Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1896-06-16

and at the bottom of the ladder.
Through many experiments and losses,
successes and failures, / am gradually
rising to the top. During the first three
years my main object was TO hho out
what breed would give me the largest
profit per fowl In this test had tWeh-
ty-one different breeds, giving them tne
same care and attention, and keeping
strict book account Of each oreeu.
The breeds in this test were: Llsh'
Brahma, Dark Brahma, Black Cochihs.
White Cochins, Partridge Cochlns, bun
Cochins, American Dominique, SILVER
Spangled Hamburgs, Houdans, BLACK
Jayas, Black Langshans, Single Conip
Brown Leghorns, Single Comb White
Leghorns, Rose Comb Brown Legnorhs'
Rose Comb White Leghorns, blaoh
Minorcas, Barred Plymouth ROCKS
White Plymouth Rocks, Red Caps, oli-
yer Laced Wyandottes, and White wy
andottes. The balance sheet wouiu III
yariably fall in favor of the Single Coiio
Brown I.eghorus. This breed is now
my choice, and breed them exclusives
for three purposes: First, the seiiihe
of thoroughbred eggs; then the raising
of early broilers, and last for eggs III
the winter. There is in my opihion
no other breed that excels tnem Aoi
either of these three purposes. L nave
at present fine flock Of birds. THESE
birds have free range during the sum
mer months. with convenient place LOT
roosting at night They are houseo
during the winter months in the main
building, which is 20xS0 feet, two stories
high, containing eighteen pens exlo
feet. In each pen are placed from nj
teen to twenty fowls, with no ou'uooi
runs. The feeding consists prlnclpaiiy
of vegetables and grain, such as can Us
raised during the summer, nameiy'
cabbages, turnips, sugar beets, potatoes
apples, corn, wheat, rye, oats, DUCK
wheat and millet. l keep pounded oys-
ter shells before them all the time Ion
grit and feed green ground bone three
times week. / consider these essehIial
for the production Of eggs. The mar
keting is of very great Importance, as
do not give my time to the business
for the fun there is in it but for the
money alone. I market principally in
the city of New York. By feeding the
variety of food above mentioned and
grain fed in litter of cut corn fodder
/ keep the egg basket full of eggs and
the incubators full to their utmost
capacity of eggs laid by my own hens,
when the thermometer outside ranges
from 10 to II degrees below zero. Dur
ing the first few years OF my expert
epce | had some difficulty with dis
eases, lice and predatory animals. But
after finding the secret of cleanliness
and of disinfectants and the value of a
good gunshot, have often raised from
95 to So per cent of the chicks Matched.
In my earlier years / tried doctoring
fowls and found IL simply time thrown
away, for if the same time were used
in cleasing the coops and applying dis
infectants, diseases would rarely oc-
cur. BY careful breeding and always
selecting the best laying birds and
earliest matured pullets and cockerels.
/ have at present remarkable egg pro-
ducers and early maturers, the pullets
often laying at four months old. If any
further knowledge of my experience is
desired ii will be cheerfully given.
IOhn Cmokar