Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-08-22
heep PIrebred Chickens on Your
Farms


Old man bon weevil has made us
{ realize that there are. "other pebbles
ON the beach," besides cotton. He
mas eaten up the fleecy staple on
nlany a Georgia farm to the point
"diere' the owner is now ready to rec
osnlze his destructive powers and un-
ueEtake to raise. or grow something
which he cannot eat. AS in all other
cases Where affliction has come upon
humanity, there are still many roads
leIt TO salvation. One of them for
us TO follow is through the develop
nene OF our poultry husbandry inter
eses to that point where we will sup
ply ourselves with all the products
OF TINS character we need at home.
someone asked me a few days ago,
why stop at that point?" I have
no interest in stopping there, but
tbere is so much to be done before
we can be self-sustaining along this
particular line that I think we might
set up the supplying of our needs as
the first goal post we should attempt
: TO encompass. After that, it will
! DC all right to talk. about developing
the industry upon a basis that will
enable US to supply the needs Of less
favored sections.
In this connection, it may be prop
er to inquire as to the groupings of
the primary ways in which we may
best encourage the business of chick
en- raising on our farms First of all,
I let US, realize that it is a business of
itself. That it can be rapidly de-
Veloped. That it may even afford a
wholesome living to single farmers
OF groups Of Them living in the same
community il it is properly managed
and expanded to the necessary de-
gree. For long time we thought
about chickens on our farms as mere
ly incidentals. They got into the
gareen and sometimes into the crops.
They were a continual source Of
trouble and annoyance. If they did
well, we were fortunate. If they
did not do well it could not be help
ed. They were a sort of nuisance
in many respects to be tolerated. AS
g. source of revenue, they were I'M
reliable. Sometimes they laid at the
right season, and at other times they
did not. Occasionally, eggs were a
good price, but for the most part a
fair return, was not received for
them. The. owner forgot, however,
in this connection that about four in
every dozen eggs he sent to market
were unfit for human food, and that
he was not Disseminated against as
much as he personally believed. The
same was true Of chickens. Some
times Trey were in good demand at a
fair price, but mostly they were too
cheap from this point of view. This
came about from exactly the same
causes, for most of these chickens
were not only allowed, but were ex-
peCted to rustic fora living. Hence,
they grew up to be long-legged, thin,
tonys rscraWny, tough individuals.
Dhey made poor broilers, poor friers
and poor. roasters, IA. .+......r. -.
These are some of the reasons why
the business has not made more prog
ress or proved more profitable. But
all Of these troubles can easily be
. eliminated, and they should be. What
we need now is a new dispensation
with reference to poultry raising, a
new ideal. and understanding of it's
possibilities. Let us forget that it
is minor business and beneath the
dignity of the average farmer. 1t
can of. course. be assigned with pro
pretty to the housewife and children,
bat even then it's possibilities should
be recognized and provision be made
for the development of the industry
on a broad and comprehensive basis.
(, Remember that. there are limit
less possibilities and great benefits
to be gained from placing the prop
cir emphasis upon poultry husban-
dry in Georgia. It is a noteworthy
fact that the great proportion of
our farm flocks are not what they
should be- At present they are
made up of an indiscriminate lot
Of mongrels. They represent for the