Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-05-27
IMPORTANT ADDITION TO KANSAS
FARM LITERATURE.
A HANDBOOK ON POULTRY.
COBURN SHOWS M
PORTANCE OF FOWL PRODUCTS.
Value of Poultry and Eggs sold
Amounts 10 s3.6OS.sI in "a Year
Some Interesting Compare
isons and Statistics
Set Forth.

| Topeka, has., May 26.-(SpecIal.) SeCre-
| tary f. D. COburn, of tile Kansas state
| board of agriculture. to-day issued his
| quarterly" The subject of the interesting
| book is The Helpful Hen" on the title
page the secretary has inscribed this dedi-
cation:
The Kansas Hen-While everything else
was going to rack and ruin, she increased
and multiplied; she supported herself and
the family, too. The very insects which
would have deSpoiled the farm she fat
tened upon, laying her daily egg-the bless
ed egg. that took the place OF beef and
milk, mutton and pork-and in good time.
after all these services, surrendered her
tOOthsome body to the cause of humanity"
The book discusses farm poultry, its rear
ing. management, and marketing, es-
pecially as applicable to Kansas conditions
and by Kansas people. in a most helpful
manner. The secretary says in the intro
duction:
In the year ending March l. 1896. the
value OF Kansas poultry and eggs sold was
sS,60S, SIS, or 10 per cent more than the en-
tire value of the rye, barley, buckwheat,
castor beans, cotton, hemp, TOBACCO, broom
corn, milo maize, Jerusalem corn. garden
and horticultural products marketed; wine.
honey, sheep and wool of the same year
No field crops, with the exception of wheat.
corn and hay, equaled in value the sur
Plus sold from the Kansas hens, ducks,
turkeys and geese in the year named.
1T was a sum sufficient to pay all the
state and city taxes of the preceding year
and leave on hand the comfortable nest
egg of $4,000. Its value was nearly twice
(or 95 per cent? greater than the same
years output of lead and zinc from our
mines, conceded to be of great richness,
and within % per cent of the value OF all
the coal mined during the preceding year.
1t was % per cent greater than the total
paid in the state for teachers wages and
school supervision; more than three times
as much as the total combined amounts
i FrUrarN
rent. repairs. district library and school
apparatus, fuel, incidantals, and all other
school purposes except salaries In fact.
the poultry came within about IA per cent
of paying the entire cost of the public
sckCcls.
sold annually in the state. as returned to
assessors, in the five years ending with
1876, was S3.333562. or value greater by
crops for the same years; SO per cent
greater than the sorghum crops; IL per
cent greater than the millet and hunEa-
rian. and 16S per cent greater than the
Prices of poultry and eggs in 1896 were
not high. but the years surplus sold from
cent of the total value of all milch cows
owned in the great cattle-raising regions
of Colorado, New Mexico. Arizona. and
Utah: more than 'he value of all cattle
owned in oklahoma, with the swine OF
Colorado. Montana, Nevada and Wyoming
added: or about the same as the value
of all the sheep in the six New England
states and those of New York and South
Carolina added; nearly as much as all
the sheep owned IN Texas were worth; or
as much as the value of all the corn of
New England. with that of North Dakota,
Montana. and Wyoming thrown in for
good measure.
According TO the United States census of
1890. Kansas then ranked among states and
territories as fourth in number of chickens.
fourth in ducks, seventh in turkeys and
nineteenth in geese.
Despite their prominence as factors In a
well ordered husbandry, as indicated by the
foregoing. there is apparently notable
lack of practical, popular information with
in ready reach on the subject of farm fowls.
Likewise, much less of suitable attention is
given them than their economic importance
justifies. and the great aggregate of mon
ey, merchandise and substantial comforts
they bring into the homes of farmers and
villagers (mainly through the vigilant care
taking by the good hOusewives) is but poor
u - " Is4'LA
folks who are 50 largely the beneiiciaries.
1t is from desire to remedy this to some
extent and to awaken new interest along
these lines that the data here presented
mostly the experience and counsel of those
long and successfully engaged in poultry
been compiled.
1T is not offered as by any means
exhaustive treaty or complete guide as TO
breeds or management; not in advocacy OF
any particular breed: MOTTO promote or re-
tard the use of artificial incubators nor Of
any particular make; not a manual for fan
ciers nor planned for those who raise pOul-
try under conditions of climate and market
widely different from those common to
kansas but as a helpful compendium of
everyday information for everyday fowl
raiSers-fOr the many women and occasion
al men who possess the genius OF patient
Industry which mOdestly accomplishes with
small things more of good than those who
must do largely or not at all.
1T is TO encourage bettering our COndi-
ions by taking advantage now. this year,
# the opportunities and utilizing the in
resources that lie all about us
md are our for the taking, rather than
elying on some far-away financial god.
he next political campaign or the subse-
iUent congress to make us sure of pros
,erity SO often elusive; to suggest that,
while the important crops may some
ines fall short in yield or price no fam
~ with health and q well-cared-fOr flock
4 fowls need want for the neCessaries to
uStain life nor seek home where nature
supposed TO have been more lavish in
er gifts.
III Kansas. with her Kafir corn. sor-
huns, corn. grasses. range, and location.
not prolific of poultry, eggs, milk and
milk products, that, IN prices and quality.
an aggressively and successfully compete
q all good markets with those from any
ther quarter of the globe, surely the fault
with her own people,
The latter part of the report contains
he proceedings and papers read at the
5st annual meeting of the state board of
gTiCulture.