The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-01-30
CHICKENS AND EGGS
Startling Figures Quoted by the Noted
Expert, |. K. Felch.
sS5O,OOO,OOO PER ANNUN
The Visitor Is Charmed With Spo-
kane-Has Made an Extensive
Tour of the Country-His Ad-
vice to Farmers.

Spokane Spokesman Review: /. X.
Felch. the noted poultry expert of Ma
tick, Mass, who is to judge the ex-
hibits in Spokane's forthcoming poul-
try show, arrived yesterday morning
over the Northen Pacific and is stop
ping at the Pacific. sOn behalf of the
poultry association, D. II. Dwight and
Councilman Cooper took Mr.. Fetch in
a carriage and showed him the bust
ness and residence sections of the city
1t was a lovely day. and the visitor
was delighted with the homes. the
mills. the water power and big bust
ness blocks of the city.
a Spokesman Review reporter found
Mr.. Felch in the Office of Mr.. Everett.
in the First National bank building.
surround by a group of local chicken
cranks." He was telling a story eX-
pressive of his surprise of Spokane.
Sharp Butterfield ranks in Canada as
Mr.. Fetch ranks in this country as a
poultry expert. He is from England,
but his home is now at Windsor, On
tario. The two experts were at a big
poultry show in Chicago. and after 1t
was over Mr.. Butterfield was taken
out to the stock yards and shown the
process of pork packing on the Chi
cago scale. He was impressed, and
after considerable reflection. said
when / go back to England l am
going to tell Henry Belden about this.
and / know just what he will say. He
will say this: Ten thousand a day,
800, 900 a month, 100000 year. But
9erfield you are a DANCED liar There
are not that many hogs In America
THAT was the way l felt" said Mr..
Felch, when they showed me the big
flour mills. ard told me what they
were turning out daily. l felt like
saying there was not that much wheat
in this section. They tell me. though,
that you grow lots of il just over the
hills. and have no doubt that enough
wheat is being wasted in your wheat
districts to make S1.000.00O worth OF
chickens every year"
Mr.. Felch, what does the poultry
business of The United States amount
TO every year?" asked the reporter.
six hundred million dollars is a loTn
estimate. You can figure it fer your
self. | demonstrated not long ago that
the average price of eggs in my Ma
sachusetts home for the past eight
years has been 30ia cents per dozen.
But Wen put it lower than that. Wen
say 20 cents. 1t is a conservative esti-
mate to say that the average family
consumes two dozen eggs a week, say
600 dozen a year. This means SIS. II is
putting it low to say that the average
family consumes 500 worth Of poultry
each year. This gives S45 a year for
each family, or for 15,00000 families
1875. 900 600.
But this is not all The encyclopedia
l.. l.
rants consumed SCI 100000 worth of
poultry and eggs. owing to the in
crease of population it cannot be less
than S100.000.000 a year now. There is
used in the manufacture of fine leather
not less than $100. 900 900 worth of eggs.
and there are also used vast quantities
of egs in ether manufactures. such as
the making of ether. etc. Taking the
United States and Canada together, ]
have not the least doubt that the poul-
try and egg industry amounts every
year to SS50.000.000.
THE reason that this is not more gen
orally understood is because SO little Of
this comes into the commerce OF the
country. The producers consume their
products at home. City people often
forget to what an extent eggs and
poultry enter into the food supply Of
the people on the farm.
I'm 1869 l went before the state board
of agriculture of Massachusetts. and
estimated the industry at $500 600 900.
They thought my figures were oxag-
gerated. and a week later one Of the
members called on me and said that he
owed me an apology. lie said that
when | gave my statement he had set
me down as the monumental liar Of this
country, but after invest. cation he had
become convinced that | was quite
within the bounds of fact.
You are talking a great deal now
about fruit, and / am glad to see il.
You ought to fill every one Of your or
chards with chickens. The fruit trees
will be all the better for their presence.
Nothing keeps the curculio down like
chickens. Every acre of orchard ought
to have 200 hens.
Your business men ought 10 help
this movement along. II IL greater
than they realize. The reflex benefit
will come back to them. No farmer
should have less than 100 chickens.
Give them shelter and a place 10 rest
and they will take care Of themselves.
A bushel Of wheat viii keep a hen a
year. and with ordinary care she viii
produce 10 dozen eggs a year. and
hatch and rear a brood of chickens.
My Brahma hens in fiocks of IS have
averaged 100 eggs a year and Matched
and reared brood"
During the afternoon Mr. FeIch
visited the show rooms on Riverside
avepSe OF these ne said.
The rooms have been well selected
They are large. well lighted AT both
ends. and the coops are new and well
built The accommodations for the pub
lie are excellent. and the people ought
10 attend in large numbers. Not since
l began TO judge shows of this nature
nearly 40 years ago. have / seen an ini-
tial show room. coops, premium list and
management. The entries already as
sure a large show"
Mr.. Fetch will score the birds in the
front window. and IL is said the public
will be much interested in the work
On this trip he has judged a number
OF shows, as follows: Amesbury
Mass: Concord. Mich: Galveston. Tex
as: Dayton. Ohio; Kearney. Neb.
Denver. Col; Oakland, Cal. and Seat
tie
of Spokane. he said: Il am surprised
at this city. 1t is better than ! had
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