Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-05-13
POULTRY TO REPLEN|sH
WANING MEAT SUPPLY
Chicken Houses Can, and Must,
Como TO tho Rescue.
CHICKEN MEAT BEST IN WORLD
One Hen Can Turn Out -Four Hun
dr.d Pounds of Meat in Twelve
Months-Work TO Be Done This
Year.

chicken yards of The country muse sup
Nv :hc deficiency.
The Chicken dinner can't he beaten
nc world over. The man who will COM
;.!.,in of lack 81 meat while his plate
il we'll filled with tender white layers
from The breast Of juicy roaster
ehor!i be branded al unsratefui
Stacker. Poultry :ne@t is not sub
.S;tute"--i;'s the real thing. Hereto
'cre we have thought of this delicious
uish as luxury because II IFS au-
!erior quality AS an article OF food and
he inpossibility OF getting as much
OF 4 Al ;hc people have desired Il is
now our privilege 2nh ou: duty 10 pro-
Guce 80 many fowls ;hat the chicken
dnne: will DC ths common everyday
fare OF the average American.
The egg has long been = necessity 20
ribht cookery. We have usually had
8 plenty OF this Invaluable factor n
ere.y .ell-ordercd Kitchnr. Therefore,
when prices became prohibitive because
cf recent scarcity. our housewives be
came st-s,Eht"ay not only confused.
but hot with anger. Conditions have
become much worse during the last
;welve months. High prices OF chicken
feed have driven from fifty to sixty
per cent Of American poultry producers
gu, ot the business.
This has beer the case from the At
icntic 20 the Pacific and from North 10
south The farmers held their stock
nettcr because they could raise their
own feed and permit their birds TO for
ago for nearly half their living. \
!arge proportion OF the great CONNER
vial poultry plants threw W the sponge
and many Of the backwards sold their
little hocks or ate them up 10 exc out
their meat supply.
Poultry and GEES must come back.
They can come back. We must bring
them back The trick Is being turned
all over the land. The flesh of our
Domestic hocks can easily be made
available in thousands OF tons 10 take
the place of beef and pork and NUT
ton The American hen will this year
come splendidiy 20 the rescue OF the
American pubic and do her heroic share
in making the world safe for decency
and democracy.
Hope Is In the Country PouItrymnn.
A small flock is profitable even
though grain is five cents Il pound. The
writer has proved this proposition TO
his absolute satisfaction during the last
winter--,hc hardest drive that Ameri-
can poultrymen have ever endured The
fact is, the keeping of fowls has be.
come 4 skilled art in this country. W.
do not board hens all winter IN order
TO set a few egss in spring and sum
mer. We gather eggs all winter and all
spring and all summer. and then
some" This is q different proposition
from that OF our Grandfaters.
There are literally thousands of idle
henhouses in backyards all over the
land. 1t is much the patriotic duty
of the American people to get these
houses filled with fowls as it is the
duty of our boys in khaki TO cross the
waters and risk their lives in the
trenches of the Western front.
Uncle Sam does not say we must do
it; but the appeal is AS near to a com
mand as it is possible TO make it. The
farmers have caught the cue and Will
do their might III doubling, possibly
treblinE. their tocks. But this viii
not be enough. Every man who ha :
plot that he can devote TO this work
should realize now that the safety Of
our nation and of the worlds civil
cation rests heavily upon this very
business about which am speaking.
We are willing to observe meatless
meals and meatlesS days. 1t is ever,
more important that We do our largest
able production Of the best meat IN
the world. That means poultry cul-
ture this year on the largest scale
We can do this. Will we do it? THIS
Is the ideal time TO begin. We are
hungry, our soldiers arc hungry and
our allies are. hungry for the meat lea"
which we Ipit!ons,D " backyarders can
produce this Summer. VIII we do it.
Immediate RepIcniShmcnt Possible.
The man who cas- Two hens 10 every
member of his family viii have small
sorrow in solving his meat problems
The fresh eggs that are so desirable in
every home viii he his the year round
lie can renew his flock annually, and
The surplus stock will give the riEh-
kind Of supplement and in right pro.
portions to his scant ration of othc,
meats.
The quickest way in the world 10 gel
meat is by way OF The hcnhouse TIL.
egg itself Is Il we chicken crammi n {
the shell with the most vital and nour
ishing food elements |, can be cooked
IA variety Of ways. according 70 tn,
culinary skill! employed.
a hen multiply herself many
lines annually. Allowing only atty pc
cent OF her eggs 10 hatch we can hav
ioL- dozen chicks from one bird in on,
year. See the amazing possibilities o
quick and manifold return. from on
roultry yards!
suppose one hen produces so chicks
When those chicks are eigh. month
OLD :hcy Will weigh eight pound
a2iece-a total OF 400 pounds. whit,
che reproductive season this lnothc
Aen has produced rnca; equal to Mt.
lines thc weight Of her own BODY
can you bea: l." for Guickncss an;
i1rgeness Of retu-n9 II beef Gov
Weighing 1900 pounds were to do a
well she would have to produce )
hee' cattle weighing 1000 pound
apiece, or total OF 10000 pounds o
beef IN twelve months on the othc
hand the very hest she car do is I
produce single baby beef. not hal
the weight of her own body. eve
though she were TO give all ne- mil
to feed the solitary offspring
Bumper Crop of Poultr, Thi. Year.
This quickness OF maturity @. poul
try meat Is a matter Of prime irnpor,
ance. II makes the domestic fowl Tn
best food-friend the average man ca
possibly have. She VIII hand him
fresh and warm egg abou, nve DAYS a
every seven during the laying seasoy
He can use the eggs as meat subs-,
tutcs. or he can SET the eggs and MI III
yards with the choicest mea, in IN
worlG. Eight weeks from the shell ~
young bird VIII! make mighty TASTY cat
ing. SIX or eight months from N
shel the cockerels. as large rooster
capons, will make q dish "a ,.,c
smiles OF Joy from the face o, KIN,
This IS what our nation is in supre,r
= need OF to-day we shou!d mr.,