Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1908-01-09
THE POSSIBILITIES
OF POULTRY RAISING


to the homestead OF half a thousand
acres which does not have more or
less poultry. The average southern
farmer expects to raise chickens. but
the income from this source is sell
dom given as much thought as
should be devoted to it, considering
the fact that the southern states
perhaps, have more natural adyan-
tases for this form of agricultural
industry than any other part OF the
country. One OF the staple articles
OF food In such states as virginia
and the Carorinas is chicken. II has
been said that IL rs the beefsteak
or the south, for 1t is as common to
have poultry in some form served
at meals as beef in other parts OF
the country. This is not because
the southern people can afford to
pay a higher price for their food
than people in other parts OF tho
country, but because fowls can be
raised much cheaper and In such
abundance. For this reason very
little attention Is paid to breeding
the most profitable varieties or mar.
keting the eggs in a systematic man.
ner. Hence it Is that many a farm
er allows his chickens to run not
only about the house and barn, but
even in the fields and there is no
doubt that a very large waste is
caused by the hens laying eggs here
and there and every where, often in
places where they are eaten by ami
mails or spoiled by the weather. In
fact, the calculations made by ex-
perts In the department OF agricul-
ture go to show that much largef
percentage OF eggs goes to waste in
the south than elsewhere in the couu
try on account of the neglect OF the
poultry industry.
The revenue which can be obtain
ed, however, from systematic and
scientific poultry raising has been
demonstrated in several portions OF
the south, although the figures OF
the extent of the business are so
much that they are hardly credible.
One locality where the income from
poultry is actually greater than
from any other output OF the farm
Is In the vicinity OF Morristown
Tenn. This community, which has
a population OF 1000 and is one OF
the most prosperous in the state
named, practically depends for it's
prosperity upon the chicken yards I'm
and near 1t. Here the poultry raisers
have furnished an object lesson
which could be studied with profit
by every farmer in the southern
states since they have proved that
with a comparatively small expense
the money returns are OF truly great
magnitude. 100000
When 1T is stated that in a single
year the Southern Railway compa-
ny which has a line through this
part OF Tennessee hauls away from
Morristown about $50 carloads OF
eggs alone, and from 700 to 500 car
loads of poultry, an idea can be
gained OF the surprising extent ii
the industry. A years shipment
combined will aggregate nearly
thousand carloads or over 80 solia
trains OF 80 cars each. And an in
teresting fact is that the poultry
and eggs are not only shipped to
cities in the south, but to such mar
kets as Washington, Baltimore
while very large conslgnments are
made to New York, as we'll as to
Chicago. In fact the poultry rails
ers and egg dealers in Morristown
have a selling territory which com
prises over half OF the United States
This Is why practically every farmer
within a radius of 80 miles from the
Tennessee community engages in
poultry raising, some making a spe-
cialty OF chickens for the tagles Of
the large hotels others devoting
themselves to breeding fowls, which
are notable as egg layers.
This division OF the poultry indus
try into branches Is worth nothing,
because It is one OF the reasons why
such success has been attained. AS
district from the egg farm is the rais-
ing OF brofiers and roasters and crate
feeding OF chickens for market.
These highly profitable systems re-
quire a perfect understanding OF all
local conditions, and can easily be
studied out with the aid OF current
poultry literature A pound OF fat
chicken can be raised as eheaply as
a pound OF beef and II is worth
twice as much in the market. A
thousand pounds OF fat chicken can
be produced as cheaply as thou
sand pounds of kbt beef, and the
thousand pounds of chicken can be
produced in one-fourth the time re-
puired to fatten the beef steer II
Is one OF natures wise provisions
that the smaller the stock the quick
er and greater shall be the final re-
suit. Thus a chicken can be fatten-
cd In three or four weeks, and the
bpof pfaor rautffroe hundrod Have