Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1920-06-17
MEXICO MAY GET
SMITH BROTHERS.
LARGE HATCHERY

Smith Brothers Chicken Hatchery
Of Martinsburg, which is one of the
largest in the state, will be moved
to Mexico at an early date provided 4
suitable building can be secured and
If the prOprictors find the poultry
business as good here as they have
been lead to believe it is. This state
I mcnt was made by one of the part
ners of the firm, both Of whom were in
Mexico Saturday for the purpose Of
making further investigation into the
matter.
The hatchery now has capacity
Of $4,000 eggs and should it be moved
to this city it would be enlarged at
once to a $4,000 capacity. The reason
for moving from Martinsburg is the
restricted railroad facilities, which
would be eliminated should the loca-
ton be made here. The very best
of railroad connections are necessary
in a business Of this sort, Mr.. Smith
said, because baby chicks have to
reach their destination within 72
hours after they are hatched out.
During this length of time they are
better without food than they are with
IT and can be packed" into a well
ventilated, specially made, heavy
pase-board box and live as well and
as comfortably, until the time their
natural food supply gives out, as they
could in primitive nests, The baby
chick dlaws into its body before it is
4 ,atchcd the yolk of the egg and this
d is what it lives upon for the first sew
q eu,v-two hours after its coming into
ao outer world,
N The Smith Brothers Hatchery has
grown into the large business which
i now is inside the last year Dur
al Inn the present season, which did not
d cpcn IN until about the first Of March
q for them on account of delay in get
q ting machinery, the firm has shipped
out at least $4,000 baby chicks, and
4 $4,000 will be taken off between now
4 and July i The two members of the
firm formerly were in the grocery
business in Martinsburg and had six
incubators of capacity of 600 each
in the basement Of their building. 1t
was here they got their start and
after finding the Matching business q
paying one they went into it on a
more extensive scale. They now have
twelve incubators, the largest one
having a capacity Of 1900. 1t is
something of young house" within
itcelf, but is not as large as "tLey
make them," Mr.. Smith says, nor as
4larEa as he will get if he locates ir
4Mcxico.
So far in their business the Smith
Brothers have used only pure bred
Eggs. but contemplate Matching out
.eome mixed breeds which they will
scll for eating purposes. They get
ali their eggs from local poultrymen
hatching only the Wyandottes them
eelves. They always pay above the
market price when the eggs are pure
and on that condition can get their
spatrons to make their broods pure.
This newly developed business II
our neighboring village has grown te
such extent during the one year Of
J. its life that it has orders for chicks
from all parts of the United States
and shipments have been made in al
directions as far as the 72-hour limit
Twill permit An order came from
Canada not long ago, but it could no
he filled because our parcels pos
n not go into a foreign country ant
bthe time required for express was
more than the limit
The coming to Mexico of Smiths
hatchery would be a great thing To-
@ the city and the Ledger joins in hop
ing that they will find conditions herr
8 favorable enough to warrant thu
move.