The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1905-01-06
TRAoHEs i HEN 10 Els
Nearly Riye Times % Many Eggs %.
She Usualiy y Lays: IS


j little over twice her weight, but
now comes the scientific hen whoI
without dosing or stimulating, lars
seven and one third times her Weight |
In eggs, or 251 eggs each year, and |
this ia by no means the limit. Tue
New York American says. For the
past six years Professor George NJ I
GoweD, agricultural EXPERT and poul-
try specialist at the experiment. sta
tion of the University OF Maine, at
Orono, has been conducting expert
ments with the view of producing a
breed OF hens that can and will lay
more eggs than the ordinary hen,
whose lasiness or lack OF capacity Is
responsible for the high price OF eggs
In the American markets today. Pro
fessor Gowell has made wonderfnl
pr gress In his experiments, having
thus far developed more than forty
hens that exceeded l80 eggs in a, ear
and one whose record is 25l.
People who understand omelettes
better than they do hen history and
:. 10 have a 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 flow from even par
tial success OF = Professor Gowell's work
may be gained Fr0m 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, ,5a8, O85 chickens and
hens over three moaths old, and the
egg production In the prev GUS year
was 1893, ,8l9, 1S8 dozens, valued, on
the average at LIZ cents per dozen,
total Of a144 2S9. 1853 Each chicken
laid, on an average. 65 dozens of
eggs In the year 1899, OF about one
iat th2 six days. Now, this shows
!. .else ths, chicks were either very lasy
Vi y s.sIA e-.ss they lacked capacity for
egg LAYING. Profess3r aowell says 1t
was all lack OF capacity, and to RENE.
dy that condition he has set about
his experiments for the production OF
better, breed Of more prolific lay.
ers.
Even If the experiments now In
PROCESS at Ofouo shall accomplich no
more than 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
ue OF the egg product would he about
525, 900, 600 year. -
Professor Gowell's experiments are
conducted for the purpose, simply, OF
ascertafning which individual hens
are the best egg producers, and to use
them for the breeding Of more of their
kind.
Ae means Of securing the needed
information, fiftv-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. It is g box like structure.
without front or cover, % inches long
13 inches wide and l6 inches deep. IN.
side measure. A division board with
circular opening "a inches in diam,
eter is placed across the box, IL In.
ches from the rear and s inches from
the front end. The rear section thus
formed Is the nest proper. Instead
of close made door at the entrance.
a light frame of lxll inch stuff is
covered with wire netting of inch
mesh. The door is lOx1O inches. and
does not fill the entire space, a mar
gin OF 2 inches being left at the bot.
tom, and inch at the top and sidss.
to secure free action. The door Ia
hinged at the top and opens I'D 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. so bent that one section of 1t 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
oner until she has laid her egg and an
attendant comes TO set her free, the
door when 1T drops, being caught by q
spring and thus held firmly in place.
Each hen In the experimental class
carries upon either leg a broad metal
lie band bearing her number. When
the hen is released from the tran the
attendant takes her number, and then
upon board fastened on the wall
over thesnest, 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 and separated from the
rest. All that have laid less than
160 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.
ber, 1898, fifty-two trap nets being
used. When the data 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 oual.
ity, the breeding operations were
based. 1t Is known that the laws OF
inheritance and transmission are az
true with birds as with cattle, sheen
and horses, and when the wonderful
changes that have been made In the
form, feather and egg production OF
hens since their domestlcation com.