Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1908-01-09

can be looked after any time. day
and night. The coiony system IN
poultry raising is absolutely neccs-
sary to those who do not care to en-
gage in general farming. One pouI..
try farm cannot make egg shipments
daily. A colony can ship fresh eggs
daily and obtain a reputation and
better prices thereby. A poultry
raiser OF necessity must keep a COW
or two and ought to have butter TO
sell. but IL cannot be sold alone 10
advantage. A poultry colony, ship
ping butter from central point.
can always have some product TO
send to market. Poultry colonists
can keep their own business separate
and without Interference. one with
another; but in buying necessities
and selling products they can act as
community, thereby obtaining dis
counts and concessions for quantity
which no individual buyer can do.
One reason why the South affords
such an excellent opportunity for
the farmer to devote himself to rats
ing chickens or, eggs, possibly both
for market, is because such small
area OF land is required. The live
stock grower must have ample pas
turage for his herds--fields which
may comprise hundreds OF acres. In
addition TO this, he must have land
suitable for hay and other fodder
upon which to feed his stock In win
ter. But as already stated n pound
of fat chicken can be raised in the
south as cheaply as a pound OF beef.
although 1t sells in the northern and
in the home market for at least twice
as much. The flock of chickens, how
ever, can be raised on a patch OF a
Few acres as is demonstrated by the
fact that many of the most success
full poultry farms" in Morristown
do not comprise even Ave acres in
all including the garden for supply
ing the farmers table. as well as
the site for his own home.
The man who gives a little study
to the raising OF poultry realizes
that there is chance to confine his
efforts to one or several specialties.
We have already alluded to the way
in which some OF the Morristown
people depend largely upon eggs for
their income, some of the single
farmers sending to market a car
load In a month. Others confine
their efforts to breeding chickens
which command fancy prices espe-
cially in New York Another d.
vision of the industry is in the rails
ing of very high grade fowls ana
selling their eggs at high prices, not
for food purposes, but for setting.
Some of the poultry raisers in Ten;
nessee actually pay large percent
age OF their expenses by selling
sets" OF eggs at prices which range
as high as 81 and IS per dozen. This
| feature OF the industry is almost to-
tally neglected by the average farm:
er IN the south who regards one
breed very much as he regards an
other. In fact high prices are often
paid for game" chickens because of
their fighting qualities when stock
which would bring profitable figures
especially in the northern market
for food is eaten on the home table.
AS already stated the poultry
farmer of Morrstown do everything
by a system and have an association
which gives them special advantages
in marketing their product. This
organization is not unlike the asso-
citation OF fruit growers of California
which has given this region such a
large market for it's products. AS a
result OF this system II is fact that
there is not a poultry raiser in the
vicinity OF Morristown who has
made failure of the industry, and
1t Is admitted that the progress and
prosperity Of this community and
the country around II are due al
most entirely TO this specially In
agriculture, yet Morristown has no
more advantages than can be founG
! by the would-be poultry raiser in
any southern state. The climate OF
The south is especially favorable
more so than in most sections OF the
north and west. There IS an abund-
ance Of suitable food, pure water and
the numerous railway lines give am
pie facilities for reaching markeG
One advantage which this feature Of
rural life possesses to the person
who engages in Il is that he should
be near the line OF railway and can
I practically become a resident OF
some village and not be isolated far
back IN the country He requires so
little ground for the vocation that
It can be secured in the outskirts of
the community from which he ships
his product-The Tradesman.