191 1.] Report ott State Experimental Forest. 321 



this practice of careful selection has improved the production 

 of several breeds, particularly white Leghorns. The assistance 

 of the State in this direction has been of great value, and its 

 supervision not only assures perfect fairness to the competi- 

 tors, but gives to the tabulated results the stamp of official 

 accuracy. 



A two years' competition was held in New South Wales 

 in 1906-8, which was won by a pen of 6 Langshans, with a 

 score of 2,487 eggs, or 414 eggs each in two years. A three- 

 years' test also was completed in March last, the object being 

 to show the difference in egg production in the first three 

 years of a hen's life. The results of the two completed years 

 showed that the eggs produced in the second year were about 

 one-fourth less than in the first year, the forty hens competing 

 averaging 140 eggs per bird, as against 190 eggs in the 

 previous year. 



The sum shown as profit in these competitions represents 

 the actual return obtained from the sale of the eggs, less the 

 cost of the food, but nothing is charged for labour or for 

 interest on capital. It is considered, however, that in the 

 ordinary conditions in which poultry are kept in Australia, 

 there is but a small expenditure on plant, while the labour 

 would be done by the ordinary staff without extra expense. 

 Moreover, birds at liberty gather a fair proportion of their 

 own food from stubbles, pasture fields, and orchards, and the 

 consequent reduction in the cost of food, together with the 

 value of their manure may be put against the interest and 

 labour. 



The Board have been furnished by the Commissioners of 

 H.M. Woods and Forests with the following account of the 



progress of the work on the Inverliever 

 Report on the State £state dud : _ 

 Experimental Forest 6 i A . . , 



at Inverliever ime anc * l aDOUr "id not permit or 



much attention to the existing woods. 

 Work was confined to the conversion of fallen trees, and of a 

 few oak trees into fencing material for estate purposes, and to 

 the clearance of dead wood and scrub in the old mixed wood 

 adjoining last year's planting. 



