1922.] 



Market for Poultry Feathers. 



845'. 



land far exceeded our expectations, and was indeed a most 

 ple:asant surprise, as we had often heard disparaging reports 

 of it. This remark has special emphasis in the case of the 

 Boxted, Beaumont, and Eastwoodbary Settlements, where the 

 land appeared to us to be admirably suited for the purpose for 

 which it was purchased. 



" Bearing in mind the fact that it would certainly be some of 

 the best cultivated holdings which would be entered for 

 competition, we must say that we were pleased with m:any 

 of the holdings we inspected. In some cases where knowledge, 

 ability, industry, and physical strength are all combined in 

 a man and his family, we saw the most gratifying and satis- 

 factory results, though at the cost of strenuous Labour and 

 long hours of toil, such as few farm labourers would care to 

 put in." 



There is no doubt that these competitions must have a very 

 beneficial effect on the cultivation of holdings throughout the 

 county, and it is very gratifying that experienced farmers should 

 be able to report so favourably on the results of the efforts of 

 the Small Holdings Committee and their tenants. 



****** 



Poultry-keepers who have large stocks are advised to keep 

 in mind the possibility of marketing poultry feathers. From 

 Market for information which the Ministry has obtained 



. .„ from various sources, it appears that large 



Poultry Feathers. „ i^ . ^^ 



quantities oi poultry feathers are annually 



imported from China, United States, France, and Portugal, and 

 that some are exported from this country to the Colonies. The 

 weights and values of these imports in 1913 were 45,016 cwt. 

 at i:i59,366; in 1919, 52,468 cwt. at ^£284,791; and in 1920, 

 79,115 cwt. at .^587, 516. 



English feathers are usually regarded in the Trade as inferior 

 to the best imported kinds on account of the fact that when mar- 

 keted they are not so free from dirt and impurity. Feathers for 

 sale should be clean, and should be graded both as regards 

 colour and qaahty as they are plucked. White and light-coloured 

 feathers are the best, and fowl feathers should be kept separate 

 from those of ducks and geese, as the feathers of the latter are 

 of much greater value. The different kinds might be loosely 

 packed in muslin or scrim bags and hung up in a dry place out 

 of reach of any ground damp. The quill feathers, which are of 

 less value, should never be mixed with the smaller feathers. 



