POULTRY. The following appeared in the November Bulletin: "The condition of poultry is generally excellent, though some instances of loss from hen cholera and unspecified diseases are noted. The weight of opinion is strongly in favor of the profitableness of poultry keeping-always provided that they receive due care and attention, instead of being practically left to themselves as is often done. Many correspondents report a disposition on the part of farmers to take a more intelligent interest in poultry growing and provide suitable accommodation for fowls during the winter-neglect in which respect is largely responsible for want of success. Hens are regarded by most who express an opinion on the subject as more profitable than other kinds of poultry. The care required by young turkeys is a drawback to raising them extensively." The following table gives the number of poultry, by classes, for the years 1897 and 1898, by county groups and for the Province; also the total number for each of the five years 1894-98; Each district shows a considerable increase in the total number of poultry on hand. There are 9,084,273 fowls of all kinds in the Province, being an increase of 648,932, divided as follows among the various classes: Turkeys, 134,057; geese, 44,620; other fowls, 470,255. The West Midland district shows up best in the total number of poultry, but the St. Lawrence and Ottawa group has the most turkeys and geese. REMARKS OF CORRESPONDENTS. FROM THE NOVEMBER RETURNS. Gosfield N., Essex: There are large numbers of poultry, chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys and guinea fowls raised and sold to the hucksters from Detroit. Camden, Kent: The poultry on the whole is in splendid condition and profitable, especially the hen. Raleigh, Kent: Poultry in good condition and pay well when they are properly cared for. Must have warm house in winter and good feed, warm mashes, meat stuff, and green food like caboage or mangels hung up where they can peck at it. Use sulphur and tobacco plant for lice. Malahide, Elgin: No disease has appeared where they were properly cared for. The egg supply has been abundant and prices tuled low, average 10 cents per doz. There is a fuli supply for the fall and winter of dressed poultry for canning, and turkeys for export, etc. Yarmouth, Elgin: An extra quality of poultry raised this year. They pay well. Walsingham S., Norfolk: My experience is that good fowls pay even when their food has to be bought. Canboro, Haldimand: Poultry has been very profitable this year. There will be a fine lot of large turkeys come from this section later. Walpole, Haldimand: Ducks and turkeys are increasing and pay as well as anything else if managed properly. Bertie, Welland: Poultry properly handled pay best of any farm crop or stock. Colborne, Huron: The poultry is in good condition, and if they did not pay do you think we would keep them? Howick, Huron: We have very little faith in them as mortgage-lifters. A few for one's own use is well enough. There is no profit in them- they consume more than they are worth. Tuckersmith, Huron: More attention has been paid of late years to the breeding of poultry. Plymouth Rocks, Leghorns, Minorcas, and other standard breeds each have their admirers. Brant, Bruce: Turkeys seem to be doing well, and if properly looked after a good profit can be got for raising them. Greenock, Bruce: Ducks, geese and turkeys are a little profit; hens for egg production are not. In most cases hens are very poorly attended to. Bentinck, Grey: Fowls to be profitable must be well fed, well housed and well taken care of—then they will pay. Holland, Grey: I don't see much profit in keeping fowls, but the women must have them at any cost, Sarawak, Grey: There is money in the hen and farmers are realizing it now. Gwillimbury W., Simcoe: As kept by farmers their destructive habits counterbalance any profits that otherwise arise from them. Biddulph, Middlesex : Turkeys are raised in great numbers, and only they are so hard to raise to a certain age they would be favorites. I always think they pay for the trouble by the help they give to get rid of grasshoppers and like vermin. London, Middlesex: Profit in proportion to care given by owners. Williams E., Middlesex: Some few make poultry pay, but the great majority neglect the hens in winter. Norwich, N., Oxford: I think turkeys should be profitable when kept on your neighbor's farm, as they generally