1913. 
THE RURAL, NEW-YORKER 
131CS 
More Money From Your Hens! 
Do You Want to Learn How? 
W E are in a position to help you with your poultry. The best poultry writers in the country 
are ready to answer your questions, and will direct you step by step in the development and 
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their suggestions and take up a line of reading in connection with your practical work in the 
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begin at any time. 
THE THIRD EGG-LAYING CONTEST. 
It is said that the word “hustle” ap¬ 
plies preeminently to Americans; a good 
place to see a clear demonstration of it 
is to witness one of these contest-plants, 
when one contest terminates on the even¬ 
ing of October 31, and the next begins the 
morning of November 1. Four o’clock in 
the afternoon saw 500 layers in their 
pens, belonging to nearly 100 different 
men; by daylight the next morning these 
must all be removed, placed in shipping 
coops and forwmrded three miles to the 
nearest express office, and their places 
filled by 800 other birds. These must be 
correctly leg-banded and ready to begin 
the next year’s record. One can appre¬ 
ciate the amount of work that must be 
done in a few hours, getting the old birds 
off with correct addresses and food for 
long distances, for many of them go hun¬ 
dreds of miles away, and preparing the 
new birds for their year’s work. 
There are many new features in this 
year’s contest. In the first place twice 
as many birds are put in each pen as 
were in the other contests. As the houses 
are 12x12 feet, with a partition from 
front to rear dividing it into two pens, 
this gives 72 square feet of floor surface, 
a little over seven feet per bird. With 
20 birds in each house it seems as if the 
temperature of the house might be modi¬ 
fied to some extent by the heat of their 
bodies, and consequently fewer cases of 
frozen combs, that kept those in charge 
of the Birds last year busy, sometimes 
night and day. 
There are only 33 entries of White 
Leghorns this year, as against 43 last 
year; and five of these are college pens, 
entered for experimental purposes. The 
college enters also five pens of White 
Plymouth Rocks for experimental pur¬ 
poses. These 10 pens are for the purpose 
of trying different methods of feeding and 
noting results. Of course all the regular 
contestants’ birds will have to be fed and 
cared for precisely alike, so no claim of 
favoritism could be charged. s. H. 
The First Week. —White Wyandottes 
far outlaid any other breed. The pen 
of Neale Bros., Rhode Island, laid 37 
eggs, and the pen from Merrythought 
Farm, Connecticut, laid 26. Tom Barron 
enters a pen of White Wyandottes, and 
they laid 8. Edward Cam has not entered 
any bird in this contest. Below are some 
of the records made the first week: 
White Leghorns. 
C. W. St. John, New York.28 
Mrs. K. S. Woodruff, Connecticut... 28 
P. G. Platt, Pennsylvania.24 
C. H. Savage, Connecticut. 23 
Geo. A. Cosgrove, Connecticut. 18 
Branford Farm. Connecticut. 16 
T. W. Moore, Connecticut. 15 
J. J. Lineham, Massachusetts. 12 
N. W. Hendryx, Connecticut. 11 
Windsweep Farm, Connecticut. 10 
Tom Barron, England. 9 
There are 13 -pens of S. C. R. I. Reds; 
Only four pens laid, total 31. 
Out of the 40 Barred P. Rocks, one 
pen laid eight. 
Out of 70 White P. Rocks, one pen 
laid three. 
Out of 50 "White Wyandottes every pen 
laid, total SO. 
Out of 40 Buff Wyandottes, only one 
pen laid, one. 
Out of 20 R. C. R. I. Reds one pen 
laid, 14. 
Out of the 33 pens (330 birds) of 
White Leghorns, 30 pens laid, a total of 
292. 
E. D. Bird, of Connecticut, has his 
Blue Andalusians entered, and they laid 
three. 
O. Wilson, of West Virginia, is a 
“stayer.” lie has been in every contest 
with his Buff Orpingtons, and has the 
only pen of that breed here now. They 
have not laid any eggs this week. 
Silver Campines are in for the first 
time, but no eggs yet. Daniel Hine, Con¬ 
necticut, and H. W. Collingwood have 
each entered pens of “dunghills” to see 
how they will compare with well-bred 
fowls. One of the pens laid three. The 
total output for the week is 439. The 
first week last year showed a total of 91, 
but there are S00 birds now, against 500 
in last contest. geo. a. cosgkove. 
