Omaha daily bee., 1917-07-18
A Superfarm
Bg Frederic j. Haskin

Akron, O.. July 15.-There are two kinds OF
farms in this country. The common and usual
sort is piece of land from which some citizen is
more or less successfully making living. The
other kind of farming, which seems to be on the
increase. is rich mans amusement. In it proht
is generally no object; expenditure IS almost un-
limited.
The farm of Ohio c. Barber wealthy match
manufacturer, which is located few miles from
this city, is typical of this latter class of farm
Mr.. Barber keeps some 1000 pigeons apparently
for the sole purpose OF having the right kind OF
squads for breakfast every morning He raises a
thousand or so pheasants year merely tor the
pleasure of looking at them, so far an inquirer
can determine. He has the largest barn in the
world, where the most valuable cow in the world
dwells elegantly in steam-heated and we'll venti-
lated stable. He has flock of some 10000 white
ducks which he raises for the market, but, accord
ing to his help he raises them so luxuriously that
each duck costs him about Is cents more TO raise
than he gets for il.
Here is the largest herd of thoroughbred.
Guernsey cattle in the country herd absolutely
free from disease and of the very best breeding
The farmer who buys bull from the Anna Dean
farm improves the quality of his dairy herd. Like
wise the man who buys setting OF White Leg
horn eggs from this establishment gets the right
kind of start in the chicken business. From a
dozen different states the graduates of the agri-
cultural colleges come here in the summer to
work as farm hands and see the processes Of scien
tihc farming applied The whole farm is divided
into departments, and there is trained man over
each department, each of whom strives to operate
his department in the most efficient manner
possible.
II you wish to see this model farm you will
be given pass made out on a special form which
states that the owner will not be responsible if
you get hurt, after which you are turned loose to
find sell
Each OF these will show you all in his charge and
talk to you about his work as long as you will
listen. He is a specialist of the most specialized
sort Mr. Pearson, the pigeon man, for example,
has no concern on earth but the welfare OF his
1000 pigeons including Homers, Royal Whites
Italian Runts (Which are the largest variety
known) and Buff Expresses. Mr.. Pearson will
show you with pride his system of band mating,
which, he says is the secret Of successful pigeon
raising. 1t appears that pigeons are very sensi-
tive and temperamental birds in the matter of
domestic relations If you turn loose lot of
them in a loft most of them will pair off, but a
few bachelors and maids will remain unattached
These will be perpetual source of disturbance,
which prevents the proper raising of the young
birds. One OF the unattached males, for example.
will lure hen pigeon away from her nest and
start establishment of his own. The rate right
ful mate will promptly destroy it. A feud will be
started which will seriously limit the productivity
of the whole loft The proper way, therefore is
to have large assortment of little colored bands
AS soon as a pair OF pigeons have definitely mated
and settled down to housekeeping they are
banded with the same colors, and when all that
seem suited to the domestic life are so mated
the odd birds are removed from the loft
The pigeon will not easily submit to seectivc
breeding They mate according to affinity, and
when it is desired to mate certain birds in order
to propagate their good points they have to be
confined together in special compulsory mating
cages" Even then propnquity does not always
do the work Some OF them will remain suky
cehbates until they are released again.
After leaving Mr.. Pearson you will call upon
Mr.. Linder, who has charge of 1900 White Leg
horns and incidentally of pack of four Great
Dane dogs, lean and powerful as panthers. who
guard the poultry houses at night. Mr.. Linder's
brother is the gamekeeper and raises pheasants
just as they raised on the great estates in Eng
land, Several hundred OF these birds are kept in
a strip OF woodland, where they made splendid
picture. That is about all They are neither shot
nor sold regularly, although occasionally when
they become too numerous they are turned over
to the state for the purpose of stocking the woods
These Mongolian pheasants are now an abundant
game bird in several parts of the United States.
The Guernsey herd is the pride OF the farm.
There are several hundred of these most aristo-
cratic cattle and it is said to be the largest herd
OF pure-bred Guernseys in the world The milk
sells for several cents quart more than any other
milk Yellowness, the keeper of the herd explains,
is the greatest selling point in milk, although it
does not prove anything about its nutritve value.
The right way to inspect milk is to look at the
bottom of the bottle and see how much dirt is
IN It. But there are few housewives who ever
think of doing so.
You will also learn from him the points Of
good dairy cattle. The most important thing is
room for hay" An enormous belly, in other
words, Is the unlovely attribute fol- which the
dairy stockmen breed
1t takes long day to go all over the Anna
Dean tarms--to inspect the rich grain fields, the
farm OF twelve acres under glass, where great
punches OF grapes ripen in the winter time and
millions of flowers bloom; to see the champion
Belgian stallion, the truck gardens, the mansion"
which is said to contain hundred rooms an from
which the millionaire sales forth at o'clock
in the morning to inspect his premises.
The place is not beautiful. There is not enough
woodland and water But it gives tremendous
impression Of the reekng fatness of the earth,
OF what the bounty OF nature may be made by
millions. 1t also gives the impression of some
thing urS SAmerican, or at least at variance with
American tradtions-this giant farm which is the
home OF hundreds of men and women and chill
dren. who live in tenant houses, own nothing and
speak awesomely of "the mansion"