108 REPORT OF THE SCOTTISH COMMISSION 



Birds more than three years old are not eligible for premiums. 

 Applicants for premiums must keep no turkey cock other than 

 those approved of, and tliey must provide proper housing accom- 

 modation, and feed and care for the birds in such a manner as the 

 instructor and the Department may require. 



Geese 



The Department also offers a premium of £2 each to selected 

 persons who sell not less than twelve settings of eggs within the 

 county at Is. per setting of eggs, on condition that the selected 

 persons each purchase a gander and three geese of the Embden 

 breed at a cost not exceeding <£3, of which the Department shall 

 pay £1, and on condition that the selected persons provide proper 

 housing and feed and care for the geese to the satisfaction of the 

 instructor, and keep no other geese on the premises unless with 

 the consent of the instructor. 



During the season 1905-1906 twenty-nine counties took advan- 

 tage of the poultry sclieme, and in twenty-seven of these poultry 

 instructors were employed. Dublin, Donegal, and Limerick were 

 the only counties that did not take advantage of the scheme. In 

 Mayo and Leitrim there were no instructors, but inspecting work 

 in connection with egg distributing and turkey stations was done 

 from headquarters. In both Cork and Tipperary there were two 

 instructors employed. Antrim has not taken up the egg dis- 

 tribution scheme, but has a poultry farm instead, and the turkey 

 scheme has been in operation. In 1902 there were no turkey 

 stations in the country, and only 36 egg distributing stations. In 

 1906 there were 496 egg distributing stations and 416 turkey 

 stations. 



County Tyrone is perhaps the most advanced in technical 

 instruction, and was the first to establish a travelling poultry 

 farm. This farm, at the time of our visit, was established eleven 

 miles out from Omagli, where it was to remain for six weeks, and 

 then be moved on to another district for a like period. Here the 

 instructress had a class of 42, 9 men and 33 women, divided into 

 three divisions for convenience and better instruction. There 

 were two portable poultry houses with runs attached, one contain- 

 ing a pen of pure Sussex fowls and the other a pen of White 

 Wyandottes. Trap nests were used to record the number of eggs 

 laid by each hen. The practical instruction began with the 

 general management, housing, and feeding of the stock birds. A 

 Cypher Incubator was running its course. Chickens in various 

 stages, from the newly hatched, when so much care and attention 

 is required, to those in the fattening pens, were in evidence. The 

 latter were being fattened by cramming before being killed, 

 plucked, shaped, and packed for market. In 1904-1905 the 

 poultry instructors in Tyrone delivered 80 lectures, besides giving 

 instruction in various districts in fattening, killing, plucking, 

 trussing, and packing poultry for market ; also in testing, grading, 

 and packing eggs, and paid besides 474 visits to farms. In this 



