A REVOLUTION IN EGG PRODUCTION 69 



a comparatively heavy crop of eggs at this season ; their fuel 

 boxes are adequate for the variations in temperatures and 

 other drains on their vitality, which they must cope with at 

 this season. 



Later in the season, that is in late summer and early fall, 

 the fuel boxes are still adequate; but the supply of fuel has 

 fallen off, and the hens have to wear themselves out in their 

 efforts to obtain enough to eat to svistain themselves and 

 produce. 



In the fall and winter the fuel supply is scarce indeed. 

 The fowls are now mostly limited to what they can pick up 

 indoors or around the barns; and generally farmers kindly 

 throw them a few handfuls of corn, or other grain, at intervals 

 more or less frequent, if they happen to think of it. 



As a result of these conditions winter eggs on farms are, 

 as a general thing, an impossibility. 



The poultryman takes better care of his flocks, and for 

 a great number of years has been endeavoring to supply all 

 the fuel the fuel boxes could take care of — that is, he has 

 been trying to similate spring and early summer conditions. 

 He has, generally speaking, however, failed to realize that he 

 was not keeping up the right amount of steam for efficient 

 work — that he was not feeding his fuel boxes to their capacity. 



The author's experience, however, was not of this nature. 

 He came to the conclusion, some years ago, that a hen's fuel 

 box must be taxed to the limit by crowding in fuel, and that 

 of the best quality, to produce eggs in winter — and he acted 

 on his conclusions with fairly satisfactory results. 



Having done all he could to provide satisfactory environ- 

 ments for his flock, and having a flock which, by heredity, 

 were good layers, and layers of winter eggs, he was still 

 blocked in his efforts ; so he came to the conclusion that the 

 hen's fuel boxes were too small for their other possibilities 

 of producing eggs, at all seasons of the year, under natural 

 environments or conditions. 



The Year Book of the Department of Agriculture for 

 1910, page 462, shows the importance and the need of "A 

 Revolution in Egg Production." "Such climatic conditions 

 as prevail during March and April in the Central States, both 

 East and West, are ideal for egg production and egg market- 

 ing. Hence, it is only necessary to know the climate of a 



