1 Szpr., 1898.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 199 
person. Judgment and common sense must be the guide in this matter 
as well as in all other departments of successful management, and the exercise 
of both is assuredly needful when feeding stock with a preparation, the nature 
or ingredients of which are not fully known, or their action on the system 
clearly understood. Red or cayenne pepper is used to a considerable extent 
by farmers and breeders when a mild and healthy tonic is needed. For this 
purpose it is considered by many most excellent, but, like many other good 
things of this life, should be used in moderation. A weekly meal of it, with the 
corn meal or other mixed and moistened food, will do a great deal of good, it is 
stated, to the birds, both old and young, whether the poultry be on an extended 
range or confined to restricted quarters. There are some foods which are made 
and sold to further special purposes, noticeably the “egg foods,’’ some of 
which are good, and others good for nothing. Any food, however, that serves 
to keep the fowls healthy and vigorous, no matter whether it is labelled “ egg 
food ” or not, will generally influence egg production. 
POULTRY FOR PROFIT. 
A Vicrorraw dairyman, who combines poultry-raising with the milk business, 
is very emphatic on the question as to whether poultry will pay. He considers 
that each hen and pullet is worth 15s. a year for eggs alone. During an inter- 
view with a representative of a Victorian journal he stated that a correct 
account had been kept, and that is what the egg return shows, which means 
that 180 eggs were laid by each fowl, at an average of 1s. per dozen. As eggs 
very often sell at 1s. 6d. per dozen, it is safe to allow a credit of 150 eggs to 
each hen. This may truly be termed an object lesson. As this dairyman 
must have eggs to supply his customers, it is necessary that a good laying 
strain of fowl should be kept. He therefore devotes his whole time to 
Minorcas and Brown Leghorns, and all this he does on a place hardly big 
enough to “ swing a cat,” as the saying is, but so arranged that he has the 
birds under perfect control. 
POULTRY FOR EXPORT. 
Ar the Sydney Royal Agricultural Society’s recent show a splendid collection 
of poultry suitable for export was shown by the New South Wales Board of 
Exports. The collection was described as one of the greatest attractions of 
the show, and, from an educational point of view, is stated to be one of the 
greatest object lessons taught farmers. The labels on the various exhibits 
were somewhat amusing. Jor instance, one, on a small duck, read—* The too 
common duck; a specimen bred by farmers, classed as wholly unprofitable.” 
Another duck placed alongside as a contrast was ticketed—‘ This is the sort 
to breed; 7 lb. weight, sixteen weeks old; cost to rear, ls. 5d.” Amongst 
types that farmers are advised to get rid of are:—“ A five-year-old hen, long 
since outlived her usefulness; a mongrel fowl, unprofitable to breed; and a 
common hen, as specimens of the useless ‘barn-door,’ which still rules the 
roost of many a careless farmer.” Amongst the useful crosses, the Houdan- 
Andalusian is described as a good layer of large white eggs, and excellent table 
qualities ; Old English Game-Plymouth Rocks, an excellent cross for excellent 
meat; Houdan-Orpington, good layers of brown eggs, develop quickly, fine 
fibre, white flesh, a splendid cross; Game-Wyandotte, develop quickly, of 
great weight, and plenty of breast meat. The Brown Leghorn has not 
benefited the table quality of the farmer’s fowl. Farmers and others in South 
Australia will naturally ask, where is the Dorking in all these crosses? for it 
is well known that the Dorking is almost at the head of the breeds at present 
in use in South Australia in cross-breeding.— Adelaide Observer. : 
