Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1917-03-22
Prof. H. 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
on Season.

head OF the poultry department of the
New Jersey state experiment station.
aud one Of the leading poultry au
thorltlcs OF the country, Is cnnductins
II 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
becomes So scarce that II gets Into
the luxury class. Professor Lewis he
licves the real solution NJ the egg
problem Is to teach the poultry men
how TO manage their flocGs so that
the egg supply will not fnll 20 low dur
Ing the fall and winter months.
Realizing that lectuWs are sonn for
gotten and literature often thrown
AWAY or lost. Professor Lewis decided
some time ago TO get out among rhc
farmers and work with them.
He Is putting the hen through
postgraduate course In egg nroduc-
lion at Vineland. y. j., which prom
ises 10 revolutionize the poultry In
I,ustry and he the means Of speedin"
mp egg production NIL over the co'In-
try. Although increased production
will mean lower prices. the poultry
men are lending every aid. aS the!
realize that their full egg baskets will
more thnn make up for the drop IN
price.
Knowing that hens will always take
a vacation In the fall. when they rest
ND, mott. and get ready for another
seasons laying, Professor Lewis turn
ed his attention to the pullets' ana
found that most poultry men were
Matching only in the natural breeding
season. during April, May and June
Only few birds were Matched IN
March. and these did not matur"
quickly enough to fiji in the zap with
eggs when the old hens started to
slack of.
Experimental With Pullets.
Experiments were conducted for sew
eral years at the state experiment sta
ton farm Mt New Brunswick, which
convinced Professor Lewis that chicks
matched about the middle Of February
would start laying toward the end "i
July. when production starts down
ward on most farms. As the hens
stopped, these early hatched puilets
took their places and the Cup was
hrldged.
nho,, IoId oil call o,oino into q SLIGHT
mott In the winter. hut 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 tn"
problem of fall egg scarcity and HAD
laid we'll when eggs were bringing top
prices.
Another experiment which promises
great results for the poultry industry
is being conducted at the Vineland in
ternntiOnal egg laying and breeding
contest. where 100 pens Of ten bird
each are entered for three years test
Professor Lewis predicted when the
contest started November last thar
before It 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 10 pedi-
gree the birds for two years and then
is going to breed from them in an Of.
fort to show the owners just how to
mate their birds 10 insure Increased
production from generation TO genera.
ton. The original entries are TO he
replaced the third year by their
progeny.
A model $1,000 plant for the contest
furnishes palatial 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 she'll
grit, charcoal and wafer are always
on tap, and grain is fed three times
n day in deep litter an the floor. tn
keep the birds busy and cOntentcd.
The contest Is under the supervi-
SION OF INC Stllc, anu ihc iCFiH'"'"''
granted $4,000 for running expenses.
There has also been received $1,000 In
entry fees, and as additional money
will accrue from the sale Of the eggs
for the next three years the affair Is
well financed.
An previous cgg-lnying contest rec
Ords we're broken in the first six
weeks. The total production for the
six weeks ending December IL was
12.JOs. 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.
Buek of Colts Neck, NJ J., laid 20 eggs
Hn the first ~ days.
The eyes Of the poultry world are
focused on the Vineland contest. Pro
Tessor 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
apd enhancing their scientific value by
adding the breeding feature and
Iengthening the period from one year
20 three