Vashon Island news-record. [volume] (Vashon, Wash.) 1919-1954, 1922-07-28
At Highland Park Poultry Ranch
(Contributed)

Here the visitors found, as Prof.
JAMES Il. Rice of Cornell Univer-
sity in emphatic terms expressed
lit, conditions that are proving the
value Of absolute and varied free
range. To Vashon breeders Prof.
Rice said, :" am so glad that Mr..
Morgan is leading the way to free
range methods. You have all got
to come to it" An interesting
incident that well illustrates Prof.
Rice's ability to select birds of
real breeding value almost at a
glance, occurred when he was
studying pen of males at the
Morgan ranch. Said Prof. Rice,
Here is real value in breeding
type. Just see that bird" Near
ly sixty feet away stood "Don"
the 312 egg $1,000 yearling male.
This birds wonderful vigor and
sturdy standard type caught
Prof. Rice's eye at once and he
was strong in his appreciation.
In one pen a hen that Mr.. Nor
gan purchased from Carver's
ranch, that has not been used as,
a breeder, won very high recon-
mendation from Prof. Rice. She
showed, as do all the Tancred
breeders at Highland Park Ranch,
the wonderful vigor of type that
Mr.. Morgan's free range methods
give. The visitors were interest
led in learning that the average
weight of breeding hens on Mr..
Morgan ranch was over four
pounds, due to free range.
The seven chicks from seven
eggs, for which Highland Park
Ranch paid Mr.. Tancred $233.35,
were shown the visitors. These
chicks are enjoying the shade Of
the orchard and ranging in sue
culent green food. Four weeks
after these eggs were Matched
Mr.. Morgan was offered $4,000 for
the seven chicks, but would not
part with them. AS Mr.. Morgan
said, "No other breeder owns a
chick from Tancred's most val
liable breeding hen, No. ILL, and
[ am certain that Tancred's best
will take on added value as breed
ers after a year of free range at
Highland Park Poultry Ranch. F"
Mr.. Morgan was impressed
with the knowledge, along prac-
teal lines of Poultry breeding,
that the visitors possessed. Said
he, "These men are doing fine
work, are sound in Judgment and
show the results of splendid train
ing. In my opinion this meeting
of East and West will prove of
great value. Earnest students of
poultry breeding are getting re-
,ults by constant study along
varied lines. We must leave our
selves open to new ideas, and
here on Vashon island we can
give earnest consideration to
methods proving successful in the
East. In so far as we incorporate
proven eastern methods, modified
% meet western conditions of eli
mate and soil, will go forward in
this industry. But it will be well
to go slowly. 1t is evident that
III the East it may be more diff
ficult to maintain the ability to
lay large eggs in line breeding
from year to year, from 300
eggers', than here on Vashon is
land. The severe cold winter,
and lack of growing green food,
and heat in summer, characteriSr
tic of conditions in the East, nat
urally work against maintaining
vigor and tend to lower egg re
cords. But if we are to ship our
birds East we must see that they
have free range to give size and
vigor to meet the severe condi-
lions prevalent in the East. Wash
on island poultrymen were mighty
glad to meet and know these men
from the American Association
and certainly enjoyed their visit. !"