The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-08-16

entire satisfaction. The methods in vogue there outlined below by Professor Steneburn.
 XyY1 HEN considering cost systems as |S w try keeping. one is struck by tho size of tsso items, feed and labor. The interest on the investment in enough land and buildings to comfortably accommo- date a large number of fowls Is not a great sum. but feed bills pile up day by day, and the cost of the necessary labor to care for the birds is a charge which sometimes seems to be out of all propor- tion to the returns.
 This is why the business poultryman of today is constantly seeking for labor saving appliances and methods. It ex- plains why the fiocks are made larger, Sfrom 100 to 500 birds in flock. instead of the 10 to IS which was the customary number on "up-to-date plants" few years Since. Also. the reason for the gen eral adoption of automatic feeders and hoppers; incubators of large capacity, with labor saving features; self-resulat- ing colony breeders. which care for 300 to 1000 chicks in one brood Everywhere we see evidence of determined effort to cut down this great labor cost to the end that profits may be increased.
 Use Labor Saving Appliances
 The use of 1abor-saving appliances and methods presents another angle which is worth considering. In many cases 1t en- |L iables the manager to become independent Tqtof experienced helpers, since he is able 'to personally look after the more import snt matters requiring skill and judgment, and delegate the rest of the work to ordinary laborers.
 Now this question naturally arises: Will the individual fowl or growing youngster do as well when handled in this whole sale way? Is there not a loss of eff ciency as compared with more painstak- ing methods? This point may be open to debate But, admitting it for the purpose of argument, there is this to be said: The best policy is that which secures the greatest net returns from the business as whole, not merely from the individual |s productive units
 It not infrequently happens that unusu- ally heavy egg yields rapid growth of chicks are secured at an additional ex- penoture of labor. which more than off, sets the value of the extra product. Con lxsidered from the strictly business stand- point, the poultryman best conducts his sffairs who uses those methods which bring him the largest net returns rom his flock.
 OhS Ol thc bSsl cSdfHpleS or the use ol simplified methods on an egg farm IS to be found in Connecrcut. The traveller from Hartford to Boston on the New York, New Haven and Hartford railroad will observe this plant near the Vernon station. In fact there are two plants one either side of the railroad, though operated by the same man. Here the la bor item, as we'll as the initial invest ment, Is reduced to the minmimum. The Leshorn range is the newer and repre- cents the owners latest ideas. and this will be described.
 70 A tract of 65 acres ts inc1osed with a six-foot fence No other fencing is used. the birds being permitted to range at will over rhe whole field The land Is light in character. rough and rolling as to surface. has many patches of brush upon it and is well watered by spring fed stream which winds through it.
 Cheap, Simple Poultry Houses
 The buildings are all alike: cheap struc- lures, about 10xs0 feet in size. They have low side walls and even span roofs, which slope to the north and south. A full sized door is cut in the east end and three sin gle sash windows are placed in the south wall near the east end.
 These houses are constructed of cypress lumber one inch in thickness, tongued and grooved They are not painted. neither are they covered with roofing spaper. The roof boards run from peak
 
 midsummer, these roof boards often pull apart slightly, but good rain tigntens them up again, and no trouble is ex- perienced during the winter.
 Old railroad ties are made to serve the double purpose of foundation and sills the sideboards being nailed to the outer edges of the ties Earth Is then filled in to the level of the top of the ties, thus forming dry dirt floor. In all cases the houses are located on well drained knolls, 50 no water ever settles beneath them.
 Inexpensive Furnishings
 The furnishings arc all of the simp- lest and most inexpensive character. foosts across the protected west end or the building, few small store boxes for nests. large feed hoppers made from shoe cases. Nailed to the north wall of each house. outside, Is Ma "breakins-up coop for broody hens. Imereiy small box with a wire netting floor.
 Each house accommodates from 80 to loo birds and the whole poultry spop- ulation ranges together
 The owner never has to worrv ov.r the possibility of flocks becoming mixed through doors or gates being careless- ly left open. He keeps but one breed on this plant so he IS satisfied to let the mixing process go on unhindered. keeping with the simplicity of the plant. When the birds are thirsty. they go to the stream and drink. If this is frozen over they eat snow. No foun- tains to fill. no worry over frozen drinking water
 All feed is given In hoppers. which are large. enough to hold a supply suf- ficient to last several days. At certain intervals these are filled from a wagon which makes the rounds of the plant
 The staple feeds are selected graded of wheat screenings and beef scrap. Oc- casionally other grains. as oats and corn. are added. provided prices are at- tractive. But beef and wheat form the standard ration. To this the birds help themselves at will.
 Green food is seldom, if ever, given. During a large part of the year this is found on the range. At other times it E ifs dispensed with.
 A The houses are cleaned only three x,y1r four times a year. The droppings fall directly upon the earth floor and are soon covered with dry earth through the activities of the birds themselves.
 Consider for moment how nearly self-operating this plant is. the great number of birds one man can care for under this system, how greatly the la Dor cost per hen is reduced Feed once week. pick up the eggs daily, clean Occasionally as time permits. That about covers the routine.
 Now, how about possible profits? The
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