10 



FARMERS' MONTHLY OF HAMPSHIRE COUNTY 



APRIL POULTRY SUMMARY 



Hampshire County Flocks Stand High 

 in Kgg Production 



The following is the Aioril letter from 

 F. H. Branch, Farm Management Dem- 

 onstrator, in charge of the poultry ac- 

 count project: 



"Beginning with the March summary 

 we ai'e making three flock classifications 

 for the State Lists of leaders in egg pro- 

 duction, rather than two as we have done 

 previously. This is being done in justifi- 

 cation to several large commercial flock 

 owners, who maintain a high production 

 for the large numbers kept, but whose 

 production has been hardly high enough 

 to make the lists as previously classified. 

 The "List of Leaders" below shows the 

 classification that will be followed for 

 the rest of the year. 



"Total average egg production for the 

 five month period ending March .3ist. has 

 slightly exceeded that of previous years 

 while prices for the same period have 

 been slightly lower. The total average 

 production for the period to date this 

 year is 55.3 eggs per bird as compared 

 with 53.4 in 1925, and 50.5 in 1924. Like-' 

 wise the average price for all eggs sold 

 to date this year is $.556 per dozen as 

 compared with $.593 in 1925 and $.568 in 

 1924. On the average, eggs retailed 

 have exceeded the price of those sold 

 wholesale by $.12 per dozen for the past 

 two months. 



"As is usual at this time of the year, 

 production for old hens is fast approach- 

 ing that of pullets (yearlings at present) . 

 For March, average pullet production ex- 

 ceeded that of old hens by 3.8 eggs per 

 bird but for the 5 month period hen pro- 

 duction averaged but 34.2 eggs per bird 

 while pullets averaged 62 eggs per bird. 

 In order to follow this comparison 

 through the year we would like to have 

 you continue to report yearling and old 

 hen production separately. We realize 

 that hens over one year old should no 

 longer be classed as pullets but rather 

 than change the blanks it will be under- 

 stood that production reported under pul- 

 let will be from yearling hens." 



State Leaders in Egg Production 

 (For 5 months' period ending March 31, 

 1926) 



'Large Flocks — 1,000 birds or more No- 

 vember 1st. 



Name County 



1. Elm Tree Farm, Ply'th 



2. E. H. Castle, Ply'th 



3. Harold C. Booth, Hamp. 



4. J. H. Harding, Ply'th 



5. Hass Poultry Farm, 

 Bristol 



6. Peckham Farm Bristol 



7. Chas. Fine, Bristol 



Lnrge Flocks—BOO to 999 Birds on No- 

 vember 1st. 



1. J. T. Geer, Hamp. 542 537 84.2 



2. G. E. Scott, Hamp. 513 361 82.4 



3. C. S. Picker, Wor'ster 632 480 79.3 



4. Hillside School, Hamp. 600 522 76.9 



5. Henry H. Witt, Hamp 560 438 74.4 



6. A. B. Parker, Mid'sex 830 780 72.3 



7. Leroy Grinnell, Ply'th 514 428 70.2 



Averages for above 

 flocks 



599 507 78.9 



Small Flocks—QO to 499 Birds on No- 

 vember 1st. 



1. Mrs. F. T. Frary, Hamp. 140 88.3 



2. P. L. Wheelock, Hamp. 170 87.8 



3. Mrs. A. G. Eldridge Hamp 146 86.7 



4. Frank D. Steele Hamp. 341 79.2 



5. E. P. Whitney, Berkshire 100 78,2 



6. Geo. H. Ball, Hamp. 228 76.8 



7. Herbert F. Duncan Hamp. 333 76.0 



Averages for above flocks 208 81.9 



"Hamp." means Hampshire in above 

 tables. 



