Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1923-03-08
Small Flock Back bone
Of Poultry Industry
c. T. Owens Gives Reasons For En-
couraging Back Yard Poultry
Raising

Many girls and boys all over the
country are ghrowing chickens in their
back yards. have often wondered why
the boys and girls of Fitzgerald would
not be interested along this line.
The backbone of the poultry indus
try is the small flock. The men who are
producing poultry and eggs on large
scale are experts in their business and
they should manage it with lust as
much skill as any other successful en-
terprise is managed.
But the combined production of the
commercial poultry raisers is only a
drop IN the bucket when compared
with the huge total of billion dollars
year. e raise only half enough poul-
try and eggs. The production should
be doubled, particularly in the South,
There are several very good reasons
why we encourage backyard poultry
ralsing-both in the city and on farms.
l. The need for more food of better
quality, at lower price-produced at
home. About forty per cent of the av
erage family income is spent for food.
When the family cuts its food bill it
has more money for educating the chill
dren or for buying other necessities of
life for the home. If we can reduce the
nations food bill five to ten per cent.
business of all classes will prosper as
never before. Wages will become sta
billzed and strikes will soon cease.
2. Backyard poultry raising is a
useful and fascinating occupation. 1t
is small business which is easily
learned by young people who want to
heUIn NV old IL
who want light occupation which will
yield them an income. 1t is the ideal
avocation of those who love pets, hate
ldleness and who want to increase the
family income.
3. The genuine need for more eggs
in the family diet. When eggs are high
III price, as they are more than half
the year, their consumption is limited.
1t has become an easy matter to get
the habit of eating too few eggs and
that is real misfortune. Your watch
word should be: Eat less meat, but
eat more eggs and drink more milk"
Certainly these are reasons enough
to encourage every family to have its
own pultry farm mn its own backward.
1t pays big returns in health, in money,
III pleasure, and the satisfaction that
comes from the performance of plea
SAINT task which brings health and hap
piness to others.
Several thousand families all over
the country are rejoicing over their
backyard focks which are paying them
handsome dividends. I noticed recent
ly where number of club girls in
Florida were making great success in
the poultry business.
One girl in ST Johns County, Fla,
won handsome premiums and made a
clear profit of $73975 in one year.
One in Lawrence County, Miss,
cleared $4,000 in one year, and one in
Alabama cleared $385.00 in one year.
AS was seen at the Poultry Club ex-
hibit in Fitzgerald last fall some of the
Poultry Club girls in Ben Hill county
were right successful i'll their work,
and won a number of nice, attractive
premiums. The above earnings are on
ly few average cases and might be
multiplied by tens of thousands. 1t
should be remembered that these pro-
fits represent mhat these poultry rails
ers would have paid if they had bought
what they produced in their own back
yards More than this, they have got
a lot of real fun out of their efforts.
will be glad indeed to assist any
boy or girl in Fitzgerald by supply
ing them with the necessary bulletins
and otherwise instructing them as to
the better ways of growing and carisg
for chickens. Ben Hill county, last year
almost surpassed any other county in
the state in Poultry Club member
ship and activities l am very anxious
indeed for our county to take the lead
this year, not only in membership, but
in the actual growing of chicks. l make
this appeal to the girls of Fitzgerald
to join me this year in putting our
county and city on the map as state
leader in the poultry business.
For the benefit of those who might
believe that there is no mosey to be
made in the poultry business l would
like to call their attention to the earn