Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-06-20
U. s. CHICKEN FARM
Experimental Station Opened II
MARYLAND for Benefit of Farmers.

Experimental Station Opened in
Maryland for Benefit Of Farmers.
The results of Uncle Sans person
al attention to the raising Of chicks
will soon be had for the general infor-
nation of chicken raisers throughout
the country, says the Norfolk Ledger
Despatch, for he has now In rood
working order a farm near Beltsville,
Nd, about fifteen miles from Wash
ington. This Is part Of an experiment
tai station of the bureau Of animal in
dustry.
This Is particularly interesting to
the many raisers Of poultry on small
scale. Attention Is not only being CIV
en- to the raising Of chickens on farms,
small and large, but also to the possi-
bilities of the small back yards, where
chickens are kept in rather close con-
finement. The station Is In charge OF
Harry M. Lamon, senior animal hus-
bandman in the animal husbandry di-
vision.
When the farm was opened, 1t con-
tanned heavy forest Of pine and oak.
In the use Of the axe to clean this for
est, forethought was given to the
needs of the chickeis, so that the
stumps were not all cleared away,
leaving breeding place for grubs and
worms.
There are about $50 birds on the
farm and they are made up Of white
and barred Plymouth Rocks. Rhode
Island Reds, White Wyandottes, Sim
gle Comb White and Buff Leghorns
and Buff Orpingtons. The testing out
of these for table and egg production
is considered by the experts sufficient
to determine the availability Of gener-
al chicken raising. To raising birds In
limited territory, information that
means so much to thousands Of people
throughout the United States, the
most proper kind Of food and the
method of feeding. Careful and min
ute records are being kept to be given
out in pamphlet form soon.
Only the very best fowls are being
kept, twenty-five pens Of them. each
containing from ten to twelve birds.
This matter Of breed has been written
about many times in these columns,
and, though Uncle Sam Is not going
into the breeding Of fancy birds, 1t Is
noticeable that he Is running his
place with fine stock. In six pens are
kept fiocks of pullets in an effort to
determine the cost Of producing an
egg. In one Of these pens birds are
kept under conditions that obtain In
CITY lots. There are no male birds In
these pens, which brings US to the
subject of infertile eggs.
Mr.. Lamon has issued already ci:-
cular on this subject, part OF which
was quoted in a recent article here, In
which it was stated that $15,000,000 Is
annually lost in this country, because
of the blood ring in fertile eggs. In
many cities the board Of health will
not allow a rooster to be kept, and
consequently many young people who
had chickens on the rear end OF their
lot gave up the idea Of attempting to
raise chickens. The trouble has been
that all people do not know that a
| rooster is not necessary to the produc-
ton Of eggs.
The incubating work on the govern
ment farm is done with several 100
and 200 incubators, the idea being to
give special attention to the small
chicken raiser, and not the men who
are running 1000 chick machines.
Mr.. Lamon believes in the incubator
chick, declaring that he has found
they have as much chance to thrive
as the natural chicks. In his expert
| ments, however, he has given attention
to the eggs put into the incubator, u.s.
ing only the best-a matter that is not
always closely followed by ordinary
incubator people. He has found, too.
that in nearly all the incubators used
the thermometers were from one-half
to two degrees off standard, and he
has issued q warning that all ther-
mometers be thoroughly tested.
VI By photography with vibrating
lense an English scientist has timed a