The County leaders for March were as 

 follows : 



Eggs 

 per Bii-d 

 22.72 

 22.63 

 22.56 

 22.55 

 22.29 

 21.87 

 21.41 

 21.06 

 20.82 

 20.72 

 20.72 



Birds 

 140 



82 

 438 



29 

 299 



Averages for above flocks 1583 65.1 



Mrs. F. T. Frary, South'ton 

 S. G. Waite, South'ton 

 Henry Witt, Belchertown 

 Mrs. R. P. Thayer, Hadley 

 F. D. Steele, Cummington 

 Mrs. A. G. Eldridge, Amh'st 130 

 .J. T. Geer, Belchertown 537 



Mrs. E. H. Alderman, M'field 170 

 Hillside School, Greenwich 317 

 P. L. Wheelock, Amherst 170 

 Henry Randall, Granby 50 



The following is a comparison of the 

 state and county summary: 



The Hamp- 

 State shire Co. 

 203 36 



384 



No. farms reporting 

 No. females per farm — 



Nov. 1st. 

 No. females per farm — 



Mar. 31.st. 

 Percentage of hens 

 Reduction by death — 



since Nov. 1st. 

 *Total reduction since 



Nov. 1st 

 Eggs laid per hen 



in March 

 Eggs laid per pullet 



in March 

 Total production per 



bird in March 

 Total production per 



bird since No. 1 

 Price reed, per doz. 



for eggs sold : 



Wholesale 



Retail 



All Eggs Sold 

 No. farms reporting 



chicks 

 No. chicks hatched 



per farm 



*Includes sales, thefts, 

 in addition to deaths. 



312 

 15 



4.47f 



18.5% 



13.5 



17.3 



16.8 



55.3 



$.387 

 ?.507 

 1.420 



56 



1121 



352 



290 

 14 



3.1% 



18.0% 



15.0 



18.5 



17.6 



63.5 



$.387 

 $.510 

 $.405 



10 



1049 



and fowls eaten 



.Soy ISeuns for Hay 



Continued from page 1, column 2 

 (3) Poor growth. Like all plants a fair 

 degree of soil fertility is required. (4) 

 Hard to cure. This was because the 

 beans were dried too much before cock- 

 ing. The plants should only be wilted 

 before they are cocked up. (5) Dusty. 

 Bound to be the way they are grown but 

 it is nothing but clean soil and does no 

 harm, not to be confused with dust caused 

 by moulds. All of these disadvantages 

 can be over-come. The cows will not 

 clean up the coarse stems unless they are 

 starved. 



Fit the land the same as for corn. 

 Give reasonable fertility either with 

 manure and acid phosphate or with mixed 

 fertilizer. Use the leveling harrow once 

 a week after discing to kill the weeds. In- 

 oculate the seed either with soil or with 

 cultures. Plant in drills 20 to 36 inches 

 apart using a corn planter. It takes 

 from one half to one bushel of seed per 

 acre. Best varieties are Ito San, Manchu 

 and Pekin. The latter is a small black 

 bean which is hard to inoculate. After 

 planting, go over the piece with a plank 

 drag or spike tooth harrow to level the 

 piece. After the beans have their first 

 two true leaves, use the leveling harrow 

 or the weeder. This should be done in 

 the afternoon when the beans are wilted. 

 Rimbold Brothers of Granby did an ex- 

 cellent job of growing soy beans last 

 year. They used the weeder about nine 

 times and the weeds never had a chance 

 to start. 



The crop should be cut when the beans 

 are beginning to form in the pods. The 

 crop should be wilted and then cocked up. 

 If the leaves become too dry before cock- 

 ing they will not draw the moisture from 

 the stems and a long hard session will be 

 had. It usually takes from four to seven 

 days in the cock to cure the beans. 

 Fortunately the broad leaves shed water 

 better than other legume hays. 



I RAISE HEALTHY CHICKS! | 



i i 



:: CORROSIVE SUBLIMATE % 



\l is valuable for tf 



^ Disinfecting Brooder Houses and Yards 



We carry it in powdered form 



up in the size package you 



It is cheaper by the pound 



Put up in the size package you need 



I 



WISWELL THE DRUGGIST 



82 Main Street 



I Northampton, 



Mass. 



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