The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-01-10
Cackling Lady Is Best Friend
to- Country Now.
Geo. C. Bowman of Topeka
Speaks to Farmers of State.
400 HENS ON EACH FARM
City Suburbs, Too, Must Con-
tribute to the Cause.
Consumption of Poultry Ex-
ceeds the Production.

Three to four hundred hens on each
Kansas farm and proportionate hooks
in the suburbs of cities and towns.
This is one of the solutions to the
poultry shortage problem suggesreo
before the state agricultural society
today by George c. Bowman, spresl-
dent of the Seymour Packing company
of Topeka.
In his address on Poultry Produc-
ton in 1917" Mr.. Bowman admitted
the seriousness of the hen shortage IN
this state. The production for 1917
was very light and yet Kansas IS enc
of the best adapted states to poultry
production A complete census is rec
essary from a business standpoint. ne
stated, and even now it is known that
the consumption of poultry exceeds
the production.
THE meat supply can be increased
in shorter period thru a larger pro-
duction of poultry than is possible
with beef, pork and other classes of
red meats" Topeka's well known au-
thority on poultry declared. THE
question of food today is foremost in
the minds of the public. We confront
the duty of not only supplying our own
people but 100.000,0O0 foreign popu-
lation as compared with 2O,000,oO0
prior to 1914. To do this we must
use all our forces toward increased
production"
interest to the farmer, to the business
man, to the housewife and to the food
conservation administration in this
country.
His speech today, in part, follows:
Poultry Production.
Startling facts are shown thru sta
tistics as to poultry production in 1917
as compared with the previous year.
The receipts of the company with
which L am connected, at all their
packing points in the state of Kansas
from July 1 to December 81, was only
46-8 per cent of the quantity received
for the same period in 1916 (and for
the year 54.7 per cent?, figured in
the different classes as follows: Hens,
55.4 per cent; springs, 37.2 per cent
| miscellaneous poultry, SOL per cent
this period is taken for the reason that
it covers the marketing season for the
new crop of poultry, very large per-
centage OF the crop being marketed
during this period. You may gain the
impression that the figures showing
the operations of only one company
are misleading, but from statistics OF
the stock of poultry in the warehouses
of this country reported to the bureau
OF markets, United States department
| of agriculture, a marked decrease in
| the crop is shown, l. e., July /, 1917
| 21S firms reported 54,186,977 pounds;
| l A of these firms on this date re-
| ported 36,O31,6 $50 pounds as compared
with 6,215,672 pounds in 1916, show
ing an increase of 479.7 per cent On
December 1, 1917, 800 firms reported
40, 345,4 pounds; 216 of these firms
| reported 15,145,83O pounds as COM
pared with 27,13s,3O7 pounds in 1916
or 44.2 per cent shortage. These re-
| ports are incomplete for the reason
the bureau of markets did not call for
any reports on poultry from the ware
houses until April, 1917, and then less
than SO per cent of the total number
| reported, whereas now all warehouses
are compelled to report under the food
control act You will note from these
! statistics, 21S firms reported July /
as against $40 on December L, the
| last report no doubt covering all
houses holding poultry.
Considering that a very large per
cent of the years crop is marketed be-
tween July l and December 81, these
figures would indicate that more
poultry was consumed than was
packed during this period, as com
pared with a conservative estimate OF