The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1894-07-19
Two Ways to Improve the Farm
Poultry.
By H. L. GEER, NASHVILLE, TENN.

Geer, and, at the request OF Commls-
sioner Allison, is published in the
Southern Cuuirat0r
In this essay | shall briefly discuss
poultry as meat, and poultry tor eggs,
and give my opinion as to how 1t should
be managed and sold so as to bring
in the most money to producer.
In the first place, | am strong
believer in the superior value Of pure
bred poultry, and advocate the breed
ing of thoroughbred stock OF every
kind in preference to the common
sort.
In raising fowls for the market, the
half-breed or grade chicken is much
superior to the dunghill, and is just as
easily raised No great outlay is re-
quired at the start to raise half-breeds,
as it is only necessary to dispose Of the
common cocks and replace them with
thoroughbreds. This is the course the
market poultryman should pursue.
The best purebred cocks for this pur-
pose are those of the larger or Aslatlc
breeds, such as Langshans, Brahmas
or Cochins, or American breeds, Ply
mouth Rocks and Wyandotte cocks
should be used. My choice would be
the Plymouth Rock. The latter, in
its purity, is a very popular variety,
and one that stands i'll the front rank
as a market fowl. The time has not
vet arrived, however, when purebred
Plymouth Rocks can be bought in the
regular market But cocks of any Of
the above named varieties may be OBJ
tanned. however, at reasonable figures
at this season of the year from breeders
Of purebred poultry, Of which there are
a goodly number within the State.
The advantage in crossing males Of
the larger purebred varieties on the
common hens of the farm consists in
the fact that chickens from such mat
ing grow faster and grow larger, are
capable Of taking on much heavier
weight when fattened, and they are
also more healthy and vigorous than
the ordinary inbred mongrel chickens.
The present system of buying and
selling poultry, however, operates
against the interests of the purebred
poultry industry, the raising Of grade
stock and the fattening Of the fowls
before they are marketed. The Gus
tom Of buying and selling chickens by
the head or dozen, instead of by the
pound, either dressed or alive, is wrong.
1t is unjust to the producer, it is of no
advantage to the mddleman and it
often disgusts the consumer with
| chicken meat.
Gentlemen. is there one among you
in this convention who would take
poor, unfattened, scrawny hogs to
market, or who would drive cattle Or
sheep to market too lean and bony to
walk steadily? No, Of course not.
But you know, and l know, and city
and town housekeepers everywhere
know that in the spring Of the year
some old hens and roosters are brought
to town for sale, so poor and tough
| that no one can eat them.
Now this is all wrong, very wrong.
1t comes of a system Of buying and
selling that is based on the idea that
"a chicken is chicken,'' no matter
what kind of a chicken it is, or what
it weighs.
In France, the greatest and most
| successful poultry raising country in
the world, all market fowls, dead or
alive, are bought and sold by weight.
Over there they fatten their poultry
before taking it to market, just as care
fully and as thoroughly as they fatten
any other kind of market stock. The
result is better prices, more money
and greater satisfaction to the con-
| sumner.
In selling poultry by weight, the
| producer has some incentive to i'm
prOvement. He has cause to fatten
his fowls and to make them as heavy
as he can, because every pound Of ad.
dltiOnal weight means so many cents
additional cash for his produce.
II this system were adopted in this
country, if it was the custom here in
Tennessee now, it would revolutionize
the market poultry business of the
State. 1t would give the purebred
poultry industry a lasting boom. 1t
would place thoroughbred fowls when
they should be-on every farm in the
State. AS it is. the farmer is handi.
capped and the purebred poultry
breeder is handicapped by system
OF marketing poultry that works injus.
tice to both, and the consumer as well
When we consider, gentlemen, that
an ordinary little monGrel fowl weighs
from four to seven pounds only, anG
then remember that a purebred Brah-
ma, Cochin or Langshan fow
weighs from nine to twelve pounds
and Plymouth Rocks and Wyandottes
from seven to ten pounds, then we car
readily see the great advantage thai
would accrue to both the farmer anG
the tancier, if justice should be done tc
all, and fowls sold by the pound instead
Of by the head or dozen.
The system of selling by weight
ounce adopted, would open a new
market for the surplus grain and vece
tables OF the farm. Corn and wheat
and potatoes and other surplus pro-
ducts, besides the general forage o.
the farm. such as fowls live and fatter
on. could be turned into poultry meat
and sold by the pound. lust the same
as 1t Is now turned into pork and beef
The poultry would be fattened before
being taken to market, for every pound
would then have its value in cash anG
the fowls would at the same time be
much tenderer and sweeter in flesh
and therefore much more satisfactory tc
the consumer.
Gentlemen, this is a vital question
with the poultry raiser, and | hope
this convention will consider the mat
ter and pronounce itself in favor o
buying and selling poultry by the
pound instead Of by the head.
This l consider is one way to i'm
prove the condition ofthe farm poultry
the other way is to improve the laying
qualities of the hens. This can be
done also by the introduction of pure.
bred male birds among hens. The ole
dunghill rooster must go. He is 6
back date. He stands in the way o
progress. and he must be set aside.
( would first abolish the dunghil