Baltimore daily commercial. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1865-1867, 1866-04-05
Raising Poultry in Large NUMBERS.

The idea Of raising poultry in very large
numbers has great attraction for persons who
have had but little practical experience in
poultry breeding; and, in consequence. every
lew years some tallacious project is started for
the establishment Of q poultry farm. Not long
since Il paragraph went the rounds of the
papers respecting the success Of a large poultry
establishment near Paris, where many thou
sands Of poultry were said to be reared annu-
ally at very large profit to the promoters
1t will not surprise those of our readers who
are practical men, to be told that the whole
account was pure invention, there not being,
nor ever having been, any such establishment
in existence
Il few years since, CanteIo started a poultry
establishment near Chiswick, and, although
he had the advantage of great experience, and
one Of the best artificial incubators ever
designed the whole concern came to an I'M
timely end
During the time Of the Cochin mania. when
every Cochin Matched and reared had its value
reckoned in pounds sterling, numerous specu-
lators tried rearing in large numbers but not
one Of them succeeded.
The Americans, who are at least our equals
in poultry breeding, for practical if not for
fancy purposes, have tried the plan repeatedly
and each time it has failed. Not long since
1t was worked in connection with the Astor
House hotel, and the usual termination ensued.
There are two reasons for this inevitable
result. One is, that when a large number Of
fowls are crowded together, or kept in one
place, the ground becomes tainted with the
manure, and disease invariably breaks out.
This is more particularly true Of chickens;
Tor in every attempt to rear large number in
II confined space, the mortality Is excessive.
ne employment OF an incubator III tins climate
VIII always be found a failure, Tor TINS simple
reason tniI is ihpoSSloIe U rear Ihe ChlchenS
alter they nave Deeh AaScneu' Inc Matching
process Is SuiIlcIehILy easy; DuI chlchenS are
Oh no Vaiue Whatever without you nave mems to
ofoOu tnem' Inc only manner IN winch an
incubator can De uSeluly employed Is by
Aatchlng an extra number OF eggs, SO as to
give each hen a Iull brood OF chick rs. Used
III this way, we have known small lncubators
very serylcable; but when employed to hatch
chickens that are to be reared by artificial
mothers, We have never seen them used with
advantage. Field.
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The Cost of Raising Wool.
Growers Association at Columbus, an in
Jeresting discussion took place relative to the
cost per pound OF producing wool Great
diversity oil opinion was developed. The first
proposition was to state the cost OF production
Of merchantabIe brook washed wool at ninety
cents on the following basis: Cost of sheep,
i've dollars per head; cost of land, sixty five
dollars per acre; cost Of grain, fifty cents per
oushel; five hundred sheep on two hundred
acres Of land, with two attendants increase of
lock two hundred per year; income tax
:ountedi no credit to return to land from
manure. The general statement was that these
estimates were too high. Men would invest in
l1nds at three per cent. dividend, when they
would demand six for any other investment
and so in proportion. Ii wool could be sold
1T from fifty to eighty cents during the rebellion
and make.a fair profit, it might be sold now
Is low as eighty cents. One gentleman con-
'ended that one man can take , care OF I'VE