Evening star., 1918-02-03

II war gardens worked we'll with veg
etables, why not with meat and eggs?
Send the beef and pork to the soldiers
and live on chicken! If 1t is an act of
patriotism to observe meatless days so
that more meat can be preserved for
the boys at the front. it is just as much
an act of patriotism to avoid the meat
markets altogether and raise your own
meat for the other days If it is an act
of patriotism to cook without eggs so
that the hospitals may have a larger
supply for the weak and wounded, it
is just as much an act of patriotism to
produce your own. eggs instead of rob-
bing the market by buying them; and
1t is still more an act of patriotism to
produce more than you can use to help
with the supply in the market.
You who are thinking of beginning
are asking yourselves, IF l feed my
flock for six months without any re-
turns. how can be sure they will make
up for the expense later?
There is but one criterion by which
this question may be answered in a
general way, and that is the actual ac-
complishment of other poultry yards. 1t
is mistake to suppose that no returns
are possible within the first six months.
Reckoning that half your flock will be
ROSTERS. you have two possibilities. You
may market them at a good broiler age
(two or three months). thereby realiz-
ing Immediately on your investment
enough to keep the remainder of the
flock till they begin to lay; or you
may caponize them at the same age.
thereby giving them quiet disposition,
avoiding all fighting and similar
trouble, and producing within six
months from birth birds of much finer
quality for the table as well as heavier
nnn tn hre Dc ,.1, 4,
your cockerefs of the same age. Leave
these birds for year. and your ordi-
nary Thanksgiving turkey will come in
a poor second SO far as quality and
weight are concerned. Where market
for capons is accessible. you will prob
a bly, find these the most paying part of
your flock
But let us get back to the eggs. on
the basis of year. $50 eggs is reck-
oned as a flock average" That is. "A
large flock of good stock, well cared
for. can be depended on to produce an
average of $50 eggs per hen. Now it
| is known fact in poultry circles that
small flock well cared for will or
| dinarily have larger egg yield than a
! large flock, but for the sake of con-
servatism, let US say 130 eggs for the
beginner. Now. the price of feed and
| the price of eggs will, as a rule, bal
ance. and one should be able to care
for one hen on the price of eighty eggs,
thus leaving gain of fifty eggs per
| hen each year. above the cost of feed.
All this figuring may mean some
thing or it may mean nothing to- you
The vital fact is that your risk is COW
cred If you have a good breed by the
fact that whether they lay or not, you
have the hens left to cover your in
vestment. and any time you feel like
dropping out, you can turn them into
| money very easily by dealing with your
nearest meat market.
Thoroughbred stock bred to Law
from reliable firm, is absolutely no
risk They have the blood. They have
the Inherited tendencies. They have
| the machinery to produce the eggs, and
they can't help producing far more
| than enough to pay for their lodging
and board if they have half a chance.
l would not advise a beginner who ex-
| poets to make money on eggs to buy
any other stock than the best Other
will not be able to produce eggs even
with the best of feeding and care. You
cannot be too careful about your stock
The market is no risk. 1t will be
| there when you come to dispose of your
eggs and chickens, and from present
| indications, it will be there strong on
| your side. The big questions are those
! of intelligence and perseverance Here
/ is your real risk. Given an Intelligent
| wide-awake. persevering, investigating
man. and flock of first-class thorough
| breds. and success is bound to come
| Anything else would involve a rever-
| sal of the law of cause and effect
| Given man ,of the opposite DISPOSE
ton. careless, ignorant. idle and the
more he invests. the deeper will his