The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1902-01-21


America. In 1855 came the Leg
horns, and in 1857 the French breeds,
After the opening of Japan, came
the Silkies, with their soft plumage
and long, sweeping tails, with which
we are so familiar in Japanese paint,
ing, broDzes and embroidery. It ie
not unlikely that closer acquaint
anCe with the unknown portions of
western Africa, of Thibet, Arabia,
and other regions may yet contribute
interesting aocessions to the numer-
Gus families of domestic birds, whose
beauties will be shown to us, in this
splendid exhibition.
H SUPER BRONZE TURKEY.
But of all the feathered fowl, as
gather ed in the modern congress of
plumed nations, the representative
par excellence of America, and our
own country in particular, stands at
the head, in the super bronze turkey,
the master-dish of modern f~easts, the
monarch of the Darn yard. True,
there is a foreign turkey, and an
other American variety, whose home
is in Mexico, but the cross with our
native wild turkey has produced the
finest specimens in existence. Cooks
often weigh 40 pounds each, and
hens %, and a few seasons ago a prize
)ok in Connecticut was taken to
England, and exhibited to admiring
poultry fanoiers at the weight of As
pOunds. Suoh are valuable qualities
of our wild turkey, which still fire.
quents a great part of North Caro-.
lima, shat he has been proposed as
the national bird, to displaoe the
BIRD of prey, that has figured so
many hundreds of years upon the
banners of Rome-the standards of
Napoleon, the double headed insig-
MIA of Russia, Austria, Germany and
the like.
PJuttry raising is a charming
diversion in the some times mOnot-
onous course of csuutry life-it calls
into the healthful morning air with
the ~enlivening life of the eagle dock,
hurrying TO and fro; it brings out
the quality of foresight and of
patience, and brigntens many lonely
hours of the humblest and narrowest
life. Ii furnishes the table with
d~elicaoies that rival the repasts of
Kings.
What is to be the future of its de-
velopment? Thus far, it seems that
it's true province is to be a part of
every household, where there is
70 m for bird life, with the freedom
of soil and air necessary to perfec-
ton. Poultry farms on a large scale
have rarely made Il success finan-
oialv, without large areas, and sub
division of the aocks under the most
careful and expert observation. Blu,
surely if the old proverb, "Many "a
little makes a miokle," is a truth, its
application is strongest here.
WHAT POULTRY R AIsING MEANS TO THE
STATE
As yet the returns of the census of
1900 are not a valuable, but as far back
as 1890, the number in North Caro-
lima of chickens was 1902, 500 tur
KEYS, 1874 o; geese, 376 900; ducks,
169, 400, and of dozens of eggs, H.
756, 900, quoting in round numbers.
The total exact number enumerated
vas $3.50, Alb. The value of the
eggs was 81, 175, 500, and the total
value, &3,O55, 494. But it was we'll
understood from comparison in other
lines that dread of the tax collector,
and the want OF proper records of
the eggs and fowls consumed, had
induced an enumeration by the
householder far below the reality.
We shall see that this estimate is
probably much less than half the
present value of that interest in our
State. Let us note the progress
throughout the country.
In 1885, when about %, 900, 900
dozen eggs YER SEM to New York,
their value was about 50, 600, 900, or
nearly so. According to the reports
of the Produce Exchange, about 49,
600, 900 was spent in New York,
Philadelphia and B 1ston alone for
eggs, and 80 much more for poultry,
making some $32, OOO, 900 for the
three cities. In 1886, our exports
were 252, 600 dozen eggs, and i'm