lo Jan.. 1910.] Poidtry Farming on Small Holdings. .5 



In Denmark, all eggs are bought from the farmers by weight, and sold 

 bv the dozen in standardized grades ; some form of discrimination against 

 small eggs is undoubtedly a part of the needed reform in buying eggs from 

 the producer. This discrimination may be brought about by buying by 

 weight, by docking all lots of eggs of less than a certain average weight, or 

 culling out all eggs less than a given weight or size, and paying consider- 

 ably lower prices for these culls. If this were done, we should see farmers 

 weeding out the hens laying small eggs. 



The greatest handicap to the egg trade in Victoria is, in my opinion, 

 the storekeeper with his custom of bartering merchandise for eggs. He 

 reckons his profits on goods as more than his loss (if any) on eggs. Nc^ 

 effort is made by the storekeeper to buy eggs on a quality basis or to induce 

 his clients to impro\e their flocks. 



Preserving Eggs. 



The method of preserving eggs by means of waterglass is the most 

 satisfactory process of keeping them for a few months. Waterglass is a 

 cheap product that may be secured from any chemist or storekeeper. It 

 is used in the proportion of one part of waterglass to ten parts water. The 

 water should be well boiled, and afterwards cooled prior to mixing. One 

 gallon of waterglass will be sufficient to pack 50 dozen eggs. Large tin 

 cans, OT small barrels, may be used to advantage in packing the eggs. Eggs 

 should, on no account, be stale; the fresher they are, the longer they will 

 keep. Care should be taken to keep the eggs so preserved in a cool cellar 

 or shed with an even temperature. 



When using preserved eggs for culinar\' purposes, it is lest to puncture 

 the shells on the broad end, to remove the accurhulated gas. If this is not 

 done, the egg is almost sure to crack when boiled. 



Agricultural Value of Poultry Manure. 



I have often wondered, when reading the results of egg-laying com- 

 petitions, and balance-sheets furnished by agricultural students, why no 

 mention was made of fowl manure. One is led to the conclusion that most 

 poultry breeders either neglect gathering the manure daily, or else throw 

 it into the rubbish heap. When it is remembered that each bird of 8 to 

 9 lbs. live weight drops nearly 52 lbs. of manure each year at night-time 

 alone, and basing the average daily droppings at nearly 100 lbs. per bird 

 per year, what must the value of this manure, wasted or trodden in yearly,, 

 amount to in Victoria ? 



To get a fairly accurate idea of its value, I have had gathered daily 

 the droppings from four pens, the size of each pen being 75 feet x 25 feet. 

 In two of the pens there were eight birds, in the other two seven, short 

 grass being in each pen. The result was as follows : — From the pens of 

 eight birds, weighing 8 lbs. each, the manure was gathered and partially 

 dried (seven days), the weight from each bird averaging (during day-time), 

 \\ oz., and on dropping-board under perch (night-time), 2 ozs., or 46 lbs. 

 per annum. It will thus be seen that the night manure from large birds 

 is worth at least is. per annum. This conclusively demonstrates • that 

 thousands of tons of fowl manure, representing thousands of pounds sterl- 

 ing, are lost yearly in this State alone. 



Roughly speaking, the fresh rnanure is worth £^2 per ton, and, when 

 dry and properlv stored in casks, ^4 per ton. It will thus be seen that little, 

 if anv, manure from live stock is so rich in fertilizers as the fowl 

 manure. 



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