The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1905-01-28
HOST VALUABLE HEN
aINkTHEWORLD

EoES many years 1t has been the
hope Of Spoultrymen TO breed a strain
citizens which viii yield at least 200 |
egg as year and at last this has been
accomplished. Now they are aiming
~ increase the yield from one hen
10 sgep eggs agar. which would mean
asnet profit Of 200 per cent to biddy's |
credit. says the Plttsburg Dispatch.
The Possibilities in poultry raising |
h neysr have been realized TO such m |
extsnt as al the present time. Col.
isgsE professors and scientific men all |
oyer The! country are at work in an at.
tempt 20 produce strains and breeds
& fowl which will return double and
treble The profit yielded by the major
10 o. hens now engaged in filling
she egg baskets Of their owners. AL,
ready the poultry business Of this
country has reached astonishing pro.
portions, but eggs are as high as ever
and the demand seems to increase as
fast as the supply.
Perhaps the most interesting ex.
periments looking to the increase in
egg production have been made by
Professor George NJ. Gowell, Of the
University Of Maine. Professor Cow.
alRs experiments have been going on
for I'VE years, and probably will con-
tinae for several years to come. He
began with a flock OF 1000 hens, III.
sided Into pens of about 90. He used
trap nests which are SO arranged that
Then can enter without difficulty, but
cannot get out until she is released
BY an attendant, who is able in this
manner 70 record the exact perform.
ances q each hen.
The FIRST year the best record was
x2o eggs. This record was made by a
Plymouth Rock pullet, and IL other
Plymouth Rocks laid over 200 eggs
The lock consisted of an equal mum
Der of Plymouth Rocks and white
Myandottes, but only three of the
,dottes exceeded the 200 egg marks
the first year.
In order TO carry out his theory o.
liltching chickens from the eggs o.
The best layers Professor Gowel
saved the eggs from the hens Of bott
breeds which had made the best show
Ing and the birds Matched from then
rroged TO be wonderful egg-maklnt
machines. ItSwas found, however
That the Plymouth Rocks far excellet
she wyandottes. and accordingl.
Professor Gowell turned his attention
entirely 10 the latter breed.
BY the end Of the fourth season
there were &c hens capable Of layin,
sGer 200 eggs a year, while one par
tcllarly prolific hen had laid no les
than 23s eggs during the u months.
Continuing his policy Of inbred
ing fhe gexperimenter succeeded in Sc
curing over 40 hens that have laid a
least 200 eggs year, while he L
sbIe to show one under-sizc,
Plymouth Rock which holds the egg
pFpdncing record, having laid rs
sggs within the space of singh
year. Without doubt this is the mos
valuable bird. from utlitarla,
standpoint, IN existence, for she is ca
pable o. returning net profit Q
no per cent.
Professor Gowell has two othe
hens which have laid 246 eggs yea
each and from this wonderful tri
hopes 10 secure a S0O.egg strain.
Is asmatter of doubt, however, whetl
II Isl possible 10 so much furthe
I 8this direction, as the policy OF II
breeding finally results in dccreasin
Rue physical stamina of the bird
sad in order to prevent the degeI
s-atiSa Of the strain and the complet
exhaustion Of the hens 1t will be ne
sssarySto Introduce new blood fro
time to time. When, however, nu
her Of 20O-egg strain have been 5
cured the Interchange of cockrc
may make 1t possible even to cXcet
The 300 egg limit, which is now co
3sidcreds the final goal
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