The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1907-07-15
A Chance to Win a Prize.

A Chance to Win Prize.
In the last issue of The Ranch, the
publishers made a prize offer in con-
junction with one made by Mr.. John
Syphers of the Syphers Machinery
Co., of Spokane. 1t all had to do with
a booklet which has been published
by Mr.. Syphers on the subject, will
the Hen Pay?" This booklet is very
interesting and gives some valuable
information regarding poultry raising.
In this booklet Mr.. Syphers contends
that the hen will pay; that with a
Syphers Incubator, common sense and
an expense of $154.4O a profit of
S15O7.6O can be realized in one year.
He offers a reward of $40 to any
farmer or reader of The Ranch who
will send him in the best reason why
he is right In order to compete for
this reward it is only necessary to
send to the Syphers Machinery Co.
for one of these booklets and then
study it over and frame up your own
reply.
The Ranch is skeptical about Mr..
Syphers' estimation Of the profits to
be made in a year in the poultry busi-
ness from a given investment. We
question very much whether such re-
suits as this can be obtained. There
fore, in the same issue we offered a
reward of $40 for the best reasons
why Mr.. Syphers is wrong. Send for
one of Mr.. Syphers' booklets and II
you think he is right, send your reply
in to him. If you think he is wrong,
send your reasons in to The Ranch.
In this way, after you read the book
let. no matter what attitude you take,
YOU will have a chance to compete for
a prize.
The Ranch has already found one
good staunch supporter of the posi-
ton it has taken. This is Mr.. j. F.
McNay. one of the most experienced
poultrymen in the United States, who
has lust come to the Pacific coast to
establish a large poultry ranch, and
who is now interested in number of
the largest throughout the United
States. Mr.. McNay says that Mr.. Sy'
pliers is wrong. He says that he over
estimates the profits to be made In
poultry from an investment OF $l54 40.
Mr.. McNay submits figures to The
Ranch to prove his position, figures
from his own experience. or course,
Mr.. McNay's figures show that there
is a nice profit to be made from the
poultry business. The Ranch believes
that there is lots of money to be
made in poultry. Both The Ranch and
Mr.. McNay agree with Mr.. Syphers
that the hen will pay, but we think
that Mr.. Syphers is little too liberal
in his figures on the profits OF one
years business.
In advancing his contentious in re-
gard to the profits in poultry, Mr.. NC
Nay says:
my figures show what can be done
by the man commencing anew In the
poultry business. They begin with
the first year. judge that Mr.. Syph
ers' figures must deal with more es
tablished conditions. In the instance
| speak of, my purchases, including Il
hens, 1 cockerel, an 100-egg incubator
l brooder, wire fencing, fence posts
chicken house, etc., amount to tota
cost of $751;. For the first year, II
addition to the original cost, there Is
the expense of chick food, oil ano
regular feed, as well as labor anc
board expense, which, when all adde6
up, makes a total expense for the
first year of 1894. Now let's figure
up how much money you would make
out of the eggs. Twelve hens will
lay on an average, 1900 eggs per an
mum. OF this number 600 will bt
used for setting, out of which $50 will