The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1876-12-06
HOUSE, FARM AND GARDEN.
Poultry on the Farm.

Total value 5000. ...... .$78, O0O, 600
This is the only statistical account
of the product Of poultry that we have
seen published. The very consider
able amount involved would seem to
make some efforts to arrive at know.
ledge of the value of our own poultry
product desirable. We may. however,
readily make some estimates for our
selves which may approximate very
nearly perhaps the truth. Knowing
the habits of our people in regard to
the consumption Of poultry and eggs,
and something of those Of the French
people as to their necessity, on account
of their poverty, of selling in the mar
ket the bulk of what they produce, we
cannot be far out of the way if we con-
clude that our own production equals
at least, if it does not surpass, theirs.
The money value of the French poul.
try is not more than half that of ours !;
50 that we may consider the annual
value of our product as equal to about
one hundred and fifty million dollars.
If this is nearly correct, it is certainly
worth considering if we gain from our
poultry all that we possibly may or
can. No one who is at all conversant
with the ordinary poultry of the farm,
the manner in which it is kept, and
the value Of the improved breeds, can
doubt that by the proper use Of the
latter, and better methods of rearing,
feeding and housing the fowls, the
product would easily be doubled.
No live stock about the farm is SUBJ
jected to more neglect than poultry !;
with none are yermin and disease
more destructive, and none are more
unproftably managed in preparing
them for market and in marketing
them. Certainly we are beginning to
change for the better in these respects,
thanks to the numerous excellent
poultry journals we now have, the
occasional poultry exhibitions and the
constant attention given to this sub
ject in papers devoted more or less to
agricultural matters. 1t is easy to
observe this in the improved character
of the fowls and the better quality of
eggs exposed for sale in the markets.
But some encouragement should be
given to those who have enterprise
enough to procure costly birds of
improved breeds, in the price of the
eggs and fowls sent to market. Eggs
are sold by the dozen, and enc dozen
is simply ga dozen," and no more
although in weight and value it may
he worth as much as two of another
kind. The large eggs of the Leghorns
and AsiaJic fowls bring no more in
the market than the small ones of
the common barn-yard fowls. This
is an injustice that should be remed-
led by selling eggs ouly by weight, as
is now done in the State of Massachu
sets according to law. If this limo.
walton were once made, it would soon
lead to some discrimination as to the
different values of the fowls for their
flesh. We now have the best varieties
Of fowls Of the whole world, which
may be procured at very moderate
prices. By the use of these, both the
product Of eggs and the weight Of the
birds can be greatly increased. It
only remains to select from among
these better breeds those which seem
most suitable to improve our common
stock and then to make use of the
best methods of caring for and feed
ing the improved fowls.
Wheat Growing in America.
''Whcat-groWing has not paid on the
greater part Of the land In England for
some time. It is a question whether
it will more than just pay even at the
minimum cost of production, with the
aid of the most perfect machinery, up
on large areas. The cost of production
beats the English producer, and the
tandencv is rather toward ;ncroocod