Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-06-15


profitable sources of revenue that exists
%, and the fact, when taken into consideration
that the production OF poultry rivals that o
the dairy and meat combined, 1t looks a
though 1t was worthy of the candid consld
Grafton of all thoughtful minds; for by an,
through this channel of productive enter
prise, there is produced and given out fol
consumption to the people of the United
States, larger per cent. of living food fol
the capital invested, than in any of the othei
departments of agricultural resources. The
sum and total for the United States is place.
as high as five hundred millions of dollars
annually. Boston market reports as having
received at wholesale over three million
dozen eggs and the average price paid fol
them has been twenty-five cents per dozen,
making almost seven hundred thousand dol
lars paid for eggs alone by this market an
nually; and no doubt there is another mil
lion dozen sold directly from producer to
customer at retail that are not reported.
In l770. the city of New York received
twenty million dozen eggs, which cost ST.
92S, 1880. In 1872 the amount had in
creased to S,6i0, 40 DOZENS costing at
wholesale Sc, 292. 250, 81, although the price
per dozen was less than in 1870. This is the
amount received, and in order TO get the
whole amount consumed % per cent should
be added and We have what it costs New
York city for this necessary cooking and
nourishing article of food.
large proportion of the eggs produced
in this State find their way to Boston market,
and as Vermont produced largely in excess
of home consumption, owing to the small
number of cities and manufactures, her
quota of eggs that reach Boston market
must be fully one sixth, placing to the credit
of this State the sum of S1lO,OOO. The
amount of eggs used for home consumption,
and those that are sent to markets outside
the State other than Boston, will make the
som total for eggs produced in this State an
nually $3.50, 0O0, and yet the demand is always
good, and might be largely increased to the
mutual good of both producer and consumsr.
The estimated amount of dressed poultry
reared and fattened for the past year is
placed at three thousand tons, or on an
| average of little over ten tons to each town,
worth Rt wholesale over $500, 600, and add
| ing to this the total value of the eggs, We
| have yearly revenue of 81, 600 900 from the
tenants of the poultry yard. Taking these
estimates as basis the poultry interest of
this State assumes position of no small
| magnitude. The income derived from pOul-
try is usually in accordance with the care be-
slowed locality and breed, although most
any of the varieties if properly fed and
| housed, will pay fair per cent. on the capi-
tai invested, yet some breeds are better adapt
| ed to certain localities than others.
Progressive agriculture has taught all man.
| kind that fowls, as well as all other domestic
animals, are capable of being reared with
some definite object in view; and the I'M
provement in domestic poultry has kept pace
with the age in which we live, and now We
have over seventy varieties of fowls to select
from. l believe in rearing pure blooded ami
mails Just as far as circumstances will allow,
ap1 I Et,nrt Vi. tlat
this rule holds good in rearing poultry; but
it wants study and knowledge of what you
wish to arrive at, before you can successfully
carry out any plan and do it at profit.
With the Improvement in domestic poultry,
there is also decided difference in the size
of eggs, and it is in favor Of modern domes-
tic poultry.
Science has not yet found any substitute
for the albuminous white and the consum-
ing thousands are yearly growing greater, |
and those who by acts prove that they be- |
lieve the egg contains more nourishing food |
in more palatable more condensed and |
cheaper form than any other. Now it Is for |
the producer TO supply this demand at a |
profit to himself and to the satisfaction of |
the consumer There is but one way for |
him to do. and that is to endeavor to pro- |
duce better article, and to do this he must |
understand his own wants, the wants of the |
fowl, and the wants of the market.
