Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-10-26

| by CHARLES l.. DPPERMAN
Formerly state poultryman of Maryland
The results obtained from the
various cgg-laying contests in the
United States are Of sufficient value
to Justify their Inauguration and con
tinuance. II is doubtful if any other
| phase Of poultry propaganda has ever
held the attention OF the general
public so successfully. The element
| of chance of the race appeals 10 our
sporting blood, which attracts many
who otherwise would have no interest
in poultry.
For more than 20 years Australia and
! New Zealand have been conducting egg
| having contests with considerable sue
cess IN fact, some Of the carly individual
egg records obtained at these contests
were so phenomenal that they were
! questioned ln this country, Tor I he reason
that no official effort had been made IA
J determine the egg producing possibilities
Of the American hen. The splendid I'M
/ proycment IN egg production reported
! from these foreign competitions at last
| began to bear fruit and similar contests
were started IA this country. From the
| first thew have been success. and have
added greatly to orr knowledge Of poIl-
| try management
| Onc of thc most important features
| that have made lorthe success Of the con
| tests il tho straightforward way in which
!, thcy are managed A. general rule,
/ thcy arc operated hq or under tho super
/ VISION Of an olhcial p9ultryinan Of the
/ state wherein thcy arc located This
! means that the records arc trustworthy,
sincc the men IN charge are dlsIntcrestcd
| except from the standpoint nf scientific
| progress
substantial buildings and Yards are
provided for the various pens If birds
! entered The owner of each pen of lavors
! paws an entrance foe The hDrds entered
remain the property Of the ouncr, but
! tie eggs are sold by the management of
| the contest and tho funds used ~ help
curry If on All pens competing ~ egg
production arc maintained andcr pre-
cl-clv the Same conditions II hon3lng
4ardlng, feeding and such like 81 that
I'll haze IN cQlal chancc,
uouE rnA& 4 coNTTsr.
In connection with some ~ fhc CON
tests. important feeding and breeding
experiments arc bctno conducted lnd
Judging from the results Thus i1r Oh
tanned. this work had itir ta be IF CON
sIdcrabi. sniuc 10 the .ndGefr. II large
the ann of aiI egg iaring comr"tl-
mons IS eduaaiional. q cour-e Expert
cnced breeders hav" long since shown
that ego production is b nattcr ot strain
ar farnIv. rather than breed This point
has hCsa brought 10 tho attention of thc
public bY the cgg laying contests as never
before In one of the foreign c0npeti-
irons, the winning pen of Lc0horns pro-
tlacrd ,53l eggs during the wear, whlle
another pcn oi tho same breed had only
SdO eggs 10 lis credit Both pens were
pure Ircd Icghprhs vet one averaged -
produce about t&lce as many eggs An
Other illustration nt the oit-tnade state
rncnt that there Is 40 one best breed Tor
egg production III seen in the results nf
i've contests conducted IN Missouri Two
we're Won BY Leghorus. two Fy Barred
ROCKS and orc hv Rhode Island Reds
Careful observation 9f tic trap-nest
cords ii the contests has established
some interesting and valuabie oarrela-
tionS between external characteristics
and egg production Those ot greatest
value - the practical poultry keeper are,
time III Noting and the action 0f the
body pigment i'll yellow ~nlnnei breeds
VALUABLE I<FoRHtrtoN CLEANED.
IN comparing the TIME 0i naItng with
the tr4pnest recurds oi & great many
individuals. i has been shown that The
mediocre ayer Sheds her feathers early
In thc wear wHIe tine hi4h producing
hen does not mott HnfI several weeks
tater Il you have ever closely observed Il
tlaeA IF LAYERS along about the nr~t al
oetaltf Hou Viii haVe noticed that the
plsiia.go II a number ii birds was clean
bright aud glossy. w1ilc that ii some al
the others was dirty, dull and ragged
l.+ ma
ones that are keeping the exc basket full
In tins particular correlation between
time of moit and egg production. ne aaEe
a yallable factor which may oe success
fully applied IN every poultry yard The
removal III the earlv m0ltcrS means that
the non-prodncer9 vlll be eliminated
and the general efficiency ot the flock
very much improved thereby In these
DAYS ut conservation ii Is the duty 81
every poultry grower to cuu the loafers,
81 as to utilize Tie tood they consume II
maintaining the more profitable birds.
The results obtained from studies OF
the action of body pigment "a connection
with cEa production hayc added further
practical information 1t IS NOW we'll
known that the body pigment ii yellow
skinned varieties gradually fades out Ia
heaVy-lalin2 hens rs tho season of egg
hlbt bright yellow Iegs and yellow vents
during the early spring months Nil ):
lhey produce heavily, gradually lose the
eoioung il these parts, 81 that bv the
first of October the shIuks and vent Will
be pale OF almost white.
PROPER USE or MAILS.
\ number ot color readings made at
one of the Connecticut egg laying con-
tests showed that ol9 per cent Of the
Leehorn- that had pale vents, laid from
40 d 26o eggs. while only 81 per cent
OF hose birds LAID from Q to 40 egg.
The average egg production 81 the birds
having yellow vents WAS 1851, while for
those having pale vents i was 1911
lhc average egg production 0f the
Plymouth Rocks having pale vents wa,
l763, whereas the average for those
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