1 Juny, 1902.] (QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. : 27 
Since that date the trade in New Zealand has gone up to 22,000 per month, which 
is equal to the whole of the trade of the previous year. The New South Wales and 
Victorian Governments also do a very large business in exporting poultry, but, owing 
to the very short time I had to write this paper, I was unable to get their figures. 
Just to show the benefits our neighbours, the farmers on the Clarence River, are 
reaping from this industry, I will read another cutting, which says :— 
“Now that the residents of the Clarence districts are agitating for railways and 
better water carriage, we get a rough estimation of the export trade with Sydney 
(says Station, Farm, and Dairy). From the figures given we find that the Clarence 
River steamers took to Sydney during the year 1901 19,784 cases of eggs, containing 
712.224 dozen. This does not seem many when you say it quick, but it really means 
8,500,000 eggs. ‘Then there is the home consumption, which would bring the number up 
to 10,000,000—a good number to be produced yearly on one river. Allowing on an 
average that each fowl produces 100 eggs (eighty would be nearer the mark), there are 
in round numbers 100,000 fowls in the district.” At an average of 9d. per dozen, the 
value of the Clarence River egg production is £33,000, and this with the export of 
poultry would mount up to about £37,000. On looking through further figures we 
find that 500,000 bushels of maize. valued at £62,000, were exported during the year 
1901. The export of potatoes amounted to 4,000 tons, valued at £16,000, and pigs 
7,120, valued at £14,230. So we see that the poultry industry beat the pig and potato 
productions, equalled more than half the great maize production, and from all accounts 
will be a large item in the export figures of 1902.” ‘ 
So you will see that while our farmers are sleeping on this matter others are 
making money. But before we can become exporters of good poultry the Government 
will have to appoint an expert to travel to the farmers to teach them how to breed the 
right class of bird fit for the export trade. ‘This may seem a large order, but there is 
just as much skill required to breed poultry as to breed high-class stock of any kind, 
be it horses or cattle or sheep or pigs. The poultry sent by our farmers to the Brisbane 
market are a disgrace to us, and clearly show that we have not yet learnt how to breed 
table birds. . A 
The following extract will show you the difference between high-class table 
birds and what we usually see sold as such :— ' 
« Export Pountrry SHow. ! 
“The first show in the colony of poultry suitable for export was held at the 
New Masonic Hall, Sydney, on the 8th and 9th May. About August last year Mr. 
Fegan, Minister for Agriculture, intimated his official approval of the show, and 
granted Government aid to the extent of £25. The entries were not as numerous as 
was anticipated, and came from well-known exhibitors of prize stock. Farmers and 
others who breed poultry for killing were not represented. It is satisfactory to know 
that the show will pay expenses, and that fanciers who import and breed pure stock 
had demonstrated their ability by judicious crossing to breed table poultry of the 
highest quality. The merit of the birds penned was a revelation even to men who had 
been among poultry all their lives. All the exhibits, with the exception of two or 
three precocious-looking cockerels, conformed to the six months’ old limit. A couple 
of the prize-winners when plucked showed crooked breastbones, which, of course, was 
a serious defect. The champions of the show were a pair of plump pure Indian 
pullets, owned by Parsons and Wells. The dead weight of one was 5 lb. 1 oz., and 
she carried her breast meat to perfection. EH. ID. Westaway was second for the 
championship with a pair of well-conditioned Indian pullets, and third with a pair of 
cockerels of the same breed. A. Falconer showed some first-class silver Wyandottes, 
one of which, quite a young cockerel, dressed at 6 lb. 1 oz. Ben Pryor, of Greta, 
showed some prime specimens of Cook’s new creation—spangled Orpingtons. They 
looked full age, and one dead cockerel weighed 5} lb. Other birds that won admiration 
were J. E. Pemell’s white Orpington cockerels, which averaged about 5% 1b. each. 
The foregoing references are to purebred fowls. In the crossbreds the topnotchers 
were H. Cadell’s Indian and buff Orpington cockerels, which for wealth of meat, 
youth, and size transcended anything in the show. I weighed one of these young 
giants carefully, and he tipped the beam at 1 lb. With white flesh and feet and 
barely a sign of spur, this, tomy mind, is the ideal fowl for table use.” 
You will see by this that even the farmers of New South Wales did not compete 
with the professional breeders, but there is no reason why they should not be able to 
do so, al our farmers could do so if they were given a little instruction by an expert 
who should visit the farm and start them on right lines. Many of our farmers would 
improve their present flocks if they could get purebred stock birds at a reasonable 
rate; but, whenever they think about doing so, they are met with a quotation from 
