State Aid to Afirindture in Ireland. 51 



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The duty of the expert in poultry-keeping, who is usually 

 a lady, comprises the following : — Under the supervision of 

 a local committee, to deliver courses of lectures on poultry- 

 keeping, including the selection of breeds, the hatching and 

 rearing of chickens, the feeding and housing of poultry, and 

 the marketing of the produce ; to give demonstrations and 

 lessons on the treatment of common diseases, the cramming 

 of fowls, and on the plucking, trussing, and preparation of 

 poultry for market, and on the grading and packing of «^ggs ; 

 to visit poultry runs, and give such practical advice as may 

 be desired by poultry-keepers, to inspect the egg distribution 

 and turkey stations, to report to the Department and to the 

 County Committee regarding the progress of his or her work, 

 and generally to promote improvement in poultry-keeping in 

 the county. During the year 1909-10, 088 lectures were given, 

 the average attendance thereat being fifty-six. In addition to 

 this, 1,522 classes w^ere held with an average attendance of 

 eleven, and 10,198 visits were made to poultry-keepers. 



The scheme provides that each Committee may give out 

 of the joint fund a premium of 5^. to selected persons, who 

 distribute during the season seventy sittings of eggs of an 

 approved pure breed of fowl from a farm where no other 

 varieties are kept. These stock-birds and a house are usually 

 supplied at less than cost price. Similar regulations exist with 

 regard to turkeys and ducks ; and geese also engage the notice 

 of the Committees. 



Butter-making, as an adjunct of farm work, is another 

 branch carried on under an instructor. The form of instruction 

 provided in this branch extends for a period of from two to 

 four weeks. Each County Committee appoints an instructress, 

 supplying her with an equipment for the daily instruction 

 of twelve pupils. The cost is paid out of the " joint fund." 

 The teachers have been trained by the Department at the 

 Munster Institute, Cork. The duties of the instructress, who 

 is supervised by a local committee, are : On the first day of 

 visiting each centre, she gives a public lecture and demonstra- 

 tion, and during the remainder of the course at that centre 

 conducts a daily class in which pupils only take part, but 

 which is open to the public. It is also the duty of the 

 instructress to visit home dairies in the county and to give 

 advice as required ; to give where possible during that part 

 of the day not required for class work, demonstrations in the 

 making of butter, by means of the equipment actually in use 

 in the dairies visited ; to reply to letters from persons seeking 

 advice on butter-making ; to report to the Department and 

 to the County Committee on the progress of her work as may 

 be required, &c. 



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