are. Blanshard, Perth: Farmers seem to have most success with a limited number; the quality being better and the profits more. Elma, Perth: A very large quantity of turkeys, geese, ducks and chickens are kept here. They are fed and shipped to Toronto and other cities, and this year they are buying them for the English market. Hibbert, Perth: There is a disease among hens which is getting to be serious. It generally begins with lameness and scours, then they gradually droop and die. I think it is contagious. Guelph, Wellington: Rather more interest is being taken in poultry as a profitable branch of farm stock. Better buildings and better birds and more careful and regular attention are noticeable. As a manure producer the hen, under proper conditions, is ahead of any other class of farm stock. Minto, Wellington: Moulted early and are in fine condition. Consider we make fifty per cent. profit. The best pay. Garafraxa E., Dufferin : This was a bad year for turkeys, which did not do well. We lost most of them when young, as there were very few grasshoppers. Amaranth, Dufferin : The profits are not large, considering what they destroy. I've lost my carrots and mangels by them; worth more than they will bring. Niagara, Lincoln: Hens give good profits if the right kind is kept, such as Leghorns, and well fed. Turkeys are hard to raise and troublesome. Ducks are no good, and geese are worse. Barton, Wentworth: All keep more or less because they have always done so, and say "They don't pay." Saltfleet, Wentworth: Have proved to my satisfaction that with good ordinary care a farmer can make one dollar per hen clear profit over cost of feed. Chinguacousy, Peel: Spring chickens have been grown extensively and with good profits. Turkeys have not done very well; a great many died in the spring. Markham, York: If this wet cold weather keeps on, roup will surely take place if poultry is not properly housed. Mara, Ontario: Farmers are erecting more suitable buildings and paying more attention to their poultry as to breeding and feeding, and the result is the poultry business is flourishing. Cartwright, Durham : Hens, in my opinion, are the only poultry that pay. Hamilton, Northumberland: Every farmer should keep a number of barnyard fowl to pick up the waste grain that otherwise would be lost. In this way poultry pays well. Ameliasburg, Prince Edward: If kept well, each hen is worth from $1 to $2 per head clear of all expenses for laying purposes. Leeds and Lansdowne Front, Leeds: It is the best paying investment for the outlay on the farm. Lancaster, Glengarry: The women say that they pay, according to their trouble, better than our pet stock. Osgoode, Carleton: I have kept an account of 100 hens, and charging them with feed, and not counting the eggs used in the family or the chickens raised, I have cleared fifty cents on each hen. Bees. Wilberforce, Renfrew: For the last two or three years I have been experimenting in the fowl or poultry line, and they are one of the last things I would go at to make money out of. Drummond, Lanark : Some disease attacked fowl this year which carried off a good many. They ceased eating, their combs turned purple and they died in a couple of days. Mariposa, Victoria: Hens are the most profitable of all.fowl kept by the farmer if properly attended to, and the Plymouth Rock the best paying breed. Thurlow, Hastings: The country is full of turkeys. I never saw so many. Tyendinaga, Hastings: The hen has won the confidence of the farmer, consequently there is a marked improvement each year in the care and attention bestowed. Morrison, Muskoka : What makes poultry raising difficult with us is the prevalence of hawke, skunks and other vermin. Thessalon, Algoma: Seem to pay well here as there is good demand. Wainwright, Rainy River: Condition fine, and good market for eggs and birds. THE APIARY. The reports regarding bees, received in August, were to the following effect: "The season has been a good one for honey, bees swarming early and in some neighborhoods excessively. The supply of nectar was profuse, especially from clover, but basswood yielded little, and latterly there has been a scarcity by reason of the dry weather. The average yield will be nearly fifty lbs. per hive, and there has been a good increase in colonies. The bees are said to be in fine condition, and very little disease is reported." The November bulletin said: "The yield of honey was only fair in the