34 UNIV. OF N. H. AGE. EXPERIMENT STATION [Bulletin 217 



Pullets are the most economical producers of eggs. All of the hens 

 should be sold by the first of October, and the roosters and young pullets 

 that are culled out should be sold as broilers when weighing about 2^ 

 pounds. With chicks hatched in March, this means that these broilers 

 should be ready for market by late May or early June, when the price 

 in 1924 was 45-55 cents and the previous year 55 cents per pound. 



The production of eggs during the period of high prices is advisable. 

 Every poultry raiser should strive to get as large a proportion of his egg 

 production as possible from August to January. On the University farm 

 at Durham, 55 per cent of the eggs are laid during this period, but in 

 Cheshire County only 30 per cent. One of the best ways of making this 

 change is to purchase good strong, healthy chicks from some reliable 

 hatchery between March 15 and April 20. By purchasing these chicks 

 rather than raising them, the average farmer can obtain them earlier, 

 usually from better stock, and can care for them with less labor than for 

 smaller lots produced on the farm. Pullets hatched at this time should be- 

 gin laying early in August, and the roosters and cull pullets can be sold on 

 an early market as broilers at good prices. 



The poultry industry in Cheshire County even with present methods 

 of production is sound and should be encouraged. Those who are willing 

 to follow the more approved practices should be able to secure good profits. 



A flock of desirable size for the average farm is from 100 to 150 pullets. 

 This number requires very little more labor than a flock of from 40 to 50. 

 There would be an additional cost for feed, but this should not be over 

 60 per cent of the value of the eggs produced. Those who have gained 

 some experience in the poultry business should also find a larger flock 

 ])rofitable. In fact, Cheshire County is favorably located with respect 

 to markets for the establishment of poultry production on a commercial 

 scale. The outlook for poultrj' and egg production for this type of pro- 

 ducer is good. 



TOBACCO. 



The tobacco-producing area along the Connecticut Valley, which lies 

 principally in Massachusetts and Connecticut, extends for a short dis- 

 tance into Cheshire County. Of the 108 acres of tobacco reported in New 

 Hampshire at the last census, 106 lie in this region. The immediate 

 prospects for shade-grown tobacco are not good, as there are large supplies 

 of wrappers for the cigar-makers of the country now in stock. There is a 

 prospective decrease of 10 per cent in acreage in 1925, and a general feeling 

 that a still fiu'ther decrease is advisable throughout the Connecticut 

 Valley. 



