2GG ANNUAL KKl'UUT OF THE Off. Doc. 



Up and it promotes a very rapid growth at tlii.s time which shading 

 the ground helps to retard the growth of weeds and lessens the in- 

 jury done by the flea beetle and other insects. If we are to bury 

 our potatoes after they are up a few inches high we must have them 

 come up good and strong. If they come uj) weak and spindly we 

 cannot bury them deeply enough to kill all weeds without injury 

 to the potatoes themselves but if they come up sturdy and strong 

 we can cover them up several inches deep and they Avill immedi- 

 ately grow right up through from the centre. The large leaves 

 that are buried do not come up and if there are any of the old potato 

 beetles eggs on them they will never hatch. In the cutting of the 

 seed we can do several things towards making a stockier plant. The 

 roots of the e3'e run towards the stem end, hence we should cut 

 above the eye in order not to cut oti' too short these eye roots, and 

 cut in blocky pieces of good size. 



SOME MODERN TOULTRY PROBLEMS 



By J. T. CAMPBELL, U-irtstown, Pa. 



The profits from the poultry industry are dependent on the ability 

 of the fowl to live and to reproduce. Doubtless all our modern 

 varieties of fowl are descendants of some wild species. In the wild 

 state the fowl laid a few eggs and raised her brood, she had ac- 

 complished her purpose — reproduction. On this offspring, nature 

 imposed many hardships so that only the most vigorous survived — 

 began to again reproduce. Under demonstration with more favor- 

 able en\dronments the weakling is enabled to survive and to repro: 

 duce. Not only this but the hen is enabled to produce several times 

 as many eggs as in the wild state, as we shall later see, all 'calling 

 for plenty of vitality to produce them. 



Here then we have two principles involved, each working against 

 the other. .The call for greater vitality, greater ability to live and 

 reproduce and the selection and breeding from birds often of low 

 vigor. Hence we have eggs that do not hatch chix that die and 

 many kindred trouble. 



As long as we pay more attention to standard points than to con- 

 stitutional vigor we may expect no improvement along these lines. 

 • It is of vastly more importance that the fowl have strong, straight 

 legs set well apart, than that there be no down between the toes. 



The short, stout, sharply curved beak and the short, thick head 

 with the eyes prominent and set well back in the long cavity will 

 avail much more than five points on the comb, when it comes to 

 getting a profit out of our farmer flock. The farmer usually buys 

 his breeding stock on the show records of the breeder, getting cheap 

 stodv he has neither show birds nor stock selected and bred along 

 the practical lines. 