Western section, but decidedly better in the East, where the season was an unusually good one. The production of honey was much larger during the spring and early summer than later in the year, owing to the drouth, and many hives will need to be fed during the winter to keep them alive. Bees are in good condition, and very few cases of foul brood are reported." The following table shows by county groups and for the Province the number of hives of bees kept in township localities during each of the seven years 1892-98, together with their value (including outfit) in each of the six years 1893-98: $ 1898 35,476 18,590 9,093 32,239 29,041 54,782 9,124 1,735 1897 26,755 16,464 11,113 23,014 26,325 50,700 11,371 1,069 1896 23,107 14,406 9,347 20,195 29,425 48,551 No. of hives. 1895 27,261 18,368 11,708 23,625 36,023 1891 36,019 25,159 14,641 29,146 39,544 1893 37,816 27,786 14,019 31,241 38,594 1892 36,191 28,924 12,030 28,201 38,672 $ $ 190,080 166,811 13,924 1,121 160,076 43,880 11,013 1,292 173,173 46,231 8,094 1,257 200,094 46,382 8,161 1,166 205,168 7,064 1,010 195,822 There are 190,080 hives in the Province, or 23,269 more than were reported in the preceding year, although the Georgian Bay and East Midland groups fail to equal their East Midland. Northern The Province. respective figures for 1897. The St. Lawrence and Ottawa counties have the most hives The value of the bees and apiary outfit of the Province is $998,049, compared with $885,196 in the preceding year REMARKS OF CORRESPONDENTS. FROM THE AUGUST RETURNS. Malahide, Elgin: It is not a good bee year. Too dry for white clover. McKillop, Huron: Bees wintered well, and did remarkably well the first part of season, but latterly there has been no feed for them on account of the extreme dry weather. on. Culross, Bruce: Bees have done well. Good swarming and plenty of good honey. Glanford, Wentworth: Swarming was the earliest in my recollection, May 16th, and continuing right Trafalgar, Halton: This has been an excellent season for bees-the most successful in my own exper ence for seven or eight years. Hamilton, Northumberland: Bees have done well, and honey will be plentiful and cheap. number. Sophiasburg, Prince Edward: A great crop of nice white honey. Many yards trebled their Storrington, Frontenac : I never knew the bees to swarm as often. Supply of honey was great. Yonge and Escott Rear, Leeds: Apiarists all say this has been a good season for bees and for making honey. Gower N., Carleton: The best swarming I ever knew of. In most cases people have five for the one put out in spring. Lash, Rainy River District: Bees not doing so well this year; think because it is too cool and showery. THE DAIRY. The August bulletin said: "The general lack of fresh pasture has resulted in a marked temporary falling off in the flow of milk, and a consequent slackening in dairy operations. Recent rains have already in some neighborhoods restored the fertility of the pastures." November reports were more favorable, as will be seen from the following which appeared in the bulletin issued in that month: "The dairying industry has been fairly prosperous, notwithstanding the drawback of low prices for cheese, one result of which is that more attention is being paid in most localities to butter-making, which many of our correspondents regard as more profitable. Better prices were as a rule obtained for butter than last season, and there appears to be a steady improvement in quality and a tendency towards combining the two branches of dairying by carrying on butter making during the winter in cheese factories. One reason why many farmers now accord a preference to butter is that it offers the obvious advantage, as compared with cheese manufacture, of leaving them a supply of skim-milk available for young stock. Much divergence of opinion prevails as to the best breeds of milch cows. The Durham strain is by far the most popular as an 'all round' breed, and western farmers who combine dairying with stock-raising for the market very generally give the Shorthorn the preference. In the dairying counties of the eastern section, however, where the beef-making qualities of cattle are less regarded, the Ayrshire has the first place, the Durham grades coming next in favor, while Holsteins and Jerseys are more numerous than in the west." REMARKS OF CORRESPONDENTS. FROM THE NOVEMBER RETURNS. Gosfield N., Essex: Most farmers patronize the cheese factory, as they get