No. 4.] POULTRY CULTURE. 33 



according to established facts, instead of being governed by 

 somebod3^'s "say so." 



In the feeding of poultry ahnost no research has been 

 attempted, and no one knows to-day the degree of digesti- 

 bility of even the common foods used for fowls. Further, 

 there are required extended and exhaustive experiments to 

 determine the practicability of raising and feeding to fowls 

 such crops as Canada peas, soja beans, hemp seed, flaxseed, 

 sunflower seed and other crops containing abundant protein 

 (flesh-foriuing) nutrients, which may perhaps economically 

 replace the nutrients of similar kind now supplied by the 

 more expensive animal foods, such as beef scraps, meat meal, 

 green bone, etc. 



The special fattening or finishing of chickens for market 

 by forced feeding has proved a decidedly profitable practice 

 in England, France, Belgium and Austria. The Canadian 

 government has taken up this matter in connection with the 

 preparation of poultrv products for export to the English 

 markets. In the United States the process bids fair to be 

 adopted and largely practised before even the agricultural 

 experiment stations awaken to the desirability of inves- 

 tigating and experimenting in this line under American 

 conditions. 



The American hen appears to have been esteemed of too 

 little importance by our State experiment stations to be con- 

 sidered worth}^ of study. A few intermittent attempts have 

 been made to get at the facts bearing on some phases of 

 poultry housing, feeding and management ; but funds have 

 been usually lacking, even when men qualified and interested 

 were read}^ and eager to investigate to the foundation sev- 

 eral important poultry problems. 



Those Avho are pushing this great poultrv industry need 

 the knowledge, which they cannot search out for themselves 

 because of lack of time, talent and funds for the same. 



What is required is a government experiment station, 

 amph^ equipped with men and means for searching out the 

 unrevealed truths which, when they become known and un- 

 derstood, will be applied by practical poultr3'men in a way 

 to make poultry culture far more progressive and profitable 



