The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1908-11-21
Correspondence Baltimore County Union.
A VISIT TO BRADLEY BROS. POULTRY
YARDS.

HAMPTON, Nov. 14th, 1908.
Messrs. Editors GentleDaen Having had occa-
sion lately to be in Boston, Mass. concluded to
vary the monotony of my journey home and re-
turn by way of the Berkshire Hills. Here
hoped to combine business with pleasure while
visiting the poultry yards of the Bradley Bros.
Ny husbands success in former years, as an ex-
hibitor of Plymouth Rocks, at the New York,
Pennsylvania and home shows, had been largely
due to the infusion of this well known strain,
under the care of our late manager. Mr.. Joseph
Phipps. naturally had curiosity to see the
home of this celebrated stock and wish to Sc
lect some cockerels for my own yard. Curiosity
and wish were both gratifed, although had a
rainy day for my trip. What l saw and heard
interested me greatly, and as many of my neigh
bors raise chickens, I thought they might like to
hear of my experiences.
The Bradley homestead lies between Lenox
Dale and Lee, Mass, and is accessible from Pitts
field both by rail and trolley. In order to gain
time to make connection with the train to New
York, where was to pass the night, I took the
trolley which carried me to the door. In fact,
the trolley road cuts the farm in two. Young
Mrs. Bradley received me and invited me into
the living room, where her pretty children chung
about her. She entertained me agreeably until
her husband was disengaged, and heard from
her how Mr.. Bradley and his brother, now de-
When the present representative of the firm
was Is years old-he is now apparently In the
thirties : his father presented him and his
brother with a pair of high grade Plymouth
Rocks. With this stock in trade the Bradley
lads through their thrift and perseverance,
overcame difficulties aud transformed obstacles
into stepping stones to success They thus
built up for themselves lucrative business and
at the same time rendered themselves benefac-
tors to the poultry world.
When Mr.. Bradley entered the room was sur
prised to see man considerably younger than
had expected. On our way out he introduced
me to his father who, hearing what had come
for, volunteered some very good general advice
upon raising poultry for profit: 1t inspired me
with the desire to do all could to keep up the
faction il for nothing else.
AS the son led the way to the chicken yards he
apologized for the lack of fine, up,to-date Poul-
try houses. which evidently he thought l ex-
pected to find. To tell the truth was glad they
were wanting, and from what he told me as we
means by which he had evolved success He
proved very conclusively that anyone living ON
a farm, with the opportunity to devote his time
and energy to chicken raising. needed very lit
tie capital to begin on, and very little more to
turn it into regular business that would pay
for itself. believe that the first outlay made
by the brothers, after their stock had outgrown
a corner in the paternal barn, was in the way of
packing boxes, obtained for mere song, which
yielded them enough lumber for their require
ments. AS their flock increased and further
accommodations were needed, they utilized the
materials of frame building, offered to them
hauled away. This was done by the farm teams
at a dull season of the year. And so the build
ingS were added to from time to time until they
now house birds by the thousands, with runs at
tached and throughout it all a primitive order
prevails. OF course there are larger ranges for
the young stock.
AS for the chickens themselves had no idea
before of how many shades the Plymouth Rock
could be. To see the uniform color of the mem
bers of each pen, which graded with that of the
next and the next, from the lightest to the
darkest, usually with the cock and hens to
match, was a most interesting sight. Some
times, however. the mating formed violent con-
trasts, expected to turn out wonderful results.
What appealed to me particularly was to find
hens among them that might have lie full
form. one making the regulation show bird. the
other the good layer. The black feather which
some persons look upon as a blemiSh of the
Bradley stock, is often seen in the best birds.
OF course they are supposed to be pulled out as
they appear in the young stock, and it is claim
ed that when this is done they become lighter
with the new feathers after moulting md gradu-
ally disappear.
During the eighteen months since the poultry
on our farm has come under my observation
and care have learned to value some above the
rest as layers and mothers. The high cushioned
type also hold on to as a concession to show
room standards.
Mr.. Bradley has birds of all prices to suit diff
ferent purses. but where one sees them all
together one is tempted, as was, to loosen the
to get the most desirable to mate with ones
own stock.
To see all these fine birds was we'll worth the
prolonged trip. 1t was certainly an encourage
ment to raise only the best. and L am looking
forward to the time when shall feel more con
fdence in my own judgment to let Hampton"
once more try its fortunes at the poultry shows
of the State. HELEN W. RlDGELY.