April. 1, 1908 
” 
Ree enine Ege- laying 
edt opus Competition. 
“The Guratiginy competition ase con- 
‘ ‘eluded: at Rossworthy College has beaten 
‘all previous world’s records. The record 
‘before this competition was held by 
“Mr, W- L: Williams’ Sunnyhurst Farm 
“(in this State) pen of White Leghorns, 
“which put up a total of 1.494 last year at 
Subiaco, Western Australia. In the com- 
petition just closed two pens, also White 
_Leghorns, eclipsed those figures, Mrs. A, 
_E. Kinnear’s, with an aggregate of 1,531 
-beating Mr..A. H. Padman’s (1, 528) by 
three eggs, whilst. Sunnyhurst Farm was 
third with 1,442. 
"Poultry Farming. 
One of the greatest mistakes ane by 
those who dream of making money by 
*imeans of a poultry farm is that they 
base their calculations on the returns in 
.eges and chickens upon the results of 
-keeping about 20 hens. . They argue that 
if 20 hens will produce so much, 100 hens 
will. produce five times as much. Many 
have tried it, but there is no record of 
success. Tho best returns are those ob- 
tained from the fowlyard on the farm. 
It stands to reason that this should be so. 
‘On the farm the fowls practically feed 
themselves. They have many acres of 
run; where they find a variety of food in 
the shape of insects, grubs, grain, and 
green stuff. The exercise they get makes 
them. hardy: and strong. On a poultry 
farm the birds are confined to small runs. ~ 
All their food has to be bought, and the 
herding together of large numbers of 
fowls in fixed -houses- usually results in 
the development of disease, A farm 
without poultry is: like a buggy on 
three wheels., Every farmer should keep 
poultry. If he hasan orchard, the fowls 
will keep it clean by scratching away the 
weeds and destroying i injurious insects. 
What Age for Eggs? 
_ 
~All pullets should be allowed to become 
fully matured before being asked to bear 
the strain of egg-production; they cannot 
do two things at the same time—grow, 
‘and | make eggs, A ue should be six 
THE AUSTRALIAN;GARDENER. 
months old or over “before she is started 
laying if you want to make her a good 
hen. When pullets commence to lay. they 
are uncertain; some. will lay regularly 
every other day, and others only twice. a 
week. To keep pullets laying regularly 
requires care; they should be fed with a 
“system. of regularity—not one day a picnic 
-and the other a famine ; for that will 
upset any pen of: layers, and more so 
pullets, Most poultry-breeders give too 
much. food. It is a good plan to keep 
layers a little, hungr:,” so that they run 
for their food when given them. 
The hardest task is to keep the layers 
in proper condition right” up to the.end 
of the laying season} and with a little 
care and watchfulness : a‘ proper condition 
can be kept up. If the fowls seem lazy or 
off their feed, donot use drugs or medi- 
cines—starve them by missing a meal or 
two. 
and.on to the end.of: it miss: the evening 
meal once a.week, generally:on Sundays ; 
this leaves them: witht a eoce Seppe for 
Tea RIAs ia 
Biya 
- Don’t give. the cat suspected of chicken 
stealing the benefit of the doubt. 
Early maturity and: profit in feeding 
‘are so closely associated, that every feeder 
realises the necessity: “of securing the 
former to obtain the later. 
By feeding. little at a time, the birds 
clear their food up more readily than’ if 
it-is thrown down in bulk, and when. the 
fowls are noticed to be eating less greedily 
no more should be given to them. The 
object of those who feed fowls’ should 
always be to give them just as much ‘as 
‘they will clear up readily and no more. » 
Keen observation is the most necessary 
attribute of a successful poulcry breeder, 
Maize should now be freely used for 
‘all descriptions of poultry, It should be 
given to the fowls whole, and, if used. in 
the morning should be boiled tho evening 
before and given warm. This food being 
of a fattening and heating nature, is just 
the thing for the Autumn and. Winter. 
“On account of its oily nature, it loosens 
the old feathers and ae a fowl through 
its.. moult, 
INTERESTING TO LADIES ‘AND’ 
GENTLEMEN. 
That attire has Tana to do with health 
is beyond question, Mrs. L. Hutton, who 
is an expert in the construction of *‘The 
Improved Health Corset;” also abdominal 
belts, ladies’, gents’, and, maids’ shoulder 
braces, gives; absolute value in material 
and artistic design. Mrs. Hutton controls 
the depot for the manufacture and fitting 
of the above articles, as well .as the 
“Champion” shoulder brace. We sin- 
cerely, recommend our roaders in need 
of such to call on Mrs. L. Hutton, 13 
Selborne Chambers, Pirie street, City. 
per acre in drills. 
thoroughly pulverised before sowing, and 
In the middle of the laying season © 
17 
To Correspondents. 
a Weenar >The | best ” ‘time to sow 
lucerne is after the first winter rains in 
March or April.”. Sow 10 to 12 -lbs of 
seed per acre broadcast, or 8 to 10 lbs 
The:soil should be 
‘the seed lightly: covered. The proper 
-time to:cut lucerne ‘is just when it-comes 
-into flower ; it ‘may be Si several times. 
during the ‘season: 
‘A, Brown —The record crop of turnips 
grown per acre as far as we know was 
“grown by Mr John S. Reid, Rothills, 
England. This. crop produced the enor- 
mous weight of 56 tons 11 cwt. 1 qr. 201bs 
The name. of the seed was Sutton’ 8 Cen- 
tenary. 
“« White Leghorn, >The best’ way t0 
feed charcoal is*to keep it in granulated 
form before the birds all the time and 
‘let them help themselves. 
Tf this is not 
practicable, give a heaped teaspoonful of 
powder to each dosen head once a week, 
or for growing stock, twice. i 
“Mignonette.”—Although mignonette 
is usually classed as an annual, it is really — 
a perennial. Properly grown and treated 
the plants will last several years, 
“ Query.” i The standard weight of 
Orpington hens is 7 to 8 lbs.; pullets 
ready to lay should be 5.to.6 lbs, 
“« J.D.’=-Potatoes should be sliced for 
cattle ‘and sheep, and cooked for pigs. — 
They are‘about equal in feeding value’ ED 
beets and turnips. 
« Waroo,’ ‘Red i in plumage of a Rlack 
Orpington is a fatal defect. It crops up 
occasionally in the best of strains. All 
defects are liable to crop up. in the 
progeny of afflicted birds, but not all: the 
progeny will. thay the defects. 
INTERESTING TO SMOKERS. » 
After doing a steady day’s work either 
in the garden, field, or store, a substantial 
meal is necessary-to kesp the strength up 
and fit one for the next day’s work. After 
dinner there’ is nothing so soothing as a 
comfortable:smoke, and it is necessary for 
the man whose means are small to get 
the vesy best value for his money. Tho 
well-known brand of Dramonp Topacco 
completely fills the bill, as it is at once 
the very best value evor “offered. To. those 
who like a strong tobacco the dark twist 
is most suitable, whilst for those whose 
taste is for a: milder smoke the aromatic 
plugs are specially. made. Whilst nearly 
all other tobaccos have been raised. in 
price through the higher tariff, D1amoxp- 
‘Topaccos are still sold at the old price, 
which is a sure guarantee the proprietors 
are doing their best to give the utmost 
benefit of their stocks.to their. customers, 
who seem to, appreciate it, judging by-the 
large increase in. the sale of this favorite. 
brand:s ; 
