La Junta tribune., 1909-01-23
SATURDAY. JANUARY 20. 1909.
WHITE LEenoRns FOR PROFIT.
OF Special inte est to Farmers and
Those Contemplating Raising PouI-
try.

Originally It was a rich farming sec
tion and the country was given over
to raising grains and vegetables for
the San Francisco markets. Gradual
~ the land became less productive,
and the crops grew smaller and less
profitab-e.as with mahy other farming
sections.
About this time someone began TO
raise poultry and sell eggs. This was
found to be very profita lie, and one
after another OF the farmers took to
raising poultry. until now there are
pro ably million and a half of laying
hens in the Petaluma district each OF
which are working to make the coun-
try richer and her owner independent.
At first various breeds of poultry
were kept and thorough tested, but
gradually the single comb White Leg
horn became the favorite, and now in
a days drive over hills and through
valley around the great egg-proaucins
center, one will hardly see anything
but White Leghorns. never once out
Of sight of thousands of them. or out
of hearing of the cheerful cackiing OF
the busy hen.
Stand on a hilltop a mile or two
out of Petaluma and look down acros
a valley in which are kept 25.900 lay
ing hens. these being divided among
several egg farmers. each owning
little farm; white houses dotted over
the landscape and green trees added
to the beauty of the scene. while mp
from the poultry houses comes clear
ly the voices of thousands Of laying
hens, proclaiming that they have done
their duty for the day.
1t costs something more than dol
lar to keep a hen year. and she will
lay eggs enough to pay her feed bill
and leave her owner profit close to
$500 year per hen. This is clear
money. and the poultry raiser who
keeps White LIE shorns at Petaluma or
anywhere else and has a thousand
hens may count upon getting about
$4,000. year af.er paying his feed
bill, and have to devote only a part
of his time to the business.
These Petaluma poultry farmers are
not keeping White Leigh -ons because
they fancy their shape and color
alone They are keeping hens to
make money. They have tried out
all the other breeds and have Sc
lected the single comb White'Leghorn
exclusive. beca Sc she has proven
good by years of hard testing, and is-
without doubt the most economical
egg producer we have had. and has
justly won her title. "The Business
Hen Of Amer ca One day last fall
near.y $4,000 worth OF eggs were
shipped from Petaluma in one day.
and every day in the year. excapt
Monday, a steamer comes up from
San Francisco and loads up with eggs
and poultry for the San Francisco
market. Here. we have BIT OF coun-
try about twelve miles wide which is
producing far more clear. clean. easy
money every year from poultry rails
ing than is possible to produce in any
other part of the state, In the pro-
duction Of any crop (other than poul-
try) on an area of the same size.
1t is a work whcih does not depend
on the wealth r. 1t matters little to
the poultry farmer whether rain
comes or they have water in The
ditch regu ar. for his hens go on lay
ing Just the same. We hear about
the profitable orange groves of Cali
fornia. They are not in 1t with the
Leghorns Of Pet luna. Nor need the
poultry keeper go to Petaluma to
make money from White Leghorns.
IN central New York there is quite
large district where White Leshorns
are raised by the tens Of thousands
for egg product on and market.
Country and climate do not make
much difference with the White
Leghorn. as some people think.
Whether In sunny California or under
the wintry skies Of New York, the
White Lexhcrn make more than good
The reasons are not difficult to see.
Put one hundred eggs from the Leg
horn with 100 eggs from any other
variety Of fouls In an incubator or
under another hen--you will hatch
much greater per cent. Of the Leg
horn eggs. Put seventy-ffve White
Leshorn chicks in Z brooder or under
hens With seventy-five Of any other