Newspapers / The Carolina Union Farmer … / March 21, 1912, edition 1 / Page 10
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Page Ten THE CAROLINA UNION FARMER [Thursday, March 21, 1912. lillEEDING FOR EGGS. We have been greatly interested in the work of the Maine experiment station for some years, especially in the effort to breed poultry for egg production. Some years ago we pur chased eggs for hatching from this station, from pullets hatched from eggs laid by 200-egg hens, and male birds from 200-egg hens. As might have been expected, the fertility was poor, but three chicks hatching from a setting of eggs. These we raised, and while the pullets—there were two pullets and a cockerel—did not make phenomenal records, they did lay beautiful brown eggs, and their progeny and the progeny of the cock erel inherited this trait. A recent bulletin from the Maine station summarizes the work of the past thirteen years along this line, and states that the mass selection for high egg production on the basis of the trap nest did not result in a steady, continuous improvement in the average flock production, and that the daughters of 200-egg hens with from six to nine years of se lected ancestry behind them were no better layers, on the average, than birds bred from the general flock. Results showed that there was no evidence that either the method ot housing, feeding, the fact that the chicks were throughout the period of experiment hatched in incubators and reared in brooders, or that some de gree of inbreeding was practiced, had anything whatever to do with the out come of that experiment. In fact, there was, contrary to the general impression, no evidence to show that the years of hatching and rearing by artificial means had in any way de teriorated the vitality of the strain. An experiment in outcrossing to determine whether the infusion of new blood gave vigor to the flock failed to produce any change in the egg production of the progeny. A new plan has been adopted at the Maine station. Having ascer tained that it is impossible to tell from the laying record of a hen whether its progeny will be good or poor layers. This stations is seeking to discover by means of pedigree an alysis those individuals of the general flock which possess high fecundity in inheritable form. These individuals are then to be isolated and propa gated, and improvement thus brought about. In this work there has been isolated and are now being propa gated lines carrying high egg pro ductiveness and lines carrying low productiveness, the character appar ently being definitely fixed in the ped igree line or strain in each case. Women who keep in close touch with their chickens are often quite familiar with the peculiarities of cer tain hens, and are able to pick out the chicks of these hens from their resemblance to their mothers. When it is possible to so trace relationship, it is most interesting to compare the records of the mother and the daugh ter. We know a lady who can tell the eggs laid by each of her twenty- five hens. She also knows her hens and their peculiarities as a mother knows her children. When she was offered a large sum for a beautiful prize winning hen, she most frankly told the would-be buyer that the hen only laid a dozen eggss in her life, and was no good as a breeder, as none of the eggs were fertile. This lady has been remarkably successful as a producer of winter eggs, and she claims that all of her hens the past year were the progeny of one hen of exceptional laying quality. In fact, she says she hag only had ona good hen in all the years of her breeding, referring to this hen, because she re produced her own good qualities. By watching our hens this summer and pedigreeing the chicks, we, too, may find some exceptional layers that re produce their good qualities.—Wal laces’ Farmer. A QUESTION EASILY ANSWERED. If she was a normal hen she cross ed the road on serioiis business. There is nothing frivolous about the hen. She leaves it to the roster to make midnight noisy and you do not hear her exchanging gossip with the next barnyard. She rises with the earliest break of day and sets at once about her duties. She did not go across the road to swap scandal. Probably there were good worms across the road and she led her flock after them. Or there may have been a blacksnake lurking in the pasture. It is not given to all hens to fly at a crawling marauder with fearful scream and peck at his eyes and beat his cruel head with wing and claw, as some do. Discretion may be the better part of valor, even in the hen nery. Why did the hen cross the road? Silly question. Why did the hen spend half the morning looking for the place her nest had been be fore the stable was cleaned up and re-arranged. Why did she lay an egg every day only to see it disappear? Why did she set two whole months on bare ground when impertinent in terference would have sent her back to supplying the table? Because she is an idealist. She is utilitarian no doubt in your view but not in her own. You wonder why she cackles when she has laid an egg but she knows that the. future of her race rests in her keeping. No rooster, however attentive, can tempt her to race suicide. No misfortune, no ene my, no disappointment can deter her from building anew the home nest. Her heart is wide enough for twenty but she does not despise a single broodllng. To it she will give all her loving care until it is big enough for the roost. Ask us a really hard question.—Knoxville, (Tenn.) Senti nel. WHITE LEGHORNS—THE MONEY MAKERS. How often we hear the expression, “If I was just shaped up I would like to raise thoroughbred chickens.” This is one mistake many people make in going into any kind of bus! ness. It is well enough to shape up, but a mistake to spend all your life shaping up. One of the best ways is to dive right in and shape up as you go along. It is a great big thing to decide, what kind, or breed of chickens to start with. If one is out for money tand T think this the greatest incen tive for the most of us,) the S. C. White Leghorn is the ideal fowl for this purpose. It looks good to me to see the egg basket heaped full of nice, white, average-sized eggs and on the way to market. The S. C. White lieghorns are handed down to us through the past generations as the greatest egg ma chines, and my experience teaches me that this is the verified truth. We all can see that they are built this way. Being naturally good layers to start with, and with all the improve ments, and picking the best layers to breed from all through the past gen erations, it is no wonder that they are genuine egg machines. The feed question is another very Important thing to consider, as we all know that the larger the animal