218 Agricultural Gazette of S.S.W. [Mar. 2, 1920. 



It is evident that to cany stock with a prospective productiveness 25 per 



cent, lower than normal under present conditions will be to court failure. 



Unfortunately there are always too many birds of this class on our farms. It 



is useless to blame the writer for stating facts to which it is positively necessary 



that attention be called in the interests of the farmers and of the industry 



generally. If ever there was a time when it was necessary to stress this 



point, it is now. The existence of hundreds of pei'sons in the industry 



depends upon the sound judgment brought to bear in handling their stock at 



this critical period. Mere numbers may lead to disaster, while judicious 



thinning out of low grade birds may enable many to see the difficult times 



through. 



New Stock. 



It will readily be understood that at the present time breeders will 



neither have money to burn, nor an inclination to launch out freely in tne 



purchase of new stock, but where such are necessary and it can be done, 



the introduction of birds that will keep up stamina and productiveness 



should not be neglected, and the time to get them is during the next few 



weeks. 



HOW TO POISON FOXES. 



The depredations caused by the fox pest have become a very serious 

 menace to poultry keeping, no less than to sheep farming. 



The Hawkesbury Agricultural College has not been exempt from this 

 trouble, and of late years it has assumed rather serious pro|;ortions. At this 

 institution the trouble has been almost exclusively confined to the large 

 colony enclosui'es used for the growing stock. These are situated on the 

 bush side of the poultry section. ^Strange to say, the foxes have not troubled 

 the new competition pens, doubtless owing to their small size, and perhaps to 

 some extent because they have the appearance to them of so many traps. 

 The constant tramping around these sections would also act to a certain 

 extent as a deterrent. However, recognising the danger to the valuable 

 stock kept at the College, and with a view to solving the problem for the 

 farmer. Principal H. W. Potts has always been active in attempts to 

 protect the live stock of the institution and to discover any more efficient 

 method than those commonly in use. Almost every known method (in- 

 cluding poisoning), and some new ones, have been tried, but with only limited 

 success. Up to recently nothing had given such uniformly good results as 

 dogs, chained to fencing wire stretched from one end of the ground to the 

 other on each of three sides of the section of colony enclosures. Comparative 

 immunity was obtained in this way for some time until some of the dogs 

 became ineffective, and before they could be replaced by more suitable 

 animals the foxes (having learnt to climb or otherwise negotiate the fences) 

 reasserted themselves and losses again occurred amongst the young stock 

 quartered in that portion of the farm. 



