The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-02-24
JUST THE HEN.

While Luther Burbank and one or two others are using their intellects and their best efforts to improve fruits and vegetables, to get larger specimens and more of them, and generally to benefit mankind by increasing his sup ply of vegetable food, there Is one fruit that Is not receiving a due share of attention from these improvers We mean the fruit of the hen, the common, everyday h-e-n. She is not keeping up with the advance and improvement of the age, but is going on in just the same way, no doubt, that she did when Eve hunted hens nests and gave Adam scrambled eggs for breakfast. We suppose, at least. that Eden was not without poultry and that It's early in habitants made use of them. At any rate, we feel sure that as soon as our first parents were evicted from Eden and found themselves out in the cold world, they corralled the egg-producers and made merry over the result. Won der how many methods of cooking eggs they discovered, and if such good things as egg-nogg and Tom and Jerry were known to them? Perhaps the main ingredients of these compounds were not available. Let us pity themi
 By the way, we should like to know what has become of that fellow who claimed to have developed a plan to make every hen lay at least one egg every day. We fear he was a fake or else there was some hitch in the com- bination so that it failed to work. If there was anything in his claim, he should have given 1t to the world of waiting and suffering humanity before now. It Is an important matter, that's what it Is. Eggs are among the neces- saries of life, and it isn't right that they should be so scarce and high priced as they are these days. The If so, they don't divide fairly with us city sufferers. When it comes to pay ing from 25 to 50 cents for a dozen, and hard to get at that, we feel like en- tering a robust protest. And then, to make 1t worse, when we buy them, we 0Sh oAWaSS "hChASI thCS pc- long to the prehistoric age or to the present century. The home dealers are not to blame. They buy their sup ply on faith, and sometimes that faith is badly dislocated. They and those who deal with them get eggs that antiquities.
 Hens are curious creatures, any way we regard them. They have a perverse habit of going their own way and not caring a rap for the needs of human ity. In the summer, when eggs are not among the necessities of life, the hens will shed them all over creation. They know that the average human has no way of keeping them for future use and for that very reason, it really appears, they deliver them In whole sale lots and probably cackle with de- light because they understand what a demand there will be for their products later on.
 But how is it in winter? That Is when the wretched fowl gets her re- venge on us for appropriating what she might have turned into bright young biddies. So it is that just when we need eggs worst. she stands round all day and does nothing She may give an occasional cackle by way of reminding us of what she could do if she would, but she doesn't do a thing. She is apparently aware that Christmas is the time that we must have eggs or go without many things that make the season one of joy and good cheer, and apparently for that reason she re- fuses to perform a solemn duty.
 The Portland Oregonian seems to think that by proper care and feeding, hens can be made to lay throughout tho year, but we have our doubts. A somewhat extended knowledge of hens incllnes us to the opinion that you can't make one do anything till she Is ready. That they ought to do some thing during the winter months to earn their board and lodging Is true enough, but we will have to be shown before we admit that they can be forced to work when they don't want to.