The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-04-08
DO HENS PAY? WHY? Howl
TEN THOUSAND PEOPLE TRYING 70
ANSWER 7HESE QUESTIONS.
A Contest From which Much Valuable In
formation About Poultry Il txpectsd-
City Men In II ne Well ms Farm-rs-valus
If the Ioultry of the limited AtAtnn.

A Contest From which Much Valuable In
formation About Poultry Il txpectsd-
Guy Men In II ne Well ns Farm-rs-vaius
of the Poultry of the United Staten.
Nearly ten thousand persons In this country
have recently entered a contest the obicctci " which
Is to answer three apparently very simpic ntls
que ,uons. The questions are. No hens payf
II NJ. Why and how The man, woman or child
who can answer these three questions and demon.
strate the correctness. of his answers In tho briefest
yet complcte,t fashion will ON April |, 1901,
he entitled To something like $500 In gold and
may also obtain como Of about two thousand
srcciel rriles offered by vsriou. individuals and
Arms that have become Interested In the contest.
The conditions Of the contest ha ys been arranged
80 tina, the city man who keeps hens In lis bach
ward has AN equal chance for frst honors with
the man who MAKES his living by raising poultry
on n farm. In fact, under the conditions a man
with three birds may compete on even terms With
the man who owns 5000, and furthermore a man
who loses money Oh his chickens during the dine
hc is connecting may still win the cash and special
rnzes. providing his system Of recording HE
methods and ,he results of putting them In opcs
alton is better Than that Of some other man whose
benefits have been greater.
The contest Is one OF a series having 70 do Win
the various phases Of tho farmeIs life that have
been conducted by the American Aoricultsvta.
A few years ago the proprietor, Of this paper
undertook TO collect some statistics that would
give an adequate Idea OF the number Of fowls
In this country. the number Of cees produced y
the course Of a year and the value Of both fowls
and eggs. The figures obtained wore ratha
startling. but there was no reason 10 doubt theas
accuracy, for they were tho result Of statistics
sent in by thousands OF correspondents In hun
dreds Of different localities and were COMPLIED
with the greatest care. The figures showed
$40. 0OO, 900 fowls in this country In Tho yesR
1896; the number Of Eggs produced, Tedkonsd In
dozens, was l,l+l. 600. 900. and the value Of 10
all In dollars was s343. 900, 900. These figures
showed an increase Of about 80 ID por cent ov 2
1890 and Of almost 200 Per cent. over 1880. AZ
the present time they figure tho numboF Of fowls
At 500, 600, 600. which. with their product for the
year 1900. represent a total valuc. II Ia es1mated,
Of more than S40O, 0OO, 900 The figures GtvoA
for Tie year 1896 were reached on tie baals Of
an average valuation for chickens Of 30 cents
each; for turkeys. ducks and geese Of 81 each
and for eggs Of II cents a dozen. Considering
the large amount Of money Invested In breeds
Of fancy strains throughout the country. which
do considerable 70 bring up tho average valne
Of barnyard fowls, together with the relatively
higher values OF both poultry and eggs In pre-
ducing regions adjacent 70 large ctties- hsD
figures are regarded as conservative.
For many years the editor Of the Americas
Agricultural has invited correspondence on The
su bject Of poultry raising. The best methods
OF raising fowls and the easiest ways OF making
columns Of thu paper, and Of course there have
been conflicting opinions The Western farmefs
have pointed out methods 10 Their brethren In
tho East, which have caused tho Fasteners "a
write humorDu, istt'ts about the isrnerS Of the
Vest Then thu Wrsiernsrs have said hingo
about their Eastern chics, while the Southern
poultry rais'rs havr taken falls out 81 each And
In the m"lnume each man has raised his fowls
in his own way. satisfied that that particular
way was the best The present contest has grown
out OF this discussion, end although Apnl l wa4
decided upon a. the time for the b~irnning Of
tecordc, more than 1900 poultry Taisers had
entered their names In the contest on March 1
Som" idea Of tn" amount OF interest taken "a
the contest can he gathered from the fact thae
there are now almost 10000 contestants, and
more names are being entered every day. Among
them are city and country ra!serS " very StApe
In the Union, IN all parts Of Canada, and evsn
in Mexico, Puerto Rico, this philippines. England
and Australia. The greater number Of contest
ants are farmers, but among those who are s,hy.
ing for the prikes are many poultry specinnshv
who raise fine birds Tor amusement and with mp
idea Of profit In speaking Of the contest ana
what led up 10 It on. Of the editors Of the Amer
Poultry il raised on every farm, on most VII
lage hOmrStcals and on oounuess city lots, -
say nothing Of city cellars and back yards. SO
gtrnt Is the interest In II and 40 yasts&ie anount
0f money invested, that we regard The industry
~ one Of the graf American industhrs Now
W. have an ida that IT pays 2 rai7s poultry:
want 10 know. SIN less IL the general knowl-
edge Of how 10 manage poultry, on either a large
or 2 small scale. 50 e, to e.. the biggest , pr1ats
yltal problem which We are going 10 try and solve.
w. 'Xp"rt that the inducements that We hove OF
feral will result IN, ono grand effort on the pan
Of those Interested in poultry raising. 70 ind out
how much pu,1t there Is in the business and how
IA. profit may he incfrnSa1. On our pnrfwe hnvs
headed The prizr list With 500 In gold, an In Nd.
dition we have sct aside So 800 .ioI the expense
~ running tho con ost and for coll ating and pub
fishing the result Hundreds. OF Other. przes
have bean con'r!bu'"d ny indiyidusIs and nIma
they arc articles Of value to persons interested
IN rculry raising.
"Tbe first rrze win DO awarded foI the Iesord
that shows most clearly and accurately lust how
the contestant has managed fowls during one
ycpr, the rroduct obtained and how OPPOSED Of.
The cot Of Mains md marketing I rYmh rrOdnss
not for the higgeS, profit. II is FOR the most aocu.
rate rccorl Of methods md results. A report
that showsaloss may win oyer a less carefully
10 lie, 10 niSrepreNcnt or % he careless and every
reason for a con'rstg nj TO be absolutely truthful
ort Mrsrr So&WW W MADE a special effort 10 ss,
city raisers as well as. farmer, IN and have met
with great success. Among the contestants are
d.,GnI who T.l-s s pTElsry o, m me rb NOS t.c croS sena
I'm their cellars or back yards and one man who
raj Is his birds In an. old horse car that he bought
for 81 md converted into A ben house. When
ali ~ these poultry raisers ret through telling
us their experiences. We will I've able 10 give the
world some valuable contributions to poultry
In addition 10 the $500 In gold, which tho con-
testAnts are 10 ftri"c fpr, there are these other