26 EAISINa FOWLS AND EGGS 



Asiatic size: for so soon as they shall reach the size of the 

 Brahma they will be equally as long in maturing, and thus lose 

 that merit (poultry for summer and early fall) which they now 

 possess, and which gives them their present strong hold upon 

 poulterer and breeder. In our rural districts many a matron 

 is dependent upon the egg production to secure money to 

 replenish her wardrobe ; and we can see, if we are ever to 

 secure a foothold in these districts for thorougbred stocks, they 

 must have merit. The production of eggs is what keeps the 

 machine moving. In fact, it is the fuel that heats the steam 

 that starts the whole. The census of 1870 discloses the facts 

 that the United States produced 336 million dollars worth of 

 hay, 761 million bushels of corn, 288 million dollars worth of 

 wheat, a cotton crop worth 155 million of dollars, a dairy crop 

 of 145 million of dollars, a meat crop, which took into account 

 all the animals slaughtered or sold to be slaughtered, (cattle, 

 sheep and swine) valued at $398,956,376. But greater than 

 either of these agricultural products stands the egg and poultry 

 product of this land. It finds no rival, save in the entire meat 

 and dairy crops combined.^ Prices based on the market in my 

 own town," said Mr. F., " show that if each family consume 

 but two dozen eggs per week, and $20 worth of poultry per 

 year, the aggregate would be 405 million of dollars ; to which 

 if added the consumption of our restaurants, confection es- 

 tablishments, our thousands of hotels, and the medicinal and 

 chemical demand, we cannot possibly compute the egg and 

 poultry produced in the United §tates to-day, at less than 500 

 millions of dollars per annum. This is the largest agricultural 

 interest in the land, be it observed, at this time. 



The common fowls of the country are now kept of course, 

 in great excess of numbers over any and all of the "fancy" 

 breeds of late introduction among us from abroad. 



Witliin bhe writer's experience, if common breeds of chickens 

 are hatched in the months of February and early March, the 

 male birds, properly cared for, will by July and August attain 

 to a generous size for the table. And if well fed during this 

 period, they will average a dressed weight of five or six pounds 

 each, or eleven pounds the pair, which, at the ordinary value 

 of poultry in market in the months last named, wiU afford a 

 very handsome profit upon their cost and keeping. 



At about the period when the cocks are thus killed off, the 

 pullets of this cross and age will begin to lay almost uniformly, 

 and will continue tj furnish eggs during the entire Avinter, 



