Rocky Ford enterprise., 1908-11-13
Tl,e Gbltterp,:tsP.
WILL R. MONKMAN. Publisher.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER Is, 1905
Subscription Rates.
Greatness of the Poultry Industry.


Poultry growing is an adjunct of
every properly conducted farm and
of every rural home. Probably no
class of live stock is more widely dis
tributed nor is any other so universal
ly reared as poultry. The flesh of
fowls is priced as toothsome and nu-
tritious by all, while eggs, the most
digestible form of animal food, are
coming more and more into use in
lieu of high-priced meats. Besides
their constant consumption as food.
vast numbers are required to supply
the demands of manufacturers. In
annual value the products Of poultry
rank next after those OF the dairy and
of animals slaughtered. About one
sixth of the aggregate value OF the
| animal products in the United States
is credited to poultry: their eontrsbu-
tions to the country's wealth reach
an annual total of half billion dol
lars or more-an amount about equal
| to the value of the nations wheat
crops.
Their right to recognition may be
| further indicated by the fact that in
| 1900 the total value of the barley
rye, buckwhcat, broom-corn, rice,
Kafir corn. fax. small fruits. grapes.
| all orchard products sugar cane and
| sugar beets raised In the United
States. as reported by the census, was
less than the earnings OF poultry.
Wool Is looked upon as q most i'm
portant commodity. but the census
showed its value less than one-third
that Of the poultry and eggs produced
on our American farms. Oats is a
crop appreciated BY stoekmen, and
potatoes are everywhere staple, but
the combined value of these two
crops in 1907 was not greater than
the income from fowls.
| According to the census OF 1890
the egg ostput was then valued at a
higher figure than the aggregated
gold and silver product Of the United
States in any year for nearly half
century. and poultry and eggs to-
cether in 1900 were worth more than
the worlds annual production OF
two exceptions. since the beginnings
of their records. in 1903: They out
valued the total exports of animals
and animal products during all the
years, and in 1900 ovcrtopped the
value of the corn crop Of New Eng
land. New York. New Jersey. Penn
svlvania. Delaware, Maryland, IT.
Ginia North Carolina. South Caro-
lima. Georgia. Florida. Alabama. Mis-
sissippi. Louisiana. Arkansas, West
Virginia. Michigan. Illinois. Wiseon-
sin. Minnesota, South Dakota. North
Dakota. Montana. Wyoming. Colo
RADIO. New Mexico. Utah. Washing
ton. Oregon, California and Oklaho-
ma together.
In former times poultry keeping
was, and in diminishing degree is
yet. side issue, a mere incident to
general farming. its responsibilities
falling to the overburaencd house
wives The fowls gathered their own
subsistence and received little care.
1t is only in recent years tina; the bus
mess has grown to proportions OF a
notably distinct industry. Now
throughout the United States. there
are prctentious poultry plants, and
on the farms poultry is given iars,
consideration: in all portions of the
country. urban or rural. increased in
tCrcst IS manifested, and improved
stock Is suppllnting the mongrcl OF
scrub.
Half a hundred OF more pcriodi
Gals are devoted exclusively to pro-
motion oi the poultry interests. - hilc
every farm parer gives liberal space
in behalf Of the fowl tribe. and in
recent years poultry litcraturcha Nr-n
greatly enriched by numerous valu-
able volumes. some prctcn'ious in
scope and character Agricultural
colleges. experiment stations. st0tc
departments and other institutions
and organizations are aiding by rat-
ing conveniently available from time
to time useful facts cleaned from c~-
pcrimc1tS. Investigations and re
search; likewise. poultry shows have
hccn of 'ucstimable valuc in forward
ing Improvement. while widespread
use Of mechanical ineuharors has
been potent factor in increasing
vice are employed il becomes prIn-
r.77' iuty -f tie her to nrrd"-c eggs.
-. I".moutirg the possible IN
crease
The poultry business has long since
Identified itself with the rushing
thr"nr and foragcd ahead. What has
been done Let us look into the
mast, In Egypt VIC find people hatch
'uG eggs III the hot sand, and bar-cl-
tic ovens or stoves. Thermometers
7rc not used The attendants on
|, lcav0r to keep the heat a trif1c great
'r y IN that OF their own skin. A-ti-
iriri incubation is said to be older
han the present Christian era.
Eggs were hatchcd in countless
.~uHcr~ long before ANYTHING was
| -c~r~rlcd Is to- the existence of pOrl-
| 'r~ itself. md while it does not seem
...s.r'h consideration tn quihhIr aS -
/ ..0re md state of things that existed
/ 'C"0 wears ago, at the same time it
net out Of place to state that we
r~" ~"t ',~u ,0l i-'i'-'u-s { al
sal wcthuis as applied by the
a~lv dav Fr"ufiau-. Who nl1a~ch