Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-09-23

the Department of Agriculture with
limited funds and personnel have been
valued highly. The farmers bulle-
tins" of the Bureau of Agricultural
Economies relating to poultry and eggs
have been distributed by millions Of
copies. The Poultry Council is ask
ing that more funds be granted sc
that new studies of production and
marketing problems may be made. Its
representatives intend later to testify
before the House appropriations com.
mittee.
Signs that the poultry industry was
attaining the right to that designation
no longer to be considered merely a
haphazard by-product of the barn.
yard, have been multiplying with de-
velopment of specialization in chicken
duck and turkey farms; the realiza-
ton by farmers that in eggs and poul-
try-the sales value of each branch
being in excess of $500,000.0 900 a year
there was a source of real revenue
and consequent efforts to improve the
breed of poultry, and forward steps in
marketing.
Away back in history, chickens were
bred only for cock-fghting purposes
The loWly hen accompanied the first
dLIIo W AdIlu IIiGSc
but the last century was rather well
advanced before the great food value
of poultry products gained recognition
and they began to be handled as a
business. 1t was after the Civil War
that the first incubator was invented
Since that time, great advances have
been made in assisting nature There
are huge incubatorS; the baby chick
business is thriving; eggs and poultry
both are being graded so that the pro-
ducerS can get the benefit of price
differentials. although much remains
to be done in this line; refrigeration
has been an outstanding boom to pro-
ducers and consumers alike.
X 4 X X
Wise producers are learning to de-
ceive the hen so as to induce greater
laying of eggs, and production in cold
weather so that the Spring and Sum-
mer glut of fresh-laid eggs will not
pull down the average price for the
year SO greatly, and at the same time
the supply of strictly fresh products
will be greater in the Winter. When
the daylight hours grow short, cleo
trio light is used to fool the hens, and
care is exercised to delay noting
The poultry farm is increasing in
number. Modern methods make 1t pos
sible for such a farm" to be operated
in any building in a city, but there
is limit to such development.
Despite the poultry specialists, with
their intensive methods, located near
great consuming centers, the Middle
West remains the great source of sup
ply for poultry products. Iowa heads
the list for both eggs and market
poultry. The States near the great
Eastern consuming centers form the
second group. There is large poultry
development in California and the
Northwest. The South raises conSid-
cradle poultry, but has not made 1t a
major commercial business; as mat
ter of fact, the Southern States ship
less poultry to distant markets in pro-
portion to their flocks than any other
section, which indicates heavier home
consumption there than elsewhere.
The records show that flocks of chick
ems are increasing, although not as
rapidly as prior to 1910, but that the
raising of turkeys, ducks and geese is
decreasing.
Studies of the effects of price on de-
mand have not been carried far--which
is one of the things the Poultry Coun-
ell would like to see done-but the price
now is slightly higher than last year
at this time. Egg storage figures are
heavy now, and will decrease during the
Winter; poultry is the reverse, because
OF seasonal marketing reasons. About
so per cent of the egg production is
shipped commercially and of this, IL to
Is per cent goes into storage.
tCopyrisht. 1927