The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1905-01-06
TEAoHEs q AnN go IAY.
Nearly Five Times as Many Eggs as
She IJsuall /, Laws. Is.
Hhe eWsuaHs Lays.


! little over twice her weight, but
now comes the scientific hen who |
without dosing or stimulating, lays
seven and one third times her weight
In eggs, or 251 eggs each year, and
this Is by no means the limit. Tie
New York "A marioan sayR: Elr the
past six years Professor George M
G0well agricultural expert and poul.
TRY specialist ct the experiment sta
tion of the University of Maine, at
Orono, has been conducting expert
ments with tho view of producing a 4
breed OF hens that can and will Law
more eggs than the ordinary hen,
whose lasineBS or lack OF capacity ia
responsible for the high price OF eggs
In the Americln markets today. Pro
fessor Gowell has made wonderful
pr gress In his experiments, having
thus far developed more than forty
hens that exceeded 100 eggs IL q, year
and one whose record is 25I.
People who understand omelettes
better than they do hen history and
who have better appetite for eggs
than they have for statistics do not
realize the Importance OF this effort
for poultry improvement. Some idea
of the benefits to f1nw from, even mar
tial success Of Professor Gowell's work
may be gained Srom a few figures. In
1900, according to the United States
census, there were on the farm of the
United States: including Alaska and
Hawaii, 233, 59S, ,085 chickens and
hens over three moaths old, and the
egg production In the prev Gus year
was l,293,sl9, 1876 dozens, valued, on
the average at 1l.2 cents per dozen, a
total Of a144 1891 Each chicken
laid, on an average. 65 dozens Of
eggs In the year 1909, OF about one
tat attht2 six days. Now, this shows
!. else thefehicks were either very lazy
0r ss>eA e-@S they lacked capacity for
egg LAYING. Profess or Gowell says it
was all lack OF capacity, and to RENE.
dy that condition he has set about
his experiments for the production of
a better, breed Of more prolific lay.
ers.
Even II the experiments now in
PROCESS at Ofono shall accomplich no
more chan to produce a breed OF
chickens that shall surpass the pres.
ent breed In egg laying by one dozen
per chicken year, then for the whole
United States, with its nearly 234,-
600, 600 chickens; the increase in val
ne nf the egg product would ha ahnnt
a25, 900, 900 year. q
Professor Gowell's experiments are
conducted for the purpos., simply, OF
ascertaining which Individual hens
are the best egg prod ucers, and to use
them for the breeding Of more OF their
kind.
AS a means Of securing the needed
Information, iftv-two trap nests" OF
Professor Gowell's own Lewiston and
construction were placed In the thir.
teen pens of the breeding house. The
trap nest Is simple, Inc xpensive, Ger.
tain In its action and requires little
attention. 1t Is a box like structure.
without front or cover, 28 inches long
13 Inches wide and l6 inches deep, in.
side measure. A division board with
circular opening u inches in diam.
eter is placed across the box, l2 in.
ches from the rear and Is inches from
the front end. The rear section thus
formed Is the nest proper. Instead
OF a close made door at the entrance.
light frame of lxll inch stuff ia
covered with wire netting of inch
mesh. The door is l0x1O inches, and
does not I'LL the entire space, mar.
gin of inches being left at the bot
tom, and l inch at the top and sides.
to secure free action. The door is
hinged at the top and opens ND into
the box. When the nest Is ready for
the entrance OF the hen the wire door
Is held up, or open, by means OF a wire
rod. 80 bent that one section of IL rests
directly across the circular opening of
the nest section. When the hen en-
ters the nest section, her back strikes
and lifts this rod, thus releasing and
dropping the door, making her pris-
0ner until she has laid her egg and an
attendant comes TO set her free, the
dor when 1t drops, being caught by a
spring and thus held firmly in place.
Each hen In the experimental class
carries upon either leg a broad metal
lie bend bearing her number. When
the hen is released from the trap the
attendant takes her number, and then
upon a board fastened on the wall
over the.nest, whereon the records are
systematically kept, she is credited
with the egg laid. At the end of the
year the results are figured up, and
the good performers are known BY
their records aud separated from the
rest. ALI that have laid less than
l6O eggs In the year are disposed of.
The others are congregated in differ
ent pens, according to their produc.
tive capacity, and the experiments
continued, both as to the laying capa.
city OF the selected performers and as
to the productlveness of their eggs. all
duly labelled with the number of the
hen laying them, In the incubation of
chickens.
The experiments began in Novem.
Der, 1898, flfty-two trap nets being
used. When the dats from the first
years testing were secured the birds
that yielded 200 or more eggs OF good
shape. size and color were selected for
foundation Stocks" upon which,
with additions made to them In suo.
ceeding years Of birds OF similar DUAL.
ity, the breeding operations were
based. 1t Is known that the laws OF
Inheritance and transmission are as
true with birds as with cattle, sheep
and horses, and when the wonderful
changes that have been made In the
form, feather and egg production of
hens since their domestica tior ,o,r, l