or fowl the more feed it reqiures. The Leghorn is a rather small fowl, but lays an average size egg, is one of the best rangers we have, and if on a good range will pick up about half of their own feed, thereby a great saving to you and giving a good bal anced ration, which is not a very easy thing for you to do yourself. This means a great saving in the health of the flock, and is the natural state of all fowls. We all know that when we violate the laws of nature we must sooner or later pay the pen alty. Some seem to object to the meat of the Leghorn for eating purposes; but I want to say, honest, that the Leg horn does afford more and better meat for the price than any other do mestic fowl. It has the very delic ious flavor of the wild fowl of the for est, which is geting very scarce with us at this day and time, and for this reason the Leghorn will be more in demand than ever. What is more beautiful than a flock of S. C. White Leghorns with their snow white plumage, grazing on a southeast hillside lot of alfalfa clover? A sight like this will always appeal to all lovers of beauty.—E. A. Rogers, Hixson, Tenn. FROM JONES COUNTY. Our county union was organized last May, when we had with us that good brother Dr. Maynard, of Samp son County, who made us a splendid address and gave us good advice and information, which has aided very much in our work since. We have also had Brother J. Z. Green with us and all who were present and heard him were impressed with the wise zeal of this brother, who is filled with energy and determination to make our order a great benefit to its membership, financially as well as a means of the moral uplift of our communities. We are trying to do some things in .Tones. Although yet young, we have built and are now operating a cotton warehouse, with Brother E. B. El liott, of Pollocksville, as manager, and are also aiding our members in procuring their fertilizer and other supplies more advantageously. Of course we have as yet accomplished very little in comparison with what we hope to do, for the loyalty, perseverance and continuous indus try of our membership, assures us that we can do great things. We had a meeting of our county union with a fine attendance, at Trenton, March 4th. For the pres ent we will continue to hold our meetings on the first Monday of each month. We would be glad to have the brethren from other counties to visit us at our meetings. I am sure we can aid our order very much by getting better acquainted with each other, talking over what we are do ing in our various unions and in dis cussing and learning the best means of promoting our general good. I recently had the privilege of meeting with the brethren of Craven County at New Bern, and enjoyed be ing with them very much. Being with these brethren impressed me with the fact that in our ranks are many noble, determined men, united and working together for the better ment of us all. I want to assure these brothers of Craven I appreciate the many courtesies extended me and give them all, for our county union, a pressing invitation to come over and visit us. Fraternally yours, T. C. WHITAKER. Trenton, N. C., March 10, 1912. He—How clean the surf keeps the sea-shells. She—Yes, you know the sea is very tidy. THE CATAWBA CREAMERY. The Catawba Co-operative Cream ery Company of Hickory, carried m Friday’s Catawba County News a half-page ad. showing a 400 per cen increase in business for the pas twelve months. The total sales o butter, cream and eggs for tae month of February, 1911, amounted to $2,148.79. For February, this year, the total sales were $8,902.37, an increase of $6,752.58. The Hickory creamery is the most prosperous of any plant of its kind id the State and this statement of its remarkable growth is conclusive evi dence that the Piedmont country is ^ great stock and dairy country. The Hickory credmery, like some others in the State, has been an experiment and we are glad that it has been sue cessful. The plant is co-operative. The stock is distributed among the far mers of Catawba County in shares ot $100 each. No one is allowed to own more than one share. It is run on the Elgin system and its products command the highest prices paid for the famous Elgin creamery butter, $3 0,000 cash was paid to farmers in that county last year for butter fat- At the present rate the plant will pn/ out $100,000 this year. The success of this plant, like n co-operative enterprises, is due to if® able management and to the patron age it is receiving from the farmers of that section. All co-operative plants fail without this. The first co-operative creamery i’^ the State was built at Mooresboro i^ 1909 and began business in Decem ber of that year. It has been running successfully and is doing a good bus ness. Other plants were establisbe at Shelby, Stanley, and Gaffney am Yorkville, S. C. Some of these hav suspended operations, but others am meeting with success. , The Hickory creamery has ad^e another feature to its business, wbF is wonderfully successful, we nr® told. While the milk men are over their routes and collecting mi ,nd from patrons they also take eggs i. in great quantities. We have hea that one and two car loads of aS® are shipped by this company every week. These creameries were built by ^ Elgin Company of Elgin, Ill. q have been fought bitterly by som^ people and the objections raised we that this section is not suitable to t creamery business, and that if enterprises were needed, they shou be established by home-folks. ^ The example of the Hickory ah^ Mooresboro creameries make the u ^ objection foolish. And the that such enterprises should be tablished by home folks and f g they can be built much cheaper way, can be answered satisfactor The trouble in this is that our folks are lacking in experience a initiative, and they will not un def' take such work without ment and an impetus from with Let us have creameries and let b folks build them if they will, bu they wont, then let the strange^ it.—Gastonia Progress. No Doubt About It. “Did your wife turn out that you expected her to be’ ab i you expectea ner to • gj^e "More. When I married was as slim as a young gazelle- she weighs nearly 200 poup Chicago Record-Herald Only Two There. “When we went to housekeep|^^j.^ she sadly complained, “you glad to wipe the dishes for me- “Yes,” he grumbled: was when we had only to be wiped.”—“Chicago Herald. ‘but two dl'L N thai Prei lex Pigi tliei the U'e thr: Or the ftig wii 1 Por Pro th( Pen Of het eve ‘>1 hal art k sti: at Th Pit foi Pij a ( Pi, tic ai ar at VI la th tl V- h, ti a 0 V'
The Carolina Union Farmer (Charlotte, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
March 21, 1912, edition 1
10
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