Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-03-26
D. C., Feb. keep chick

VxT ASHINGTON, d. c., Feb keep chick
wv ems!
. w This mandate now goes forth from the
department of agriculture. The bureau OF animal
industry, by cooperation with state agricultural
colleges, is putting corps of forty poultry ex-
perts into the field, for the purpose OF stimulating
the people to keep chickens and raise chickens.
This effort is not to be confused with the poul-
try club work, which has been going on for some
time. This is project. And furthermore,
it is not to be taken lightly by the city man, as
something that concerns him little or not at ALL 1t
is addressed to the city and town dweller as much
to anyone else, if not more 1t is war meas
ure-one more appeal to the complete patriot. If
you would do your full duty by your country and
civilization, you must keep hen!
Already a number of American cities have
lifted the ban on chickens by so amending their
laws that poultry may be raised within their limits
, Many more cities are expected to follow suit, as
the federal battery of poultry orators gets into &C
ton These prophets of the new chicken coop will
address chambers of commerce, church sociables,
business mems clubs, schools-all sorts of organ
izations. They will furnish interesting and timely
poultry to the press in their respective dis
tricts Convincingly and fulsomey they will set
forth the case for the hen.
They are not talking to the professional poul-
try man. The operations of this wiley gentlemen
sufficiently and unalterably regulated by the
condition Of the market. He produces what he
can SELL and he knows what and how much that
is better than anyone else. Furthermore he buys
grain in large quantities for his chickens, and that
grain would otherwise be used for human food or
verted into some other kind of meat There is
real saving of food values that would otherwise
be lost in his operations.
But very different is the case o. Che SInall
farmer who raises chickens incidentally, ard still
more so the case of the city town dweller who
keeps a few hens Both of these classes, and espe-
cially the latter annually throwing away great
quantities of food in the form of table waste. 1t
is all good chicken feed. There is believed to be
enough of it available to feed about two hundred
million chickens. And the department hopes to
actually increase the number of chickens in the
country by perhaps quarter of that number.
The laws which prevent the keeping OF chick
ems within the limits of cities are the most torml-
dabe barrier to the increase of poultry, and the
conversion of garbage into eggs. The cities and
towns must change their laws For upon study OF
the question it is found that the hen is not the par
ty who brought this legal disability upon her kind
It was her noisier half 1t the growing rooster
who was exiled. He must stay in exile. The ideal
municipal law with regard to chickens provides
for inspection Of all poultry yards to see that
there are no roosters, and that they kept rea-
sonabIy clean. The hen is certainly a much
more clearly animal than the bullpup who eats
the scraps in so many households, and more use
full one than the parrot who consumes expensive
feeds in so many others
Neither of them, you will say, is as much ex-
pense and trouble as a flock of chickens. But
there you are wrong. For you are not asked TO
of the family is about right. The table scraps
will keep these with very little grain and green
feed to supplement it. You will buy the hens in
the market-young hens if possible. They will
provide about an egg day for each member OF
the family That is than the average fam
lily eats To be exact, the average consumption