The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1946-05-02
Agricultural
Information
BY The Montana State
College Extension Service

at washington, D. c., and the
dates for the event are June
II to 10, according to Ray E.
Cameron, state club leader at
Montana State college.
AS in the past, he said, Mon
tana All clubs will be repre-
sented at the camp by four
delegates boys and two
girls-to be selected from among
outstanding club members in
the state. Names of candidates
must be submitted to the stale
club office by May I at the lat
es, he said, and so far, IA
counties have reported.
To be a delegate to the ma
tional club camp, Cameron said,
is one of the TOP honorS in
club activities. Attendance at
the camp offers All delegates
an unusual opportunity to learn
of the work, history and the
traditions of the department of
agriculture, and to gain a deep
er understanding of the Ideals
that have shaped Washington
as the nations capital.
Montana poultry breeders who
plan to enter the national
"Chicken of Tomorrow" contest
are advised by Harriette E.
! Cushman, state chairman of the
contest and extension poultry
specialist at Montana State col
lege, that chicks to be eligible
for the contest must be Matched
during the week of May IL to
IS. Cockerels from this hatcn
will be shown and judged at the
North Montana State fair at
Great Falls, August 5 to 10.
The contest is sponsored by
nearly every poultry industry
group in the nation, she said,
and it's purpose is to encourage
the breeding of strains of meal
type chickens of superior merit
i through a program of progeny
testing. The contest continues
for three years and at the end
of the third year the national
winner will receive a cash prize
of $4,000, regional winners will
receive $4,000 each, and state
winners will receive certificates
of quality.
Detailed information on the
contest may be obtained from
Miss Cushman or any of the
following members of the state
committee: Kenneth Burns,
Wolf Creek; Paul Mcclure,
Great Falls; c. B. Quinn, Mis-
soula; William Ferguson, Hell
ena; R. B. Struckman, Great
Falls; Allen F. Bleeckler, Boze-
man; Mrs. S. A. Metcalf, STAN
ford; Mrs. Joseph Meyers,
Townsend; Mrs. c. l.. Corkins,
Billings; Thorn as McMaster,
Helena; E. R. Halbrook, Boze-
man.
One Of the most important
events in the history of poultry
feeding was the discovery of
vitamin D about IS years ago.
This vitamin is required for
proper utilization of calcium
and phosphorus. This discovery
revolutionized the feeding and
management of poultry and
made possible all year-round
poultry and egg production.
There is no difficulty in Sc
curing ample vitamin D in
some form for poultry. The ma
jor problem is in meeting the
varying requirements for spe-
cial purposes. Layers need al
most twice as much vitamin D
as chicks for best egg produc-
ton and breeders need almost
three times as much as chicks
to produce good hatchable eggs
There Is also the seasonal vari-
alton depending upon exposure
to direct sunlight and variations
in confinement affecting expos
ure to sunlight.
Decreased growth, leg weak
ness (ricketS), decreased egg
production, poor egg shell quai-
ity, and low hatchability are all
symptoms resulting from a de-
ficiency of vitamin D.
The Pennsylvania agricultural
experiment station has recently
shown that although chick
lgrowth was normal and no lee
weakness occurred on IS units