The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-06-28
OLD MILL IN
PREBLE is NOW
BIG CHICK FARM
More Than 5000 Downy
Scions Of Pure Breed Sold in
One Day.
FACE FOUR
By WILLIAM r. sANRoRN.

BY WILLIAM r. sANBoRN.
If you really believe that there is
money in chickens, and that ten acres
and two thousand birds make most
desirable combination, take day of
and visit the Old Wooden Mill, about
a mile and a half south of West Alex
andria, Ohio. That visit viii afford
pleasurable experience and moreover,
will also confirm your faith.
Doubtless the old mill presented
many a busy scene in its day. but
surely never such a lively and at
tractive one as that old building and
its shaded acres, presents to the
chance visitor these summer days. 1t
was a primitive old mill, unknown to
the present generation, but famous
among the early settlers, and. was
doubtless of more real benefit and
Importance to them than most fac
tories are to the community in these
high pressure times. The main build
ing of the ole plant. the tireless little
brook that supplied the power, and
the forest trees which beautified
the grounds, still rerain--the rest is
but memory.
The man who owns that old mill
building hatctee about $4,000 chicks in
it this spring, and will double his
incubator capacity before the next
Matching season opens. His incubator
has a capacity of 5000 eggs. It is in
six sections of 800 eggs each, all con-
nected up, and it is SO arranged that
a single turn of a crank turns all
the eggs at the same time. This cp-
Grafton is the work of one minute or
less, twice in. "a hours. The heat is
generated by kerosene but the brooder
section is warmed by coal. His first
hatch was taken OF on March 23rd.
and the final hatch for this season
was completed about ten days ago.
Sold 800 Chicks on Saturday.
NJ. G.. Bolton, manager and principal
owner of this chicken farm, has been
chicken fancier for some fifteen
years He came to Preble county
from the south three years ago and
bought the old woellen mill building,
the comfortable residence, and the II
acres which comprise the estate. al
for $500, so he says. He also says
that he refused $4,000 for the plant
during the past spring, the price in
Guiding his winter layers. The spot is
ideal for his purpose. 1t lies along the
curve OF the road, hidden among the
trees, has brook winding through the
SIOuQQS, ~AlCA al = Slightly lO4AiA6
with fine drainage, and affording
ample range.
Now range is an important feature
in chicken culture; it is really vital
It gives the chickens a chance to
work for their living, and they surely
do # on the Bolton and Abraham
place. Imagine sixteen hundred H.
week old chickens, all as white as
the driven snow, following a man with
a pail of scratch feed down into the
woods, and through the tangle and
grass along the stream. 1t was a
sight worth seeing, If you are lover
of chickens. And this scratch feed
was scattered all through the grass
and bushes, over an acre or SO of
ground, while we watched the birds
fly and dive and scratch for it. This
Is the healthfnl exercise they need
and so far there has not been any
chicken diseases to cut down the flock
on this we'll kept place. Had we been
week earlier we could have seen
about $500 tiny chicks in the brooders
but on the day of our visit there were
only about 200 left, 800 having been
sold on the previous Saturday.
All Chickens Called For.
The most surprising thing told US at
this hatchery was that all sales are
made right on the place, and to people
who call for the chickens. There
must have been bunch of callers on
the day that 800 chickens were cart
ed off. The buyers came in wagons.
buggies and by auto, many driving
long distances to get birds for breed
ing f1ocks. During this entire season
but one shipment of birds by mail OF
express has been made, of the total
of over 1900 sold.
The stock consists exclusively OF
pure-blood Single Comb English White
Leghorns, bred for laying. These are
not quite so heavy bird as those OF
the American strains, but they ma
ture early and are bred to lay in win
ter. when eggs are worth the most
The wintered flock furnished all the
eggs needed for patching $4,000 chicks
from March to June, and until the
Matching season closed. not a single
case of eggs went to market for table
use. Now that the season for set
ting" is closed the income from eggs
will be a large item, there being some
500 layers, perhaps more. still on the
place Mr. Bolton says that he breeds
for utility, rather than for show con
tests, although many who call and
select from his hocks do 50 for show
purposes, as well as to obtain birds
for high egg production.
VIII Hatch $4,000 Chicks.
At the beginning of the next hatch
ing season the Bolton incubators will
be of 1000 egg capacity, or double
3. that Of the present season. A new
) nesting ilouse.424x $50 feet, will be
,5da5 fbfe et.yuu,er Including the