Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1888-05-31
THE oAD-TiME HEN.
Why She Can Not Compete with the Inn.
proved Breeds Of Fowls.

Why She Can Not Compete with the Inn.
proved Breeds Of Fowls.
Ibelieve that a great advance has
been made in all kinds of livestock
including fowls There is OCCASION
ally found person who believes that
cattle have not improved but have
retrogarded. and that the native herds
were much more valuable than are the
herds # thoroughbreds To such
person TO call attention to the butter
qualities Of the Jersey. the great flow
of milk of the Ayrshire, the meaiy
proportions of the Shorthorn. is but
waste Of time. The natives were good
enough for him. Such persons are
also found among those who keep
fowls 10 them the mongrel hen was
a better layer than the p 'olific Leg
horn. better table fowl than the D II
king and a better fowl for general pur-
poses than the Plymouth Rock When
such PERSONS are found it is useless 10
point out the Improvements made in
poultry. But the Improvements exist.
and there are breeds that will lay more
eggs in year, that will produce more
meat for the amount of food con.
sumed. that are more valuable for the
family, than the too common mongrel.
/ certainly believe. and know OF
surety. that in many a well-to-do
farmers family. years ago. eggs were
exceedingly -scarce in winter The
''old- time hens they kept did not lay.
Nor do / believe that 1.-THE average
farmers wife" in this part of the
country, begins as early as October
20 salt down eggs for winter use.
realiz ;ng that there will be few if any
Laid during the winter" where the i'm.
proved breeds are kept. If she places
her reliance upon descendants OF
1.-The old-time hen" and upon cd time
methods. she may need to salt down
stock of eggs for winter use. but if she
keeps the proper breed and in a com.
Portable house Ishe will have all the
eggs that are necessary for family use
and some to help pay for the family
groceries.
In the keeping of my own fowls it is
an object to prevent winter laying. ]
wish the hens to be strong and vigor-
Gus during the breeding season. and
at that time to produce eggs most
sbundantly. 1t pays me better 10 sell
eggs at SIS and So per dozen in April.
May and June than at fifty cents
dozen in January and February. Ac-
cordingly feed SO IS 70 discourage
laying. and yet 1havc eggs all through
the winter. there being scarcely a day
that some of my hens do not lay. One
year there was just one day in the
whole year that l got no eggs keep
the improved breeds. use no egg-prO-
dEcing foods in winter. have comfort.
able. but not artificially, warmed
houses. and the hens lay in spite Of my
precau ions to prevent them:
think that any farmer who will
provide suitable food. drink and COM
Portable quarters for flock of thor
oughbred fowls. and will take pains to
get those that are not ruined by close
and long-continued inbreeding. will
find in them greater profit than can
be derived from the ''old- time hens"
In conclusion l desire TO say that it
seems scarcely fair 70 attribute i'm
proved processes in preserving eggs
to the failure of modern breeds to lay
rs well as those of aull lang syne.
The fact that now eggs are preserved
for winter use during the summer
months when they are produced most
abundantly. and consequently bring
low price. and were not preserved in
the 'old-,ime hens day." is simply
proof that men of our generation are
wiser than were those of an earlier
generation. and has no bearing upon
the relative laying of fowls now and
then. Cor. Country Gentleman