The Parma herald. (Parma, Idaho) 1903-1917, 1912-05-02
POULTRY KEEPING PROFITABLE.
Prof. Dryden Of o. A. C. Advises Farm
ere to Increase FIocks.

ere to Increase FIocks.
Oregon Agricultural College, Cor
vallis.-"There has been an enormous
Increase in the production OF eggs and
poultry In the state in the past two
years, but in spite of this the demand
has far exceeded the supply, and prices
are still as high as ever" said Pro-
lessor James Dryden of the Oregon
Agricultural College in discussing the
object Of the present tour of the poul-
try demonstration car sent out over
the Southern Pacific lines by the col
lege.
IF the farmers of Oregon would
keep, on an average, 100 hens instead
of about SO, 1t would shut out the i'm
ports and add 100000 or $4,000, 900
a year to the wealth OF the state.
THE purpose of the demonstration
car Is to stimulate greater production
OF poultry and eggs. The quickest and
best way Is to increase the flocks of
the farmers rather than to have poul-
try keepers start large egg farms. The
demand cannot be met by the estab-
lishment of large, exclusively poultry
farms. II the general farmer goes out
OF the egg producing business there
will soon be an egg famine-possibly a
serious financial panic.
Though there are opportunities for
profit along special lines In poultry
keeping, the market for specialties is
limited, and 1t would be folly to advise
everyone to go into special lines.
am free to confess that we have kept
more people out of the poultry bust
ness than have gone Into 1t as an ex-
elusive business. I have received
great numbers of letters during the
past year from all parts Of the state
as well as from other states, In which
the writer's stated that they were go
Ing into the poultry business on large
scale, and a large majority of them
said they knew nothing of the bust
ness. Our plain duty was to advise
caution. II every one of them had
gone into the business as they intend,
ed and invested their all in It, 1t Is
safe to say that there would have been
thousands of dollars lost in every coun
ty of the state. and the poultry bust
ness would have received a black eye
Poultry keeping is not a difficult
business unless we make 1t so. i
conducted along sane, common-senss
lines, there is profit in 1t. The two
points on which special emphasis II
laid In the demonstration car are feed
ing for eggs and housing. Egg rations
are on display, feeding charts show re
suits Of experiments. breeding charts
show results OF breeding for eggs, diff
ferent grades and qualities OF eggs arr
exhibited, marketing possibilities ar
demonstrated, and the equipment fol
successful Matching and brooding o
chicks is displayed. The walls OF tn
car are covered with signs and chart
containing lessons In practical poul
try keeping. A knock down colon,
house is taken along and set up out
side the car at each stop.
while chickens may be made {,
do we'll In different houses, 1t may b.
said in favor of the colony system an
free range that there is no noted poul
try district In the United States wher
poultry-keeping has been permanent,
successful, where the colony hous
system was not followed. The colon,
house, moreover, was the house use
at the Oregon Experiment Station las
year for the hens that made the high
est egg records ever made in the Uni
, ed States so far as official or authenti
record Is concerned. The demonstrs
tors on the car explain how those hen
we're housed and cared for, and answe
any questions as to their feeding an
treatment"