*&?? Farm Poultry 



eral is the consumption of fowls and of poultry 

 products that some of these products are found 

 among the constituents of almost every well-pre- 

 pared meal. As a large proportion of the poultry 

 products go directly to supply the daily wants of 

 the producers' families, it is impossible to ascertain 

 with any degree of accuracy the quantity thus 

 consumed. Very few records are kept by producers 

 of either the fowls or eggs thus consumed, and 

 whenever statements are made for the census- 

 taker or others, the aggregate is much more likely 

 to be underestimated than exaggerated. Conse- 

 quently, published data are likely to be more or 

 less misleading, and to give far too low value to 

 the industry. 



The United States Census Reports for the last 

 two census years give the following number of 

 fowls on farms: 



Per cent 



No. fowls No. fowls Increase + 



June l s 1900 April 15, 1910 Decrease- - 



Chickens 233,566,021 280,345,133 +20 



Turkeys 6,594,695 3,688,708 -44 



Ducks 4,785,850 2,906,525 -39 



Geese 5,676,788 4,431,980 -21.9 



As these figures do not include the fowls kept 

 on village lots, they probably fall far short of rep- 

 resenting the actual number in the country. It 

 should be noticed that the time of taking the last 

 census was much earlier in the season than that 

 of the previous census. So the difference in number 