Careful study and the microscope have re-
vealed the fact that all the eggs that hen 1
can or ever will lay, are formed at once, and
are held in embryo to be matured as condi-
tions will allow. These embryo yolks, thus
held, range from six to nine hundred, the
largest number being found in The non-sit-
ting varieties. Now here is something wor-
thy of notice. The hen is merely machine,
maturing or Withholding these embroyo eggs.
and il is optional with her owner whether she
lays one hundred or two hundred eggs in a
year, giving him o profit of from one TO two
dollars yearly, or runs him in debt. One
wap is just as practical ss the other, and by
giving her suitable quarters and stimulating
food, she can be made to lay almost the en-
tire year; but in forcing her to do this, it
produces a severe strain upon her physical
system, and at the age of two years she
should be killed and her place filled by
pullet. This is the way to do to secure the
largest returns in the shortest time, and in
this way you will get from the hen the bulk
of all the eggs that nature has provided her
with; and by killing the two years old stock.
You will save an extra year or two of feeding
to comparatively no profit. If you force a
hen to lay its four or five years supply of
eggs in two or three seasons. there comes
the end, and you gain in time simply by this
|
ercised with breeding stocks. for it is a well
known fact, that after the physical structure
has undergone severe draughts, rest must
necessarily follow, and it would be very un-
wise and detrimental to breeding stock to
use artificial food to the extent that it might |
be for egg production alone. for no such
over-draught upon nature as follows through
this stimulating process can be made without
a corresponding drawback, in some way, in
the health and lives of the hens thus fed,
and il is for the future welfare and profit TO
the owner, that the best way be used to Sc
cure good, well-deyeloped and healthy fowls.
The principles of rearing and breeding
poultry for eggs or for market require Just as
much thought and care as the breeding Of
sheep. good sheep breeder would look
with disgust upon a sheep that had blended
in its formation Cotswold, South Downs, .
Merino and the long legged coarse l
wool from Canada. Now it is Just as logical !
and will bring about the same results to mix !
and tcombine the different breeds of fowls |
as the different breeds of sheep, and
the final result will be all colors, sizes !
and FORMS with long legs, short legs, blue I
legs, and feathered legs, rendering them
neither uniform nor profitable; yet. three
fourths OF the farmers are breeding and J
rearing Just such specimens, and If they !
have a fortunate neighbor who is breeding
pure bred birds that have cost time and mon
ey TO develope, they are very willing to ex- =
change n sitting of eggs or cockerel even
with him, and If perchanee they are refused
will oftimes feel grieyed about 1t, never once
thinking but what their mongrels are Just as
good as pure bred fowls. After an expert
enee Of fifteen years, have found that fine !
feathers do not always make fine lirds, and |
neither does any one variety meet all the re-
. 10. S,.
dicious cross IN many instances of pure
blooded fowls is an improvement on the orig
inals for eggs and poultry, but never would
think OF breeding from this combination
thinking to retain in the offspring all the
G qualifications that makes this cross valuable, {
for it is impossible to do it without breeding {
for a series Of years, and in nine cases out of d
ten, it will prove failure. In selecting hens
for laying or breeding look far the qualifica- 1
tions that make good layers of medium size, | I
color even and pure of good constitution '
and form, and when they are fully matured I
as layers, select again the most perfect as $
breeders, for there are in every yard hens II
that are more prolific than others and these c
are the very ones TO secure eggs from for !
Matching and future propagation, and in fol f
lowing out this plan 1t is essential that this /
point be not overlooked. I
And another thing IL fully ns essential ns II
this. and that is in selecting tho male In G
choosing the sire, do with "A view to re '
producing his FORM stamina and color, what !
ever that may he, and avoid breeding in and u
to any great extent, in breeding from pure i
bred tire, and If he proves superior bird u
and We wish to retain and fix more perma- c
nently his characteristics he may be bred l
back to his progeny with success and 1t will T
work far better in this way, than to breed :
those of the same age and brood that are
closely related. An ill-shaped or hump
backed bird with long legs and weak POINTS I
should never be tolerated in any yard.
And another thing is equally important.
and that is size. There is very wrong I'M i
preston among many, and one that will prove 4
a source of disappointment, and IN many in {
stances has already done SO, and that is in /
retaining as stock birds fifteen pound male ,
or twelve pound female They look well as