280 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



forces. We need to have the scientific investigator at the expense of 

 the State or the National government, trying out some of the things 

 ihat are too expensive for the individual poultry man to do for him- 

 self, and we need the practical poultry man to put these things to 

 the test After all, it is the person who, on the farm, is caring for 

 the hens, that is most likely to have the correct perspective of things, 

 because he tries these things out in the crucible of everyday experi- 

 ence and he puts them to a dollar and cent test. Any scientific, or so- 

 called scientific theory of inheritance, of breeding or nutrition or of 

 poultry house construction or of incubating or rearing that cannot 

 stand tlie test of the practical poultry man's use in making money 

 with poultry on his farm, generally is not a correct theory and not a 

 sound conclusion. 



The subject assigned this morning is a specific one, the "Breeding 

 of Poultry for Egg Production." The development of poultry hus- 

 bandry in the East has been very largely along the egg producing 

 line, because it has appeared to be the most profitable field up to the 

 present time. I predict, however, that the day is not far distant 

 when we shall have greater knowledge of the meat-producing values 

 of poultry and that we shall give it quite as complete specific atten- 

 tion in our breeding. The industry needs it and there certainly is a 

 wonderful field for development along the line of quick maturity of 

 birds for meat production, having specially well developed bodies that 

 will best meet the needs of the table as well as the production of high 

 quality eggs. In a measure these two qualities can be worked out in 

 the same individual, with perhaps as great money value in dollars 

 and cents profit when all the factors are taken into consideration. I 

 say this by way of explanation lest I be understood as thinking that 

 we were ignoring the great meat qualities that always must be taken 

 into consideration in any system of cost accounting of profits on a 

 poultry farm. 



The question of breeding poultry is especially important at the 

 present time, due primarily to the increasing cost of the other factors 

 of production. It costs us more to-day to feed our fowls than it did 

 formerly, therefore it behooves us to see to it that the machines 

 that we u"se in our manufacture of eggs and meat are of the very 

 best quality, otherwise our food cannot be fed to the best possible 

 advantage. With the higher price of house construction — because 

 we are learning now the need of a good house if we are going to get 

 the very best results in feeding or breeding, and with the increased 

 cost of labor, reduced of course by various methods of labor saving 

 appliances, but generally difficult to secure to work on the farm 

 at reasonable rates, due to the competition of other industries, 

 make it especially important that the birds that we do have shall all 

 be good ones. Then taking into consideration the demand of the more 

 critical public for a higher quality of product, it is absolutely essen- 

 tial for the person to-day Miio makes the best use of his poultry, to 

 have birds that lay high quality eggs. They must have quality to 

 compete and bring the j^rices. 



We find that in trying to carry out this plan to secure a better 

 quality and larger quantity of poultiy that we have some exceedingly 

 difficult problems to confront. It is a more difficult problem to breed 

 poultry scientifically and well than it is to breed most other kinds 

 of domestic animals, not because they are not more responsive. I 