cash for their milk and less work, whereas if they made butter they would get trade only at the village stores. Dorchester S., Elgin: The tendency seems to be to shorten the cheese-making season. Dorchester S., Elgin: For a dairy section we are slow to build silos. There are not a dozen in the township. Southwold, Elgin: Shorthorn Durhams are the greatest favorites, owing to the steers being more bought for fattening. Yarmouth, Elgin: Butter is climbing. Mostly cheese yet, but butter is going to get there. Windham, Norfolk: Dairy business has not been very satisfactory this season on account of the low price of cheese. Cayuga S., Haldimand: Butter paid better than cheese this summer. Thorold, Welland: Owing to the travelling dairy, much improvement has grown up in the quality and prices grew with the improvement. Warwick, Lambton: The dairy interest has proved a failure here. The price of cheese is too low. Ashfield, Huron: I believe more butter was made than other years. Howick, Huron: Butter improved in quality. Cause-better and more careful feeding of milk kine. Hullett, Huron: We have one creamery and two cheese factories, and they are not properly supported by the farmers, who do not keep enough cows, and do not feed what they have properly." Stephen, Huron: The native cow crossed on some good milch breed, such as Ayrshire or Holstein, is considered best. Thoroughbred cows have lost favor here, as they are not hardy enough. Turnberry, Huron: There are a good many sending to the creameries that formerly sent to cheese factories. Derby, Grey Cheese-making is not in favor in this locality. The farmers prefer having the skim milk for their calves. Proton, Grey: Our farmers are raising the Shorthorn with our grades. They are considered the best for beef and make the largest for the market. Oro, Simcoe Dairy industry advancing in the last few years-especially butter. Tecumseth, Simcoe: Creameries seem to be the most profitable at present. Prices of butter better than last year and quality improving. Essa, Simcoe: A cross between the Jersey and Durham would make a most useful and profitable experiment. Dorchester N., Middlesex: Cheese is made from April to November, then butter all winter. Nissouri W., Middlesex; A number of skimming apparatus and churns have been put in operation in connection with old established cheese factories for the accommodation of patrons for fall and winter. Blandford, Oxford: Cheese is still king, but butter is making steady progress, and butter plants are being put in cheese factories for winter use hereabouts. Oakland, Brant: Many of the largest farmers are now purchasing cream separators, and report very satisfactory results. Jerseys are losing ground and Ayrshires gaining. Amaranth, Dufferin Creamery at Whittington has done splendidly, about $10,000; cheese factory at Laurel $7,000, with September and October's product yet to sell, which should bring $2,500 more. Saltfleet, Wentworth: Butter has been dearer than for many years. Salt fleet, Wentworth Butter has been about the same price as it was last year. Esquesing, Halton: Private dairying with all its disadvantages is still the rule. Trafalgar, Halton: The creamery and cheese factory are growing very rapidly in favor in this county. Markham, York; Durhams are considered the best all-round cattle for the farmer. Scarboro', York: A Jersey cross with our common cows gives the best results for butter. Pickering, Ontario: We have mostly Shorthorn grades, so as to get large boned calves for beef. Hamilton, Northumberland: Jerseys and Ayrshire grades are more numerous than they used to be. Percy, Northumberland: Every farmer is in the dairy industry, and most of them in cheese in the summer and butter in the winter. cows. Ameliasburg, Prince Edward: Ayrshires and Ayrshire grades are in greatest favor here as milch Storrington, Frontenac I think of late years farmers generally are in better circumstances than formerly. The factory in which my milk is manufactured realized last season $23,250 for the cheese produced, and there will be more this season. Leeds and Lansdowne Front, Leeds: Dairying is carried on to a very large extent. It seems to be increasing every year and a marked improvement in butter. Augusta, Grenville: Holstein and Ayrshire are in favor here. Holsteins are more in favor than the Ayrshires. Williamsburg, Dundas: Butter production in this county is not a circumstance as compared to cheese. |