Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-08-22
AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION
BN DR. ANDREW M. SOULE

most part none of the really stand
ard varieties of chickens. So, they
vary greatly in size, color, shape
and productivity. If carlot OF
them were offered for sale, they
some of the blood of practically all
the purebred strains in their veins
They would be entirely below the
scale and standard established for
birds of first quality. No wonder
they sell for decidedly less than they
would if they were properly fin.
ished, well. bred and the type were
more uniform. The business has
been SO indifferently carried on in
the past that these matters have
not been appreciated as they should
be. So, one of the first things to
recognize and understand. is the
need of maintaining better class
of poultry on our farms. Select
one of the pure breeds and maintain
it in that condition. The idea that
better results or larger profits will
be realized from an admixture OF
breeds is absolutely without foun
r dation in fact. If chickens are to be
kept on the farm, somebody should
| NC LUZ lllGIu. lie HOUSE
wife may have time to take care
Of work of this character. Very like.
ly it is a burden greater than she
can carry on in addition to her
other duties. If this happens to be
the, case, then the flock will con.
sist Of low producers. The birds will
| be a general admixture of several
| breeds. They will not POSSESS prop.
er vitality, and only relatively
small percentage of the eggs will be
fertile. Such a flock will not con-
stitute a profitable investment, and
the, only way to reform this condi-
ton is to make poultry raising a
distinctive feature on the farm and
give it. that recognition and consid-
GRAFTON which it's Importance merits.
OF course mongrel or scrub founda.
ton stock can be used on which to
build%up a good commercial poultry
flock. Scrub chickens naturally re.
spond to scientific management and
culling just like purebred cattle. or
horses. OF course the present class
Of flock might be made the basis
upon which to develop the better
class of poultry for maintenance
on our farms. It costs so little to
install purebred chickens on our
farms, and they possess SO many ad.
vantages over scrub or mongrel
stock that it would seem desirable
! to eliminate the latter classes as
rapidly as possible. This could, OF
course, soon be done in a single
season under careful and wise man.
agement. Some of the advantages
which pure-breds NATURALLY possess
over mongrels seem to be worth
emphasizing in this connection. In
the first place, purebreds respond
more quickly to good treatment,
careful handling, / wise selection
proper breeding and to constant slim
ulation than mongrels. In other
words, mongrels are slowly respon
sive to all of the constructive
agencies enumerated. $50,
It seems to be fairly we'll estab.
lished that purebreds will lay more
eggs for consumption on given
amount of food than mongrels. In
other words, the purebred is a more
highly organized type Of bird and
has been trained through a long
| ancestry to assimilate and use food
in larger amounts and is predispos
| ed on that account to utilize con-
siderable proportion Of it for the
formation of eggs. 1t is certain
that purebreds produce larger and
more uniform eggs. This is true
in regard both as to shape and col
or. It is self-evident that a more
attractive product is thus obtained
and, naturally, the larger and uni
| form eggs command a premium. In
| the case of mongrels, the eggs vary
both in the matter of shape and
color. Frequently, they are very
small. A jumbled admixture of
eggs is certainly not attractive. and.
as a result. they sell at the mini.
mum price when sent to market. If
there is anything that adds to the
attractiveness of a flock it is uni
| formity as to plumage, color and
size. In this respect scrub chick
ems are certainly unattractive be
cause they are so variegated in col
or, and there is such a distinct diff
| ference in size that the flock is very
ragged looking in SO far as exter-
nal appearances are concerned.
The Individual who raises purebread
chickens is in position to offer eggs
for sale at attractive prices. There
| is a big demand for fertile eggs of
this character. 1t is very seldom
if ever that this demand has been
satisfactorily supplied for there are
comparatively few people as yet