Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-12-31
A Eomsly raIk On HOmely subjects

As a new year is at hand and be-
| ginnings for a new crop are in order,
4 am going to take the liberty IL
| should say the highly esteemed privi-
leRe) OF asking the farmers wives
VINO read the Semi-Weekly if they
have ever seriously considered the
profit that lies in poultry culture.
Eggs are selling rapidly at 40 cents
per dozen at this time. A fat hen,
easily brings a dollar, and the
feathers are in demand. According
to amount invested what do you
know that pays a better interest,"
Turkey meat brings nearly, or quite
fifty cents a pound dressed. Ducks
are good eating and geese are IN
request among our Jewish friends.
Anything of the fowl genius brings
ready money. GuineaS are famous
egg producers and pea fowls furnish
the most delicate and toothsome
cooked meat in the known domestic
poultry world.
Why should not farmers wives
specialize with poultry? 1t does NOT
cost a fortune to prepare what the
wise ones call chicken rum There
are wise ones who make big money
by raising choice and fancy breeds
but l am talking about eggs to eat
and fowls to sell in the open market
at prevailing market prices. When
[ was a much younger woman tnan
now. soon after the Civil war, had
2 common sort of chicken mousse,
with such nests as l could put up
with the aid of a colored boy that
loved to stay with his mlsSuS' bet
ter than with his nanny, and we
together managed the fowl business
at that time. He swept off that
dirt flooring every day but SUNDAY
and bad stormy days. He wheel
narrowed that chicken dirt into near
by gardens and there ii served
good purpose. 1 set the hens ana
took off the baby chickens. We fed
them regularly three times day ana
put fresh water in the drinking yes
sells once a day. The hen mothers
had a dry place to hover their
chickens until weaving time. Tney
had shelters from stormy weather
i'm the daytime. We saw the chickens
were all driven in ana locked up an
of Them. big and little. Times were
bard. meat and money were scarce
and we ate chicken thes Indian sum-
n,er" I counted four hundred young
ones before l quit trying to count
the frisky things. and / had at xmas
time eight fat young pullets Ih2t l tIo
two eggs like they were paid Dy the
day for keeping busy on the job. we
had a fairly good wheat crop and we
fed wheat. or rather my husband dlu
after he became enthuSed WIN our
success with chickens. we had lots
a time. and il was his delight 10
carry out with n big wash pan run
of wheat all the household going TO.
to see him pour a tiny stream OF
wheat while I called up the chickens,
to fight their way up and down the
long wheat line. until the last grain
was devoured.
There's lots of fun I'm such a frollc
as that and extra good living also:
We had milk and butter, plenty OIL
garden produce, thanks to our faltn-
full colored boy, and ii brought day
light into a dark place. because we
had lost all we had except the dlS-
mantled plantation from Civil war
depredations. We had only common
sorts of chickens. native breeds. pick
ed up here and there, but good care
and good feeding made the mon
grels do their very best, ,.,. .,,r
One year 1 adventured with tur-
KEYS and had fifty-siN well grown
hens and toms at Xmas time.
When YOU go into the poultry bust
ness YOU may set it down IN your
book that you can't lie abed in the
morning and You must keep a WatCh-
full eve and ear. after dark. and the
chicken house must he cleaned up
as regularly as you clean up your
Kitchen or YOU will soon hnd the
Young die with games and the old ones
will get lousy and die of IKE sheep
with the rot. 81,
] course. as YOU will perceive. hut l
am sure YOU will try 70 remember
the text and the eXhortation tn raise
| chickens because they are good ~
eat at home and very good 10 sell
when the price Of eggs goes over
Twenty-Five cents a dozen. ~ my
] earI,- RAISING we had d0miuiclcr
chickens and blue hens chickens. and
oil we've good 70 eat ard To furnish
eggs If thew had enough TO eat ana
were Young enough 10 he tender.