Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1917-01-26
Prof. n. R. Lewis, Poultry Au-
thority, Maps Out Battle
Against Big Prices.
SCIENCE COMES TO RESCUE
New Jersey Farmers TO Follow Early
Matching Plan In Effort to
Increase Production In
Of Season.

uhu ohc Va tuc icuuluB pouilry hu-
thorities Of the country, Is conducting
Il series Of cooperative experiments
with New Jersey chicken raisers which
promise TO make fresh eggs more
plentiful In the future, especially In
the fall, when the real fresh article
the luxury class. Professor Lewis be-
lieves the real solution of the egg
problem Is to teach the poultry men
how to manage their fiocks so that
the egg supply will not fall so low dur
ing the fall and winter months.
Realizing that lectures are soon for
gotten and literature often thrown
away or lost, Professor Lewis decided
some time ago to get out among the
farmers and work with them.
He Is putting the hen through a
postgraduate course In egg produc-
ises to revolutionize the poultry in
dustry and be the means of speeding
up egg production all over the coun-
try. Although increased production
will mean lower prices, the poultry
men are lending every aid, as they
realize that their full egg baskets will
more than make up for the drop in
price.
Knowing that hens will always take
vacation I'm the fall, when they rest
up, mott, and get ready for another
seasons laying, Professor Lewis turn
n6 or RI a of
found that most poultry men were
Matching only in the natural breeding
season, during April May and June.
Only a few birds were Matched I'm
March, and these did not mature
quickly enough to fill in the gap with
eggs when the old hens started to
slack off.
Experimental With Pullets.
Experiments were conducted for sew
eral years at the state experiment sta
ton farm at New Brunswick. which
convinced Professor Lewis that chicks
Matched about the middle of February
would start laying toward the end Of
July, when production starts down
ward on most farms. AS the hens
stopped, these early Matched pullets
took their places and the gap was
bridged.
They laid all fall, going into slight
mott in the winter, but by that time
the later Matched birds were laying
well, and Professor Lewis felt that the
February Matched pullets were entitled
to short rest, as they had solved the
problem Of fall egg scarcity and had
laid well when eggs were bringing top
prices.
Another experiment which promises
great results for the poultry industry
is being conducted at the Vineland in
ternational egg laying and breeding
contest, where 100 pens of ten birds
each are entered foR three years test.
Professor Lewis predicted when the
contest started November l last that
before II ends enough data will be
secured to enable all poultry men to
breed with more certainty for higher
egg production.
To Pedigree the Birds.
Professor Lewis Is going to pedi-
gree the birds for two years and then
Is going to breed from them In an eff
fort to show the owners just how TO
mate their birds to insure increased
production from generation to genera
ton. The original entries are to be
replaced the third year by their
progeny.
A model $1,000 plant for the contest
furnishes palatlal quarters for the
birds, with everything arranged for
their convenience and comfort. There
is a free lunch counter where such
delicacies as dry mash, oyster shell,
grit, charcoal and water are always
on tap, and grain is fed three times
day In deep litter on the floor, to
keep the birds busy and contented.
The contest Is under the. supervi-
sion of the state, and the legislature
granted $4,000 for running expenses.
There has also been received 5000 In
entry fees. and as additional money
will accrue from the sale of the eggs
for the next three years the affair IL
well financed.
All pItNiouo tSS-iuyihS NohtSot w
ords were broken in the first six
weeks. The total production for the
six weeks ending December II was
12,50S. The White Leghorns from the
farm of Percy Van Zandt of Blawen-
burg, N. j., are leading the contest by
20 eggs, laying 264.
One bird, pullet No. IL, In the barred
Plymouth Rock pen Of Carrot w.
Buck of Colts Neck, N. j., laid 40 eggs
In the first AZ days.
The eyes of the poultry world are
focused on the vineland contest. Pro-
fessor Lewis has been commended by
all the leading poultry authorities Of
the country for his initiative in widen
ing the scope Of egg-laying contests,
and enhancing their scientific value by
adding the breeding feature and
frightening the period from one year
to three.