Smyrna times., 1896-02-12
FARMERS INSTITUTE.
Discussion on EgDs.

Mr.. g. F. Chapman, of Peruville, N. Y,
was the speaker at the Institute meeting
held at the Odd Fellows Hall on Monday
afternoon. There were but few farmers
present but they were richly rewarded for
coming i'll the information derived from the
speaker.
MI Chapman is practical poultry man
raising chickens for eggs only. He said ot
the beginning of his talk that there is not
much fear of the business being overdoua
since the United States imported II ooo
ooo'OoO dozens Of eggs last year. Add to
this the fact that of all farm products eggs
alone are advancing and have for some
time past been advancing in price and Won
have considerable spur to develop the eoo
business. Notwithstanding this the sneaker
SAID that there were deserted hen houses
III every county in the Union monuments
of ignorance and inexperience.
He then presented figures showing how
an experienced egg raiser in New York
from an average number of 600 hens cleared
a net sum in 1894 Of 81 ,537, and compared
that with the showing made by an amateur
in the same neighborhood, who made "A net
profit Of $500 out of 400 hens in the same
year. The first man sold his eggs at an
average price Of 2ll5 cents per dozen and
the second at anaverage price of % cents
per dozen.
The absolute essentials for success with
hens, Mr.. Chapman said, are warmth and
dryness. His hen houses are made with
double walls, y inches apart, the interven-
ing space filled with buckwheat bulls
chopped straw or the like, no more class
inserted than Is necessary for light and no
ventilation whatever provided. The whole
floor of the house, particularly that portion
directly under the roosts is strewn abouf q
foot deep with buckwheat hulls. wheat
chah or chopped straw, which only make,
1t necessary to clean out the houses about
once a month.
The breed mostly in favor in his locality
Is the white leghorn, though there are some
few brown leghorns, and some few minor
cas-. His method Of feeding is to scatter
some corn' wheat, barley or other grain ON
the litter i'll the house about four O'Clock in
the afternoon, all they will eat and a little
more. They scratch around during the
rest OF the day and resume Operations in tbc
morning where they left off the niglt he
fore. About or O'Clock in the Inorninc
some more grain is scattered on the floor
and feed is given of the following. two
parts OF bran, one part corn, one part oats
ground together, mOistened with milk tn -
dry dough and fed in such quantity that if
VIII all be eaten. If there is no milk and
the dough is mixed with warm water. then
about one ounce of meat SCRAP is added fo,
each hen. At noon one quart of grain to
each nifty hens Is scattered on the chaff |
the gram being usually two parts oats. one !
part buckwheat and one part wheat. Milk
or pure, clean water is given freely to drink
They are also allowed about one bushel of
oeetS or other green food every day. Ovs-
ter clam or sea shells are placed in ample
supply where the fowls can have access TO
I at all times, while road dust or sand is
Kept III full supply for dusting
Mr.. Chapman confined himself to bord
acts and impressed his auditors that there
$ money in the egg business for anyone
WITH ordinary carefulnes' and capabilitv