Milford chronicle., 1923-04-06
A SURVEY OF THE POULTRY
INDUSTRY OF THE MARY
LAND-DELAWARE PEN
INSULA
By Polk I. Bramble
Proprietor Bramble Poultry Farm
Chestertown, Md.

The poultry industry of the pen
insula has, in the past few years,
advanced from the position of a
"side-line" occupation to that of
one of the best paying, if not one
of the leading industries, on the
peninsula. Now that there is a
period of agricultural depression,
Mr.. Bramble urges for a remedy
that the farmer lend part of his
attention to the poultry industry,
and instructs him in the ways OF
the business so that it will yield
the greatest returns.
The raising of poultry on the Mary
Hand and Delaware Peninsula, which,
for many years, was the sport OF Ine
dreamer, the hobby Of the 1deallst anu
the fad of the supposedly eccentric
now constitutes one of the most pro-
6tahle. and, at the same time, one Oh
the most staple, of the many branches
or "side-lines," of the business OF az
riculture. .71,,
The industry of farming, generally
speaking, is at a rather low eDD III
this section of the country at this tlme'
as well as other parts, due to 10"
| grain markets at the time OF the mar
vest of the crops, frequently hail ana
other storms and general Worlu ue-
nression along economic lines, ana II
will he we'll for our farmers to cast
about for a profitable business Whlcn
can be worked in conjunction WIN
their regular occupation, to help I'M
ance the same and to act as stllnu-
| Ins to their other interests. In our
oninion. the poultry business offers
inst this opportunity, II nothing lnOIe'
The raising of poultry, sucn eS
chickens-which, of course, cO1sIi
tutes the chief branch OF thls lnuus
trv-turkeys, geese, ducks ana gum
cas-. is a rough journey over the 1us
ged path of many wasted eHorts' IA
fber than a pleasant one over rose
strewn roads of pleasure with unllil-
tied profits, like many, with llttle Ot
no knowledge of the same, suppose II
is a hard-handed business proposlIlOn'
like farming, trucking, shipping OF
anv other business. Pitfalls. IN the
form of extensively advertised equip
ment. birds that are supposed TO &C
complish wonders and make the pur-
cbasers rich in year or two, relne-
dies and concoctions that will cure
diseases and make hens lay immense
numbers of eggs, and many oLher
things. so foolish that we refrain
from putting them into print-lle III
the wav of the poultry ra1sers anu
success and are so numerous anu
painted so gorgeously that, at tlmes'
if is almost impossible to avoid them'
and many an experienced, as well as
inexperienced, poultryman has found
cred on the rocks of financial dlsas-
ter because he has followed the IAN
ciful paths shown so alluringly on the
printed page rather than the more
practical cnes of time-tried, experleh-
ced men.
But. in spite of the many wrecks
which line the shore of the poultry
sea. in spite of the many pitfalls for
the feet of the unwary, in spite OF the
MANY disasters which poultrymen en-
counter yearly, the poultry business
has continued to progress, the tads
and fakes are being gradually el1ml-
mated and the time will, no doubt,
come, and is not so very far away,
when the poultry business on the
Maryland-Delaware Peninsula will be
nm as firm a foundation as any busl-
ness which is used in conjunction win
another, Inexperience, and enthusl-
asm that comes with it, leading people
to broader avenues than they are cap
able of following, has caused more
failures than everything else combln-
ed in this business.
fIof
the peninsula can be developed IN
conjunction with regular farming
more practically and more prohtaDly
than in any way and can, in lew
wears. be placed on a firmer founda-
tion in this manner than in any other
way. For a person to erect big
commercial plant and start IN the
business in this manner, on large !
scale, he courts the disaster that is
almost sure to overtake him.
The average farmer on the penin-
sula is now carrying from $50 to 3OO |
laying hens, with profit and with |
some little work. A gradual increase |
of this number to 300 and 900, re-
spectively, would bring in consider
ably more profit and could be handled |
with slightly more effort. This in |
creased number would mean larger !
more equipment and an out
lay of some capital in order that
they might be handled properly, but |
they would use the same range as the
smaller number, which is, after all,
the basis of the health and profit OF
the flock. If the range is healthy and
sufficient, poorer quarters and equip
ment, although very desirable and
surely better in every way, can be
somehow. Ideal housing,
ideal equipment, ideal conditions, are
all every bit as desirable in the poul-
try business as any other line of hui
man endeavor, but they cannot al
ways be had. Consequently, one must
use what he has and can get, and do
his best with that. We have seen
some of the biggest successes made
under the most trying conditions.
For the tenant farmer, and especial
ly for the farmer who owns his own
farm, the poultry business offers a
most profitable "side-line" and one
which cannot well be passed by. The
tenant farmer is often restricted in
he number of fowls he can keep, and,
Of course, this is a handicap hard to
overcome. We say to him: Keep as
many as you can, house them the best
you can, give them every attention
you can, and bring them to as high a
state of efficiency possible. A small