Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1912-10-22
ANOTHER SHORT HEN TALK.

But a few days ago The Journal had
few words to say about the Amerl-
can hen,and compared her rather flat
teringly to the great American eagle.
While the matter Is still fresh, 1t
might not be inappropriate at least
to make a few remarks about her,
leaving the eagle bird out of It,
Now here are a few facts about our
breakfast food friend that are inter-
esting, and to many full Of informa-
tion.
There are more persons interested in
the poultry industry than any other in
the United States 1t has more pub
lications boosting it than can be found
back Of any other industry.
Poultry keeping is the leading food
producing industry of this country
and, with the small capital necessary
to begin business with, its quick re-
turns, It can never be monopolized,
Indeed this is the reason perhaps 1t
never has been the foundation for q
trust, It is beyond the control Of cap
ital, for an old hen and dozen eggs,
costing all together about q dollar
will start one in the business, All It
requires then to be well started is
years time, and a few dollars for feed.
The value Of the marketed products
Of the hen last year was upwards Of
n billion dollars-a thousand million
great big dollars, thirty thousand
tons of silver-flve times as much
gold as is produced by all the gold
mines Of the world in one year
Again the census year Of 1910 fur
nishes some figures for comparison,
which should make the old hen sing
an extra caclSle or two The wheat
crop of that year was worth $6OO,OOO,-
600.
Hay was valued at $6iO,OOO,OO0.
Oats were worth $3SO,00O,OOO.
Potatoes brought the farmers $213,-
100000.
Only one product, corn, eQualed in
value the product Of the ubiquitous
hen. and this statement Is made with
of having the statistics on the latter
within reach, but in value they are
very nearly equal.
Again the hen bids fair to, in a great
measure, solve the high cost Of living,
though she and her products are
steadily growing in value,
According to the last census report
there had been a decrease in the ten
years preceding in the number Of
farm animals. Cattle decreased ST.
per cent, swine IA, sheep 147, turkeys
A, ducks 80 and geese o. while the
number Of hens increased 20 per cent,
and their value As per cent The de-
crease in other farm stock, is partly,
perhaps largely responsible for the in
creased cost Of living-and the in
crease in hens helped no doubt to pre-
vent 1t increasing still more The next
ten years will make a new record for
the hen, for we as a people are walk
ing up to her importance, and soon
two hens will be cackling where only
one cackled before Outside Of the
business sections Of the big cities It is
possible to raise chickens, and It is
but little trouble and indeed to many
n real pleasure to raise and care for a
dozen or two Of them-outsde of the
financial side of the business.
The fairly bred hen Of today will lay
an average of Is dozen eggs a year
worth $3.50. That is what it would
cost a family to buy them At the
same time the cost Of keeping a dozen
or two Of chickens by that family, util-
i2ing the table scraps, etc, for feed
would not exceed one dollar per hen
for year, Here is where the high
cost Of living gets a jolt With a dozen
hens laying Is dozen eggs a year each
you will get for your table six fresh
eggs every day OF the year, or $50
dozen at q cost Of Sl2, or 2-3 cents
dozen, instead of 80 cents. Then, as
we have stated, any one who has
little home rented or otherwise can
find money enough to start a little
private chicken business Of his own,
that no company or corporation can
freeze him out Of, and in this respect
the hen is the white man's-the poor
white mans-hopo Every boy and ev-
cry girl In Oregon should have her
own little flock and, II this were done,
Oregon, with It's splendid climate and
vast resources, It's mild winters, and
long summers, would not keep on Inn
porting eggs from Nebraska,