The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1905-10-11
Why is g Hen?

The time honorcd conundrum
why is a hemp has never received
really satisfactory answer.
Press Bulletin No. 140, OF the ami.
nal ard husbandry department Of the
Kansas State Agricultural College,
attempts the impossible and of course,
fails. Indeed it does worse. Like
the patient man in the land Of Uz, it
has darkened COUNSEL by wordo
without knowledge. Every line OF
this report, which gives the results
OF great eeg'laying contest in the
bleeding State. adds :o'the mystery,
and we are compelled to go on inquir.
ing, "Why is henY"
Whether it is on account Of her sex
or whether nature was in q playful
mood when the hen was evolved, there
can be no doubt that she is q most
eccentric being, utterly repuenant to
logic and combination of heteroge-
'neous mental qualities which nature
has apparently made no effort what
ever to harmonize, says the Baltimore
Sun.
II we contemplate one side of the
character of this money.sided and
strange being we are astonished at her
wisdom. She is taken down with the
incubating fever end is entrusted
with fifteen eggs. She spreads her.
self over them with the utmost care
and precision, so that not one Of
them is exposed to the outside air.
II she should get thirty eggs she
would spread herself as earnestly as
the graduate before the soosl;sh.s OF
commencement night. The hen
knows just how tho egg is formed.
She knows that the yolk and the
white are of different epeoific gravity,
and that If left too long in one posi-.
tion the yolk will come in contact
with the she'll and race suicide will
result. ....., s~r.. =. -
She, therefore, turns each egg over
every day and never fnrgets. Some
years ago woms= from Mew York
got of the cars in Baltimore and for.
got her baby, which was asleep. But
the hen never forgets single one of
her fifteen eggs. ,;'.,. u. 49, -. -.
The hen knows exactly the tempera.
ture, and the exposure that will be
fatal to incubation. She watches the
weather and if it is cold day she
will leave the nest only q few minutes
for her fooa,. and cannot be persuaded
to stay longer IF it is q hot simmer
day she will leave the nest and take q
considerable stroll among the other
hens to learn the latest gossip, after
the manner Of. her kind, knowing
that on such a day the eggs are safe
from chill. ..: ~ >: ;::5:
And yet q creature endowed Will
all'this Intelligence will Sit herself to
death trying to; hatch q china Inest
egg. And she will turn it over every
day with the same care she bestoWs
upon . genuine egg Of her own pro-
duotion.@ How can such intelligence
and stupidity reside contsmpora.
neously in the same brain? iisz. In.
abort, "Why is HEMP s. ); Z. y. 1.
- = al 80 $
Now comes the dairy; and animal
husbandry department. ;of che expert.
mont station Of the Agricultural Col,
!egeof bleeding Kansaa with au egg
laying contest, hoping to clsas, ): up
some Of the mysteries of the hen, and
sueceeds only 10 the multiplying evil
dence2 2efsths Inconsistency and laok ksof
Judgment OF these eaekling fowls, II
is we'll known; that careful k,ousekeep.
ers are boarding eggs .a.uriDeg the
months of November and December,
with which TO make, the Christmas
egguog. h It 3took fs lsevaInl: q ea5nib
White Leghorns: the entire mon tfhSSof
November TO layS six eggs who u ZIG
market was soaring willis the ssanlis ssaillis
illogical birds /: laid sninety.th hres in
April ~ heus eggss were elling for .
cent apiece. {ss \. I. 4 &;
II took six Light Bra hmas th ari .
tire month Of N ovembe ber and ia 6 Dasa.irn- a.
bss. q layz -four. eggs ahsn VI tIi psgs wsts w