The Democrat-sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1906-1935, 1907-07-25
Progress In Poultry,

When Columbus reached the
shoree of America there was not
u chicken to be seen anywhere
The Indians of the lies, those of
continent stretching north along
the Atlantic, as well az Aztecs of
Mexico, and the Incss of Peru,
were wholly unacquainted with
the luxury OF hen eggs, and had
never heard q rooster crow. The
wild duck, of course, was known
everywhere that water flowed, and
the wild turkey was familiar to
the residents from northern
Mexico to Hudson Bay, but no.
where in the Americas was there
duplicate of the now so common
occupants Of the coops and bnrn-
yards. 1t was not until we'll into
the sixteenth centuary that
chickens were imported into the
colony of Virginia, and nothing
but the common dunghill fowl was
known in what is now the United
States until the new republic was
we'll under way. So the poultry
industry, as We now know it, one
of the marvels of the modern
world, was practically the growth
of the nineteenth century, and
principally of the sixty or seventy
years. II was not until the fam
ciers took mp the business and be-
gan scientific breeding that the
varieties were increased aad i'm
proved until at present they mum
Der more than q hundred.
AS explained heretofore in
these columns, the original of all
our poultry was the jungle fowl
which was found wild in India.
subsequently, domesticated and
spread over China, Japan and
other countries Of Asia. 1t does
not appear however, that any
effort was made in these countries
to evolve improved breeds, and in
Egypt they still have the exact
duplicate of the chickens that
pecked in the straw around the
pyramids during the reign of the
early Pharaoh5. The original
supply was brought from Asia to
Europe, but it is England and
America that have been foremost
in developing new breeds. The
results accomplished ,by the
fauclers in these two countries in
recent years have been nothing
short of marvellous. By careful
selection and mating, persistent
experimentation, a system of Gull
ing and excluding along the lines
taught by the Darwinian nhiloeo
ply, fowls of all sizes have been
from the diminutiye
bantam to the mammoth Rocks,
one tiny bit of feathered vanity
weighing only few ounces,
and the other weighing many
pounds.
Results equally as wonderful
have been accomplished in color
effects. There are varieties n
ed, black, brown and white,
With nearly all possible com bina-
.iona, besides buff and Andslu
iian blue Not content with this
he fauciers have shown that they
'an lace, strife, spangIe or bar
he feathers OF heir b rIs ia any
gay 4" satisfy their Individual
aney Ia faet, it seems. thar
.hru0 al there is left for tasm to
10 alony iLis line il TO put their
initials On the fsathals OF their
'irds, which, in the light of what !
hey have already done, iJ not as l
as It may aouui While {
his IS interesting, however, it is
he commercial feature Of the
u'lness that commands attention. i
he magnitude Of the business, E
eViewed from the standpoint of
atlonal finances, is truly amaz. t
ng. Poultry and eggs, as is well a
nown, constitute an important
art Of the food supply of the \
Indirectly, the business .
epresents an invested capita! of
undreds of millions Of dollars, :.
me poultry farm alone in the ;,
nthracite region of Pennsylvania, :
oVers eighty y-two acres, thirty :
We Of which are taken nm with tha