy to rear, quick " to make weight, exceptional as a layer, and far less prone to cluck than other heavy breeds. Considering that the white Reck is, comparatively speaking, one of the newly-introduced fancies, it is coming to ths front ■\\ilh wonderful strides, and it must give satisfaction to all interested in ' the breed to learn of one other source for , obtaining new blood. j Mr Ashworth has Wyandoites from Mr. Da'l (originally from Blair, of Timaru). Of these this fancier has a pan well up in the Blenheim competition. He also keeps white Rocks, Leghorns, and silver "Wyandottes. I was only able to view this fancier's birds from the road, as he was away from home, so I could not get near enough to criticise individual birds. The . chickens I caw were mostly late hatched. ■ The birds are housed in two structures of sun-dried brick and one of iron. • Mr J. C. Smith hae white Wyandottes of Sinclair's strain, and, as further evidence of their quality, I may say that he won first and second with his pullets at the Alexandra show. A cock bird from Wilde, of Wahahuna, was winner of second at Diinedin and first at Gore. 1 Mr Ryan, a neur neighbour of Mr Smith's, has white Rocke and Wyandottes, the last-mentioned being bred from Mr Smith's birds. All told, this fancier has j about 20 hens and- chickens. Among the » hens are some really grand birds, moulting out nicely at the time of my visit. | Mr C. E. Richards showed me a clutch of black Orpington chickens from Peterson, of Timaru. These promise to be of average quality, but a cockerel procured from Dunedin has proved a disappointment. Asked what I thought of this bird, I was j ' obliged to speak disparagingly of him, and ' so, I was '#>ld, had everyone else who had seen him. I mention the fact to show the mischief done to the reputation of the producing yard. A purchaser of an inferior ; bird, it should be thoroughly understood, dvertises its source of origin, if possible, far more thoroughly than he would do a bird of merit. With regard to Mr < Richards, I am of opinion that a. few good ; specimens in his pens w ould not only be a source of real pleasure- to himwlf, but of benefit also to the Alexandra fancy, and it will fc« a pity if disappointment in early' . dealings should discourage him from further effort. Pens seen on tl;o way to and at Milton will be reported upon next week. «