Milford chronicle., 1916-09-01
Thoughts For Farmers. Also A Few
Words About Fattening Fowls
For Market.
For Market.
By J. H. McFAUL. Jr.
(AH Rights Reserved

The question which generally agitates the mind
Of the average farmer is. What is the chief asse
L Of my businessY' The answer to this question il
equally general; solved at least to the satisfaction
of the farmer himself. without giving any thought
whatever to one OF the greatest money earning
branches within his sphere.
Rarely, if ever. does the farmer when looking
about for any one particular branch of farm life
upon which to specialize, cast his ''dmly-ghted
lamps otherwise known AZ his eood irdoTnent
toward the hen coops Of his poultry hocks. And
right here. let it be said, is just where he puts
his foot in the pan and spills the beans, thereby
losing much Of the real profit which it is possible
to realize from his place.
The overlooking of the poultry branch of farm
life results in the accumulation Of a lot of mon-
grels, presenting a spectacle of all shapes and
sizes and with more coors than contained in the
rainbow. They good. bad and Indifferent as
egg layers. which causes the poultry business of
the average farm to be decidedly losing PROPOSE
ton rather than an asset to the general business
The average farmer. in his eagerness to create
| a renutation for himself as a grain expert or
truck farmer of renown, pays absolutely no atten-
ton to the game OF poultry raising, and unless the
women folks about the place or the growing chill
dren interest themselves along this line. there is
| little poultry raised even Of the mongrel type.
! The farmer above all other persons, is the one
who is in better position to raise fowls with pro-
/ fit than almost any other person. if for no other
! reason than that they less expensive to him.
Sufficient food is wasted on every farm in the
course of each year to more than feed large flock
of pure-bred poultry which would net the owner |
neat income. All that is necessary is to use lit
tie judgment in stocking his place with a few 4
good birds and then discretion in the matter Of 4
food and care of the hocks.
Many farmers have maintained and still claim /
that poultry is not farm asset. and this question
has been repeatedly put uD to Professor Gilbert Of
AltOwa Canada noted expert along this line. In |
his declaration that they are an asset Prof. Gil
bert gives the following eight reasons why he con-
siders poultry not only farm asset, but one Of
the biggest money earners in the land. Poultry
should appeal to every farmer
1-Because- he ought, by their means be able
to convert great deal Of the waste Of his farm
in n wnF IA rH
market.
2-Because-with intelligent management. they
ought to be all-year revenue producers, with the
possible exception Of during the moulting season.
which usually extends over period Of two months
during the late summer.
S-Because-his poultry will yield him quicker
return for the capital invested than any Of the
other departments Of agriculture;
4-Because-the manure from the poultry house
will make valuable composition for use in either
the vegetable garden on the orchard Then
too. the birds themselves. if allowed will destroy
all injurious forms of insect life.
5-Because-while cereals and fruits can only
be successfully grown in certain sections, poultry
can be raised for table use layers of eggs.
in any and all parts Of the country, and at all
seasons Of the year.
-Because-poultry raising is an employment
IN which the farmer 8 wife can engage, and thus
leave him comparatively free TO attend to other
departments of farm work. with the possible eN-
ceptiOn Of keeping the houses clean and sanitary.
7-Because-lt will bring the best results in the {
shape OF new-laid eggs during the winter season,
when the farmer has the most time on his hands. {
S-Because-Last. but in no ways least. TO
start poultry on the farm requires but very little
capital .
These. of course, are not all Of the reasons why =
the farmer should engage in the culture Of pOul- !
try but are considered by Prof Gilbert as being
entirely sufficient to answer the oft-repeated ques
ton put to him. and should surely be strong :
enough to influence the average farmer to be up l.
and doing in order that his income might be en- \
arged. y
FOWLS FOR MARKET. s
IN
fowls to market to be sold, and in marketing them.
In other words. there is right and wrong way in n
which to conduct this end Of your business If ri
you are about to sell horse, you don't present n
him to prospective buyer with long shaggy hair, I,
1ncurried and covered with dirt, neither do you u
present him with every rib exposed. unless you / h
are uninterested in the price he might bring.
The man who markets fowls should be just as
'areful to offer his birds in such way as to cause