The Red Cloud chief., 1884-09-19
The Outlook for Poultf!.


Most kinds Of farm products are low.
and have been so during the past ca
son. The reverse, however. IS true OF
eggs and poultry. As a country In
creases in wealth and populsion these
articles are certain TO advaBce IN price
whether other articles of food are high
or low. This has been conciusively
shown in Great Britain. which now OBJ
tains a large proportion ofthe eggs and
fowls consumed from countries on a
continent. The like has been shown in
the New England and Middle States.
which now depend largely on the West
ern States and Canada for their supply
OF eggs and poultry. strftiy fresh
eggs are always in dem9no ut high
prices. Sayory and well fsiteoed fowls
viii find purchasers when other kinds
Of meat sell slowly. O~bssrSat,on shows
that the most fowls apd eggs are pro-
duced by small farmers, VINO are con-
tent to make a living BY the production
ofIittlc things. As a rule tine large plant
ers in the South have produced lew eggs
and fowls for the general marhtt, though
they have kept their O#n tables we'll
supplied with them. Trey have relied
on cotton and tobacco - provide them
with money and have regarded poultry
raising as very small business. In Ken
lucky turkey raising always re-
ceived considerable attention. partly be-
cause the young bird, were iouni 10 be
useful in d~evouring tobacco-worms,
and partly because turkeys would OBJ
f,In thar ls,s;.n~ - tho hlaf tvanIa
during several months IN the year. Be-
fore the introduction II railroads it was
easier To market turkeys than almost
any farm product, as they could be
driven in iocks very long distances.
Observation shovel that the losses in
driving turkeys 10 market were less
than with cattle, ho-s. or sheep. The
large farmers i'm The Vest at first gave
little attention to producing more fowls
and eggs than were wante iortae sup
ply of their own tables. While game
was cheap and p,eDty thc pr!ce OF fowls
was low. and the cost and difficulty OF
sending eggs iong distances were great.
At present it j, comparatively easy to
send eggs TO market IRON almost any
part OF the country. The losses 10y
breakage in e. carriers AMI other I'M
proved package, are very small. In
many places remote from treat cities
are persons cnga9ed in preserving eggs
for the supply o: cities during the win
ter season. Some better arrangement
should he employed for marketing live
fowls. In Colorado, cars made or fitted
up expressly for carrying fowls to mar
ket have been introduced. They run Il
regular train and effect a great saving
in freight, whie they afford excellent
facilities for fccding and watering fowls
in transit. 10 time most raj road com
panieS will ind it to their advantage to
run cars expressly designed tor carry
ing live fowl. 1t is quite time that a
distinction should be made by dealers
in the prize of large and small eggs, as
well as between those that are fresh and
those that are stale or preserved by tho
use of chemicals. There is now
no inducement for farmers to
produce very large eggs. Small
eggs bring rs much rs those
that are of extraordinary size. In
California eggs, like most other ar
ticles of food, are sold by weight and
not by number. THIS method of SELL
inc eggs should be introduced in other
places. 1t would encourage farmers to
keep the breeds of hens that lay the
largest ergs. In Paris they sell eggs
by number. but the dealer sorts ITEM
and charges according TO their size.
The improvements in fowls kept on
farms d, not keep pace with the i'm
~provements in horses. cattle, sheep and
pigs. Most farmers are ready To X
press their contempt for ''chicken
faucierS,' rs they are for fancy
farms 1t PAYS as well to improve
the breed of turkeys, geese. ducks and
chickens as it does to improve any
kind of domesticated animals. Tho
cost of keeping poor fowls is as great
~ for good ones, but the profit and
pleasure are much smaller. The cost
OF Introducing pure-bred fowls of any
KIM ON Il farm is very small in com
parson with the profits insured. With
toe Gathering outlook for poultry.
farmers will do well 10 improve the
:haracter of the fowls they keep
CtcdQo Time.