330 Journal of Agricti/f lire, Victoria. [10 June, 1916. 



what importance the poultry industry has reached in the States, and 

 it should certainly be a stronor incentive for the advancement and exten- 

 sion of the business in our State, where we possess advantages which in 

 many ways are very much more favorable than those obtaining in 

 America. 



The Fifth Annual Laying Competition furnishes a large amount of in- 

 terestin,g as well as educational features of much value to poultry-keepers 

 generally. The importance of the tests at Burnley is admitted by all 

 who are associated with the poultry industry, and the results of the 

 tests of 1915-16, taken as a whole, have never been before equalled. 

 Although no sensational record has been put up by any one pen, the 

 total averages from the whole of the competing birds are well aliead of 

 previous years. As the uniform egg production of the whole of the 

 birds is much better than usual, it is of greatly more value than a high 

 record from any one pen would be. The figures in connexion with this 



G. McDonnell, White Leghorns, 1st prize and gold medal, wet mash section, 

 1,661 eggs, twelve months' test. Value £10 19s. 6y2d. 



test were very satisfactory. The birds were divided into three sections. 

 The light breeds, dry mash test, had nineteen entries, and the heavy 

 breeds, wet mash test, twenty entries, making a total of 570 birds 

 in the three sections. This year no replacements of birds which 

 became incapacitated from any cause whatever were allowed. In my 

 opinion, this is the only rule to follow if reliable records are required. 

 When extra birds are allowed to take the place of those that have been 

 removed from the pen through injury, &c., the total number of eggs 

 produced by that pen cannot be fairly claimed as being from six birds, 

 and the figures produced under these conditions cannot be classed as a 

 record. This rule has been found satisfactory in every respect, and, 

 although some owners have lost the chance of winning by the death of 

 competin,g birds, they agree that it is a misfortune for wliich there is 

 no remedy. During the twelve months twenty birds dropped out from 

 sixteen pens through various causes ; this reduced the egg production 



