Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1917-11-23
WAR IN BACKYARD
HOW AFEW HENS
Win Help Win The War For Free
sdOm
LESS OF OTHER MEAT
U. S. Department OF Agriculture Asks
Farmers To Double Poultry Pro-
ducticn Next Year

Uncle Sam now offers to town dwell
Iers an opportunity to produce some
of the meat needed by the nation to
win the war. The production of the
great bulk of the feed and foodstuffs
and meat supplies is an obligation of
the farmer and for that reason town
people. although anxious to serve,
have thought that only by conserva-
tion and home gardening could they
be factor in the food problem. But
they can do more than that They
can be meat producers thanks to the
fact that poultry offers possibilities
of quicker and cheaper increase than
any other form Of meat food
Every family, in towns and suburbs
Of cities-in every place where back
yard space and general conditions
permit it-should have at least
enough hens to supply the family with
eggs. That means about two hens
for each member Of the family-ten
hens should be sufficient for a family
of FIVE
To the individual il may seem that
the question of his having, or not
having few hens in his back yard is
very remotely removed from the out
come OF European battles. But il
each backyard in this country sup
plies the family with eggs, and if the
farms of the land double their poul-
try production, as they are being ask
ed by the government to do, there
will have been added, in the form of
poultry and eggs, a vast amount of
meat stuff to the total food resources
of our nation-and that means to the
total food resources of the nations
fighting for the freedom of the world.
Less OF Other Meat.
The families that produce their own
eggs in the backyard will naturally eat
less meat. With twice as much poul-
try and eggs eaten by the nation there
will be, in the final analysis, great
deal less meat and pork eaten at
home. That meat can go to our arm
les and to the armies Of the Allies.
The town family may be sure that
by backyard poultry production a
practical patriotic service is being
performed; that an important addi-
tion is being made to the war strength
of the nation It is a little thing to
the individual But it will be big
thing for Uncle SAM And il is the
way town people can help in meat
production The farms must make the
grain and pork and beef and, for that
| matter, most of the poultry. The
town dwellers, by conserving food,
can have the gratifying consciousness
of having rendered patriotic service
but that doesn't give them the pride
of being actual producers. In addi-
tion to conserving food, the family
that now produces poultry as well as
vegetables for home use will have rem
dered valuable service. That family
will know that it is directly RESPONSE
BILE for more meat having been sent to
our boys in khaki-and to the French
| Poilus and British Tommies and to the
gallant remnant of the Belgian army
the army that saved civilization the
army OF a nation that the rest OF the
world can never repay.
The United States Department of
Agriculture asks the farmers to dou-
BILE their poultry production next
year-which can be done if every
farm will keep an average of 100
hens, instead Of an average Of 40 hens.
as at present And at the same time
the town people are asked to help, to
the extent. at least, of getting their
eggs from their own backyard.
The Town DwelEers' Part.
This is what the town dweller
/ should do:
/ Make up his mind now that he will
keep poultry and produce eggs for
home use next year Arrange now to
secure some good laying hens on a
basis of two hens for each member of
the family. See that a suitable out
house viii be available. and if neces-
sary, provide for fencing to prevent
the fowls getting into other yards
Write to the u. S. Department of Agri-
culture or to State Agricultural
College or its Extension Department,
or 70 State agricultural officer for de-
tailed advice. if needed.
To do this viii help win the war.
Get some hens so they can get busy
| a ooofpcf fha Kaicar