22 



IMPROVEMENT OF THE FARM EGG. 



size and general character of the farms which were visited. As to 

 size, there are in Kansas the smaller farms containing from 60 to 

 300 acres and also those which are several thousand acres in extent, 

 the latter being used for the most part as pasture and grain land, 

 while on the former diversified farming is the usual practice. The 

 principal crops raised are corn, wheat, oats, barley, kafir corn, millet, 

 sorghum, potatoes, and hay. The term " hay " would include many 

 varieties of cultivated grasses and legumes, and of these alfalfa is 

 by far the most important crop. The classes of live stock which are 

 raised extensively are horses, beef cattle, milch cows, sheep, and hogs, 

 beef cattle and hogs being in the majority. The large farms, or 

 ranges, do not as a rule have any great number of poultry on them, 

 and consequently play a small part in the present discussion. From 

 this general description it is easy to understand why poultry forms 

 an important part in the agricultural wealth of this section of the 

 country, since grain and other desirable feed, including alfalfa, are 

 abundantly and economically raised, and the soil and climatic condi- 

 tions are well suited to the production of poultry. The details of 

 the 92 farms previously referred to in regard to acreage and size 

 of flocks are as follows : 



TABLE 3. Relation of size of farm to number of It ens kept, based upon 92 



Kansas farms. 



THE POULTRY STOCK. 



The value of purebred poultry has not been realized to as great 

 an extent by the farmers of Kansas as it should be. The bulk of the 

 poultry on the farms are what are commonly known as mongrel or 

 dunghill fowls. When any breeding is apparent Barred Plymouth 

 Rock and Leghorn characteristics predominate. A small proportion 

 of the farmers, however, do keep some purebred poultry. In Plate I 

 is shown a view of a good farm flock of Rose Comb Rhode Island 

 Reds. The breed most popular among farmers is the Barred 

 Plymouth Rock. 



Improvement is usually sought by bringing in fresh blood every 

 two or three years in the form of a new male bird, generally of a 

 different breed each time. About the only visible effect of this spas- 

 modic scheme is to add yet greater dissimilarity to the already won- 



