Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-12-19
AMERICAN HEN A SACRED BIRD
The Pot of Gold at the End of the Egg,Rainbow,
and the Way Thiiher.

Inc rot OF Oold at the Emo oil the Egg-halnbows
and the Way Thiiher.
TET us admit as the first premise that the
IL American hen is both a sacred and an
imperishable institution. She produces a
half billion or so of wealth year, more
than 200 eggs per capita for our entire popu-
lation, and an immense total of brollers,
roasters and casserole and fricassee by
products.
What part of this fabulous wealth are you
getting? Have you a little poultry-yard
back of your house? For you, If you want
to, can make that Oregon hen that estab-
lished a worlds record by averaging an
egg day for a year look sick and measy,
anemic and inefficient. It will make you
tired TO contemplate how boastful were the
faculty of the Oregon Agricultural College
over the achievement of that pampered hen
That is always the trouble with scientific
tests. They are perpetually at variance with
your own proven equations. They rob the
poultry journals, circulars and catalogs OF
their romance, give the lie to your success
ful egg-producing nelghbor and generally
upset the happy balances of the universe.
Why, every day you are reading advertise
ments of guaranteed layers guaranteed set
tngs, guaranteed egg foods. Everywhere
you go in the country the landscape Is
speckled with poultry, and then there is
that half-bi year Somebody is get
ting It. and why not dig in for your share?
It is my aim and design to encourage
rainbows. Without ralnbows this little old
cosmos OF ours would be sad and dismal
sphere. The American rainbow is in
deed of incaIcuable intrinsic worth. 1t has
a far greater effect in keeping down the
NJ or aoa
spiracy you ever read OF. 1 know that from
my own brothers experience, backed up by
the experience OF three aunts and one
cousin. They all raise eggs and sell some
of them. They have fresh eggs on their
table and now and then they kill rooster
and stew It. They rarely kill hen until It
has lapsed six months in Its functions
a layer. Ny brother is a sentimentallst and
chloroforms them. He built a box for this
purpose at considerable cost.
That, of course, is aside from the rainbow.
This Is pertinent. I have been over their
books with all these blood relations and find
that Il costs none Of them more than so
cents a dozen as yearly average to pro-
duee fresh eggs. When eggs were down 10
80 cents a dozen-fresh eggs-they held up
this average finely. We were forced into
algebraic equations to unravel the cost OF
these home-raised table delieacies The
stew chickens did not top 40 cents a pound
excluding necks and feet, but including
bones. There had been enough broilers sac
riiced-both pullets and eoekerels-during
visits OF Tteh relatiyes-to take care OF an
insignificant deficit. keeping the net cost
down 20 q little less than 81 a pound.
My brother had not trenched deep enough
with his wire entanslemsnts to repel wea-
sells. and when he had added this safeguard
he suffered slightly from an invasion OF
slim rats. He eheerfuliy met this exigency
by providing q wire OF aner mesh and had
practically rebuilt his hoek when they ali
came down with the roup. He fought roup
pip and hen-bronchitis with great skill and
today / am sure he Is qualified to take the
pulse of and prescribe Tor every breed OF
chicken known upon the frst appearance OF
any one Of 100 or 50 symptoms OF record.
Ii has always been a profound mystery
70 me Why John D. Rockefeller did not buy
3 sure-thing reproducing flock after he
had saved that first thousand dollars. He
rnieht have cornered ne American hen
somshow. and / doubt Il his Oh wells are
producing quite haif billion q year
Thia hen rainbow must never Be allowed
to grow dina It 3 8 national asset L pro-
auees Il least f1ooo0e.ooo 81 wealth 8 year
Il the eest 81 not more than zso0.a1o.800 Il
the producers But thsee a al immenss
afoaI IS ffIs 'Qsa Tor lhe Yers aimula lea-
m Iha i fqeaooaoe oflh