Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1915-02-24
LETTER FROM ARKANSAS.
Mel Blackmarr Hears About His 1911 /.
Egg Record From Arkansas.

Last month Public Opinion pub
lished the 1914 egg record from Mel
Blackmarr's flock of hens The arti-
Gle found its way into the Iowa Far
mer and a gentleman from Gentry,
Arkansas read it. AS he has gone in
to the chicken business, and not hav-
| ing the success he thought he should
the gentleman forwarded letter to
Mr. Blackmarr asking for informa-
ton as to what the latter feeds his
hens. Mr.. Blackmarr informs us
that he feeds all kinds of grains,
scratch foods, bone meal, shells, grit,
etc. Mr. Blackmarr's flock of chic
kens are made up of White Plymouth
Rocks, White Wyandottes, Barred
Rocks and Single Comb Buff Leg
horns. He has had unusual success
with them, and from the first of May
on has Matching eggs for sale at $1.50
to 5000 setting of Is eggs each.
Following is the letter he received.
Gentry, Arkansas,
Feb. 15,1915.
Mr.. NJ. L. Blackmar,
DEBORAH, Iowa.
Dear Sir
beg permission to write you ask
ing that you would kindly give me
some information and advise. / read
an article in the Iowa Farmer about
you and your flock of 35 hens, which
gave you total of 4,196 eggs from
Jan. to Dec. 1914. 1t said you was
careful feeder, etc. 1t is on this &C.
count / write you. / will feel CRATE
full to you If you will tell me what
you can, and / will tell you how I
am situated here.
Generally farmers around here
who keep a lot of hens have also
cattle, horses, hogs, etc. Their hens
pick up all kinds of grains, especially
around hogs. They get plenty of
corn and the farmer don't know how
much it costs to feed hens, and he
don't know how much they eat. Now
| am city man, came down here for
milder winters and for health, and /
have to depend on chickens for liv-
ing till | can learn more about farm
ing, either grain or fruit, and | have
no horse, or COW or hogs. / have 20
acres of land, one-half timber, so my
hens only get what grains / give
them; also / trap rabbits and feed it
to them. Have hens for about 4 or
5 months and only get about 21a
dozen eggs all told. / tried feeding
them heavy and also light, but now
the weather is getting warmer, l
have about a hens out of 81 that lay
a little. l gave them nearly quarts
of dry mash in a morning and they
will go and sit down under the BUSH
es, nearly all day waiting for one
to feed them at night, when / give
them 2 or 3 ears of corn shelled. Now
these last two mornings gave them
only half their usual morning feed
and ! see they go out and hustle and
scratch. i desire to know how to
feed them, or how you feed yours, so
that they won't eat their heads off,
for | want them to keep me. But up
to now | am keeping them. / have
1a open front chicken house, with
laths nailed over the openings In
stead of poultry wire, to break the
wind. | have burlap curtains to
crop down at night just in front of
the roost. The house is new, 1Ox16
feet, all cracks are battened at north
side and partly on each, and to avoid
draughts, roofing paper on top.
clean out the droppings every week,
fresh water 2 times a day, and spray
roost and nest boxes with kerosene
and carbolic acid every week Now
Mr.. Blackmar excuse me writing so
long letter. but l thought | ought
TO tell vou everything so if you can
and will tell me how you do things
| shall esteem it great favor.
Truly yours,
RICHARD YATES,
Gentry, Ark
R. No. 8, Box 10.
--O-