Omaha daily bee., 1909-12-31
HEN IS TRULY The QUEEN
She, with Her Little Egg, Rules the
Whole Land.
COULD WIPE OUT FEDERAL DEBT
Lays Enough in Two Weeks to Pal
the Interest on All the Money
that Your Uncle SAM
ueI Owes.

we naVent all OF us STATISTICS at nanu TO
show the relative difference between the
poultry products of the United States and
that of our national wealth in the pro-
ducts Of corn, wheat, cattle and swine, but
we have figures at hand for the yearly
output in these sources of national wealth,
and al since the last census, to show us
that poultry products are leading at in
creased rates over their howings in the
last census. and in this last census the
values of poultry and eggs over that of
animal and wheat values In many states
certainly took the country by surprise.
And the surprise in the face Of facts
showing that we had been handed in low
estimates of poultry product values from
cvery farm.
In the last nine years an impetus has
been given the poultry trade in higher
prices that was ever before known. Ar
impetus that has resulted in the doubling
Of flocks kept on the farm, and in the
interest shown in exchanging flocks made
up Of every kind of poultry cross for
flocks Of the pure bred in the general
utility line, although, as the very old say
ing goes, THE eggs of a fow will pay
for the horse long before the weight of
her body will pay for the saddle has led
many poultry breeders on the farm as well
do III lht 6llldlANI lOWHS W put III DTeGuE
renowned only for egg laying and not for
market birds.
Strange, but True.
Here is something strange, but true. We
do not notice it until we get the aggre-
gate values of the poultry industry from
all the farms. We have all heard about
the steel and iron trust, of its great hold
ings, of its great need-not the trust, bu.
the product of steel and iron, to this land.
And yet figures show that in the last six
months the humble, often time half fed
and sheltered hens of the United States.
have produced more wealth than all the
iron mines in the last year, and yet the
steel and iron industry. claiming to be the
of business success in this land.
with all its furry and fuss, is, not the
barometer at all. 1t is the humble poultry
business that beats it's baronIetric figures.
Next, and better. At a low count our
hens have. laid over 5000, OOO, % eggs the
last year. Her product for the last year
amounts to $500, GOO, 900. Now note: This is
more than the aggregate output of wool.
sheep, gold and silver in the last year, and
about S1O0, 10000 more than our hogs
brought us-the great American hog-and
about $40, o., 900 more than old King Cotton.
The Hen Is Queen.
Truly the hen Is queen. The grain which
furnishes her largest food supply, old King
Corn, keeps ahead of her now, but only
manages to do this because of it's late
very high price per bushel.
We have a large national debt. The hens
of the United States lay enough eggs in
two weeks to Fey off the interest on that
debt. How soon at that rate could they
earn enough II make us free from the
national debt?
Perhaps poultry and eggs are climbing
too high In price per pound and dozen to
suit the consumer. This mag all be true.
But there is nothing evanescent about
this rise. 1t is due to no boom. They
rise on a solid basis. And were the price
to, in course of time, be gradually low
ertd-which there is no danger of coming
to pass soon-yet will there be good profit
in keeping large flocks of poultry.
The excellent and steady prices paid for
poultry products has not only increased
the number of poultry kept, but each year
sees a correspondent rise in all poultry
supplies.
There is an Increasing demand for the
pure bred. This has brought into the
business an Increased industry in raising
the pure bred Of all standard varieties to
supply the calls for breeding stock. This
OF itself, as a side business, carries a vast
amount Of money.
Demand for I~ncubatOrS.
In poultry fixtures the demand for incu-
bators and breeders increases each year.
At first the increase was steady, but the
last two years the increase has made up
ward jumps and bounds, so that some in
cubator manufactures houses could not