No. 7. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 389 



during the past year, and Mr. T. E. Orr tells us, in his Bulletin No. 

 143, that Pennsylvania consumes five times as much poultry and eggs 

 as she produces annually. Now, is there another farm product of 

 such vast importance to our every meal, the traffic in which has 

 reached such vast proportions, and yet falls far short of meeting the 

 daily demand. 



It is very certain that we, as farmers, are face to face with a good 

 market for one of the best pajing products that the land produces, 

 and how many of us know it? Is it not time we were looking 

 around and doing some figuring for ourselves, and not going on in 

 the old ruts just because our neighbors do? There is a possibility 

 of our not doing enough thinking for ourselves and not working out 

 each for himself the possilhilities of his own personal ability, loca- 

 tion and surroundings. 



For many reasons it would not be possible for us all to be suc- 

 cessful in the poultry business; but it is possible for many to suc- 

 ceed better, supplying the market allowing from 75 to 100 per cent, 

 more for a given amount of food and labor than the market they 

 have. One dozen of eggs is a small matter, so is one pound of soap, 

 one loaf of bread, one quart of milk, or one box of matches, and lots 

 of other things that enter into our daily needs, and how many of 

 these numerous necessities are produced as a side issue without the 

 care of a capable owner or manager? 



Nevertheless, the unassuming hen has produced as much value 

 in the United States in the past year as the wheat crop, and more 

 than the cow, and more than the combined earnings of the railroads, 

 more than the receipts of the steel industry, and still she has not 

 supplied the demand. 



Wffh many mechanical devices and improved methods of to-day 

 that make it possible to multiply the possibilities of the small opera- 

 tor many times over, and a good market at his elbow, it would be 

 very easy to double the output of the Pennsylvania Poultry Yard, 

 and make the hen not a competitor of, but a leader in earning power, 

 of all live-stock kept on the farm. 



The CHAIRMAN: What shall be done with this report, gentle- 

 men? 



Moved and seconded that it be received, and placed on file. 

 Agreed to. 



The CHAIRMAN: Has any one anything to say on this subject? 

 We might devote a few minutes to its discussion. 



MR. CLARK: I had a set of Wyandottes that produced 150 eggs 

 a year each, which I sold at two cents a piece, or a total of |75.00. 

 Now a hundred hens will cost about the same outlay of money as 

 one cow, and will bring in about three hundred dollars. If you get 

 a cow for the same amount of money, you would not have anything 

 like the same amount of profit from her that you would from the 

 hens. 



A Member: How many hens did you have in the set? 

 MR. CLARK: Twenty-five. 



