The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-10-17
THE AMERICAN HEN.
Importance of the Barnyard Bird as a
Factor in American Life.

Probably the pFincipal interest felt in
the egg industry by the average Amer
lean citizen lies in the fact that within
the past six weeks eggs have been
working up from about 80 cents a dozen
for the best quality to close onto 40
cents, to the purchasing consumer.
This, however, is not paying the Ameri-
can hen the respect that is her due.
She is not only an important but a
wonderfully potential factor of the agri-
cultural industry of the United States.
Yet even the average farmer considers
her almost beneath his notice. He
leaves her to the women and children
and begrudges her almost everything
that makes even the slightest inroad
upon his ordinary crop products. To
her is assigned the stunt of provid-
ing her own living, and she must do
that by cleaning behind every regular
harvest. After he has dug and garner
ed and threshed and closed his account
with each particular item of produc-
tion-provided he keeps such an &C
count-the hen can find her subsistence
in what he has overlooked.
In other words. the poultry yard to
uously regarded as mere incident Of
his general business. Sometimes his
wife or one of his children will take
hold of that neglected branch and Dut
him to shame by masking it the most
profitable feature of the Whole eStab-
lishment Yet deliver in census re-
turns. working for the Brooklyn Eagle.
informs US that last year the poultry
and eggs produced and eaten in the
United States We're worth more than
all the gold and silver mined in the
world during the same year. Except
for the year 1900, the egg product of
this country has exceeded in value
that of its combined gold and silver
output for every year since 1850, which
takes in the entire bonanza period of
our history. That. with the poultry
product. also exceeds in value the whole
wheat crop of twenty eight of TIE most
fruitful states and territories.
Reduced to concrete terms, in 1899 the
egg record of this country was 1890, 900, 900
dozen: There are thirty dozen to a crate,
and 400 crates to car, train of ears
sufficient to accommodates the transporta-
ton of all these crates would reach from
miles, and then there would remain sew
eral cars OF EGGS to spare. IN 1860 Iowa
having a value Of over $4,000, 600 for each
state. Of course the incubator has con-
siderable. to do with poultry production,
single year the value of the eggs and
poultry Of the country has been as high
Think what a flulIabaloo has been raised
over threatened ruin to beet sugar and
wool How much burning breath has been
expended by the lobbyist and the political
spellbinder in appeals for higher tariffs
and protests against reciprocity PROPOSE
TONS Yet in 1902 our whole sugar produc-
ton amounted to only about q. 900. 600 while
the wood industry is only about a third
as important as the egg and poultry in
dustry. 1t is only in quite recent years
that we have thought it worth while to
impose duty on foreign eggs, and when
it did come it WAS rather to make the
schedule symmetrical than because of any
agitation or anx conviction that it was
necessary FAefe is no danger of glut-
ting the market. Farmers are neglecting
a great opportunity. In a summary of re-
cent reports to the state board of agri-
culture they generally confessed it, yet,
IaCknOWIndRinR the eXDSQioDt, th6X still
the inexpedient pursue.-Boston Tran
script.