The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-04-11
GREAT VALUE OF THE TRAP NEST
 IN POULTRY RAISING INDUSTRY
Keeps Accurate Record of Laying Abilities of Entire Flock
Loafers and Reproductive Hens Easily Needed Out by Simple Device
Bs MICHAEL K. ROVER ,ultry Editor of the Farm Journal
 r.A.s.at11,t


 Copyrlght 1915. But for the trap nest. 1t would have been impossible to keep the astounding laying records achieved by some hens in recent years II was not long ago that the 3oo- o-egg-a-year hen was discussed as problematica. but now she has brought up her figures to so3. The trapnest is the authority. But this device Is not only for keeping tabs on the 'phenomS of the poultry yard. It is for everyday use. IL is a great economizer. Every hen can now be judged accurately on her produe- tion record
 The following article tells how ths is done
 It is not so many years ago that the 2oo- egg hen was a dream. And when at last she was discovered it was "a case in a thousand" Now the 2O0-hen is almost a common article. and efforts are being aimed at the S0o-egg mark among regular producers
 At the Missouri experiment station a hen laid PSI eggs as a bullet. At the On- tario, Canada, station, another one laid 2S2 eggs; and this record was also equaled at recent Connecticut contest But it remained for the Oregon agricultural col- lege to produce a hen with a record of 29l eggs. Those are wonderful results, but the Oregon station now has a hen that laid 303 eggs in 365 days-and, 1t is said. these eggs weighed about i2 pounds and were perfect in point of shape and color
 How were these facts obtained? Thee can be no other method than by tho use of the trap nest Without the use of this device no definite data can be secured. It Is impossible to know which hens are laying the most and best eggs, All such conclusions must, necessarily, be guess work.
 There are systems-by the examination and position of the pelvic bones, or the distance from the pelvic bones and point of the breast bone-that will enable us to pick out our best layers: but those sys- tems do not tell us how many eggs the in- dividual hen lays. It " xrue that in ono system fthe Hogan) 1t is claimed that the capacity of a hen can be rold by shs measurement of the abdomen by fingers where one finger is the measurement, the first laying year. In the tN0-fnger test the laying will be as high as 96 eggs: in the three-finger high as 1s0 eggs; in the four-finger as high as 220 eggs, and in the five-finger as high 250 eggs-all being judged by the thickness of the pelvic bone.
 Trap Nest Surest Way It is not for me to criticize this meth cd. I believe it Is a good one. From what experiments I have made to date I know it is possible to pick out the pull lets with the egg-laying capaeity-and so is type. but when 1t gets down to the number of eggs hen will lay In the year, there is only one absolutely sure way and that is by the means of the trapnest
 The American poultry world is well acquainted with the name of Tom Bar ron. Barron sent birds from his home in England to a number of egg contests in this country and came out n winner It made him famous. How did he do It? He adopted the inventions of Ameri- can poultrymen-and worked the matter out himself.
 Barron said: We hear a lot about Mendelism. but my Mendelism is the wooden trapnest l trapnest absolutely to find out the sons of the best lay CTS. l like a good hen, mind to breed from, but it Is the sons of the best lay CTS that the trapnest is useful for par ticularlv. in my opinion. I think the cockerel is without doubt more than half the point, for tho cocllerel 1t Is every time that transmits the laying qualities to the female without doubt I do not think you breed the layers through the females at all, although you are bound to have good females to breed good cockerels"
 It was about the time Tom Barron started his farm that he read of trap nests as used by American poultrymen It looked good to him. Here was a means by which he could improve his stock-and at once installed these nests on his plant He credits the trap nest for his success.
 Time We'll Spent
 When I hear the argument advanced by poultrymen that they cannot afford