250 ANNUAL, REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



And as far as practical poultry keeping for Peuusylvania is con- 

 cerned, I should say at once that it differs little, if at all, from 

 practical poultry keeping throughout the Northern and Eastern 



states. 



However, towards the end of this address, I shall endeavor par- 

 ticularly to emphasize the most neglected essential points in prac- 

 tical or successful poultry keeping in this state. 



For practical poultry keeping is successful poultry keeping. Much 

 evidence along this line exists. But in the same breath I might 

 here say, scientific poultry keeping is not successful poultry keeping. 

 Much evidence also exists to prove this. Science as applied to the 

 farm and to some branches of live stock has proven its worth and 

 is successful. 



Probably this whole body of agricultural experts here gathered 

 could stand up and individually give instances of the worth of 

 science as applied to farming; as applied to feeding and housing 

 dairy cattle, for instance. But who can here quote me a single in- 

 stance of a successful scientific poultry plant? 



True, every little while some fellow will get off a series of articles 

 in some poultry journal on scientific feeding (balanced rations), or on 

 some complicated scientific system of ventilation, etc. But do you 

 know it's all on paper? It's a fair chance the writer has half a dozen 

 chickens on some back lot, receiving enough care and attention 

 which, if it had to be paid for, would run up to |10 or |25 per in- 

 dividual hen I Or, worse yet, these scientifically fed or attended hens 

 would be a sickly unprofitable lot. No! No! this is not practical poul- 

 try keeping. 



What, then, do I consider the essentials of practical or paying 

 poultry keeping? Poultry keeping in this State. But just a word 

 more until we finish the scientific end of the subject. Who, if any 

 one, are we to look to for proven scientific worth in poultry keeping? 

 If not to our government bureau and State agricultural colleges, to 

 whom then? Yes, the government and at least half a dozen states 

 are working along the poultry lines. What are they doing? Not 

 much. 



Principally they are frittering away their time and our money, 

 for instance, in egg tests. Tests to see which breed or variety will 

 with them, prove to be the best layers. I say 'Svith them," for 

 many things may go to prove that with them so-and-so breed or 

 variety are the best layers. But does that add a single scientific 

 fact or give us a single fact of value? Hardly. 



Now, every practical or successful (the two words this morning 

 are inseparable) poultry man knows that a certain family or strain, 

 say Langshans or Brahmas, may outlay a certain family or strain of 

 Leghorns. Climate, feed, care may even emphasize this. It may 

 work, too, the other way. 



But no amount of research by State colleges will change the un- 

 alterable fact that the smaller' breeds like the Leghorns, etc., are 

 the layers. 



The Maine State College is doing a great deal better. They have 

 put in a series of years trap-nesting their hens, breeding and'estab- 

 lishing a line of layers of a given variety. This at least is something 

 intensely practical (profitable), if not scientific. 



