CHICKEN-FATTING IN SUSSEX 159 



of 50 per truck-load for eggs from Sofia to London, it will be 

 realized that the advantages of cheapness are to a large extent 

 more than compensated. The point which strikes me as of supreme 

 importance to breeders on this side is that they should in some 

 way endeavour to open up communication with Hungary, Servia, 

 and Bulgaria, with a view to finding a market for stock birds. 

 There is no question that in all parts of the world the eyes of those 

 who are seeking to improve races of animals are always towards 

 the United Kingdom, as we have the reputation I think deservedly 

 of being among the most skilful breeders in the world, and it 

 should be our object to use this reputation to the fullest extent ; but 

 there is a strange apathy on the part of breeders to adopt new 

 methods. 



By way of offering a concrete example as to the 

 opportunities that are open to poultry-producers in our 

 own country, I cannot do better than refer to what 

 is being done at Heathfield and Uckfield, headquarters 

 for many years of the Sussex chicken-fatting industry. 



From these two stations on the London, Brighton, 

 and South Coast Railway there were consigned to the 

 London and provincial markets during 1904 no fewer 

 than 2,159 tons of dead poultry that is to say, 1,715 

 tons from Heathfield and 444 tons from Uckfield. 

 Reckoning forty-five dozen to the ton, this means that 

 the chickens despatched from the two stations in ques- 

 tion during a single twelve months numbered 1,165, 860. 

 The largest consignments go to London for the Central 

 and Leadenhall markets. These, for instance, took 

 1,370 of the 1,715 tons sent (by goods train) from 

 Heathfield during 1904, the balance being forwarded 

 (by passenger train) to various local markets, such as 

 Brighton, which took 188 tons; Worthing, 16 tons; 

 Eastbourne, 17 tons; St. Leonards, n tons; Tunbridge 

 Wells, 35 tons, and so on. The despatches from Heath- 

 field on an ordinary busy night will range from 9 tons 

 (4,860 birds) to 13 tons (7,020 birds). 



Such is the magnitude of the business that the local 

 supply of live chickens fails entirely to meet the require- 



