The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1900-05-09


apparently very simple little questions.
The questions are: Do hens pay? III
so, why? and how7 The man, woman
o. child who can answer these three
questions and demonstrate the correct
ness OF his answers in the briefest yet
completest fashion will on April l,
1901, be entitled to something like
$500 in gold and may also obtain some
Of about two thousand special prizes
offered by various individuals and
firms that have become interested in
the contest. The conditions of the
contest have been arranged so that the
city man who keeps hens in his back
yard has an equal chance for first hon
org with the man who makes his living
by raising poultry on farm. In fact,
under the conditions man with three
birds may compete on even terms with
the man who owns 5000, and further
more man who loses money on his
chickens during the time he is COM
peting may still win the cash and
special prizes, providing his system of
recording his methods and the results
of putting them in operation is better
than that of some other man whose
benefits have been greater.
The contest is one of series hav.
ing to do with the various phases of
the farmers life that have been con-
Quoted by the American Agricultur-
ist. A few years ago the proprietors
of this paper undertook TO collect
some statistics that would give au
adequate idea of the number of fowls
in this country, the number of eggs
produced in the course of year and
the value of both fowls and eggs. The
| figures obtained were rather startling,
but there was no reason to doubt their
accuracy, for they were the result of
statistics sent in by thousands of cor
respondents in hundreds of different
localities and were compiled with the
greatest care. The figures showed
1888, 000,0 fowls in this country in
the year 1896; the number of eggs
produced, reckoned in dozens, was L.
141, 900, 900, aud the value of it all in
was $343, ,000,0 900. These figures
showed an increase OF about 33E per
cent. over 1890 and of almost 900 per
cent. over 1880. At the present time
they figure the number of fowls at
900, 100000, which, with their prod
uct for the year 1900, represent to-
tai value, it is estimated, Of more than
Si00, 100000. The figures given for
the year 1896 were reached on the
basis of an average valuation for chick
ems of fifty cents each; for turkeys,
ducks and geese of 81 each and for
eggs of twelve cents dozen. Con-
sidering tho large amount of money
invested in breeds of fancy strains
throughout the country, which do con-
siderable to bring up the average value
of barnyard fowls, together with tho
relatively higher values of both poul-
try and eggs in producing regions ad-
iacent to large cities, these figures are
regarded as conservative.
For many years the editor Of the
American Agriculturist has invited
correspondence on the subject OF
poultry raising. The best methods
of raising fowls and the easiest ways
OF making them pay, have been dis
cusscd at length in the columns OF
the paper, and of course there have
been conflicting opinions. The West
ern farmers have pointed out methods
to their brethren in the East, which
have caused the Fasteners to write
humorous letters about the farmers
OF the West. The Westerners have
said things about their Eastern crit
les, while Southern poultry raisers
have taken falls ont OF each. And in
the meantime each man has raised his
fowls in his own way, satisfied that
that particular way was the best. The
present contest he's grown out OF this
discussion, and although April ] was
decided upon as the the time for the
beginning OF records, more than 5000
poultry raisers had entered the con
test on March /. Some idea OF the
amount OF interest taken in the con
test can be gathered from the fac
that there are now about 10000 con
testants, and more names are being
entered every day. Among them are
city and country raisers in every Stat'
in the Union, in oil parts OF Canada
and even in Mexico, Porto Rico, the
Iuiilppiucb, LnSiauu uuu huSVi"iu
| The greater number of contestants
are farmers, but among those whC
are striving for prizes are many poul
, try specialists, who raise fine bin d'
, for amusement and with no idea o
profit. In speaking of the contes
and what led up to it one OF the ed
| itors OF the American Agriculturis
said:
: "Poultry is raised on every farm
, On most village homesteads and ol
countless city lots, to say nothing o
q city cellars aud back yards. So grea
4 is the interest in it and 80 vast th
amount OF money invested, that W
t regard the industry as one Of tn
t great American industries. Now w
have IN idea that 1T pays to rails
poultry. But we don't know ho,
! profitable it is, and We want to know
i Still less is the general knowledg
of how to manage poultry on either
d large or a small scalc, 30 as to get th