The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-03-21
A Great Wealth Producer.

How many persons properly appreciate
the hen? How many are aware of the
fact that the hen is the greatest producer
of wealth in this country? Compared with
the hen, the sheep, the pamDered pet of
politicians and organizations, sinks into
insignificance while the hog is left ''out
of sight" and the COW remains far in the
background. Compared with the value of
vegetable and mineral product, the hen
continues to stand far in advance. The
Rural New Yorker. an agricultural au-
thority. has lately prepared some figures
which show the enormous wealth produc-
ing capacity of the hens of the United
States, in comparison with the value of
other outputs. The figures, according to
the Rural New Yorker are taken from re-
liable data.
There are, in round numbers, 375, 900
chickens and 100000 other fowls, such as
geese, ducks and turkeys, in the United
States. These produced in 1897 for mar
ket 14,4O0, 100000 eggs, worth $165. coo 600,
and poultry sold as meat such as "broil-
ers" and bakers" worth SIPS, 600 900 more,
running the total of poultry products up
to $290,OO00OO per year. That is
more than the value of all of the
cotton raised in the United States. Tt is
$50 600 more than the value of the wheat
crop. 1t is $25oO0,OOO more than
the value of the beef products
of the country. 1t is seven times
the value of all the wool raised in
the country in a year. and four times the
IL ,I,,1
States. The hens produce more than three
times as much wealth as all of the silver
mines, and their output could pay the gov
ernments pensions and have enough left
over to buy the annual output of American
gold. The total value of all mineral pro-
ducts of this country annually is
$600O0,00O less than the value OF
the eggs and chickens produced
and marketed in twelve months. I'm
one year." says the Rural New Yorker.
1.-THE hens of the country could pay the
entire bonded debt of the Greater New
York, and have enough left over to buy
all of the gold and silver mined during
the year" Speaking of the individual
capacity of the hen, our contemporary
cents, will feed hen 300 days She will
lay 100 eggs, worth two cents each, thus
increasing the value of the wheat to 50,
which is enough to haul one ton of freight
$50 miles, or to haul one passenger fifty
miles After she has done this, she will
return twenty-five cents worth of the fer
tilizing value of the wheat TO the soil for
| auother crOn
What a great money-maker the hen is,
to be sure! And yet how little attention
| is paid to the hen in this section of the
country. In the majority of instances she
is obliged literally to scratch for her own
| living, nevertheless she pays her owner a
| fine bounty for the privilege of existing.
| Evidences of the lack of local attention to
the hen are to be seen written on the
| ends of egg crates in this city, and prob
| ably in great many other Southern cities
| Very few of the crates are shipped from
| Georgia points, The state does not produce
eggs enough to supply her own wants, not
withstanding her broad acres afford a YER
table paradise for poultry. Instead of
importing eggs and poultry from other
states. which is a common occurrence.
South Georgia should have a surplus of
these ever saleabie commodities for sale
in other territories. AS it goes now, we
send out of the state for poultry, eggs,
! butter. lard. beef and dozens of other
things which better than not we could
scarcity of currency"