THE CALIFORNIA EGG-LAYING CONTEST 
, The egg-laying contest at Napa. Cal., 
for the eighth month shows some rather 
startling changes in the number laid, 66 
pens producing only 678 eggs, the Leg¬ 
horns being largely responsible for the 
falling off in egg production. For the 
third month in succession the pen of Buff 
” yandottes entered by the writer leads 
in monthly egg production, having laid 
eggs the eighth month ; they also take 
the leading place in the contest, and now 
stand pen No. 1 with a total of 769 for 
the eight months. The pen of White Leg¬ 
horns (Blom & Sons) that has led from 
the start in February, takes second place 
with a monthly egg production for the 
eighth month of six eggs, and a total for 
the eight months of 7-14. Lubin’s Barred 
Rocks and Rutherford’s White Rocks 
loom up among the leaders, producing 41 
and 52 eggs, respectively, the eighth 
month. The above mentioned Wyan¬ 
dottes, Rocks, Barred and White, have 
been steady, consistent layers since the 
contest began, not showing any sensation¬ 
al spurts, but a steady, persistent laying 
that has finally worn down the lead of 
the Leghorns, and now brings them with¬ 
in striking distance of the leaders. 
Six pens laid no eggs the eighth month, 
one pen of White Leghorns, one pen 
White Minorcas, one pen of Brown Leg¬ 
horns, one pen of Black Minorcas, one 
pen of Barred Rocks, and one pen Colum¬ 
bian Wyandottes laid no eggs. The pens 
that laid only two, three or four eggs 
during the eighth month are too numer¬ 
ous to mention. Nearly all the hens are 
now moulting heavily, and this accounts 
for the heavy falling off in egg production. 
In spite of the fact that all the fowls are 
confined under one roof and have no out¬ 
door runs at all, their health has been 
particularly good, and they are going 
through their moult in fine shape, and 
should begin to pick up in their laying 
during the next month. 
The heavier breeds are showing par¬ 
ticularly well in this contest, six of the 
15 high pens being American and English 
breeds. As California is popularly sup¬ 
posed to be the home of the Leghorn, it 
is interesting to note that they have not 
more than held their own with the larger 
breeds, although there are 28 pens of 
Leghorns in the 66 pens of the contest. 
Also, the American and English breeds 
are handicapped by the fact that the con¬ 
test did not start till February, and be¬ 
fore it ends most of the heavy breeds will 
be well towards being two years old. The 
contest should have started three months 
earlier in order to give the larger breeds 
a fair chance against the lighter breeds, 
such as Leghorns, Minorcas, etc., which 
are supposed to be extra layers well into 
their third year. 
Following are the 15 high pens of the 
contest to date: 1. Pearson’s Buff Wyan¬ 
dottes, for month 62, for 8 months 769. 
2. Blom & Son, White Leghorns, for 
month 6, for 8 months 744. 3. Otten, 
White Leghorns, for month 3, for 8 
months 673. 4. Rutherford, White Rocks, 
for month 52. for 8 months 657. 5. Lu- 
bin, Barred Rocks, for month 41, for 8 
months 654. 6. Slocum, White Leghorns, 
for month IS, for 8 months 622. 7. 
Clardy (Mo.), Buff Orpingtons, for 
month 23, for 8 months 587. 8. Stice, 
Buff Leghorns, for month 22, for 8 
months 561. 9. Bunjes, White Leghorns, 
for month 5, for S months 550. 10. Stice, 
Barred Rocks, for month 13, for 8 
months 547. 11. Blom & Son, White Leg¬ 
horns, for month 4, for 8 months 53S. 
12. McMillan. White Leghorns, for month 
14, for 8 months 537. 13. Worrell. White 
Leghorns, for month 2, for 8 months 531. 
14. Stratton, White Leghorns, for month 
0, for 8 months 531. 15. Bates, Barred 
Rocks, for month 6, for 8 months 528. 
Eggs are now retailing at 70 cents per 
dozen. w. H. peabson. 
THE INFERTILE EGG PROBLEM. 
[There follows a fox-cible statement of 
the _ case against the fertile egg. This 
subject is now attracting great attention. 
All that Dr. Smith says about the qual¬ 
ity of a fertile egg is true.] 
On page 7S5 you print, without com¬ 
ment, a letter signed “M. B. D.” which 
deals with the marketing of infertile eggs 
as a “mild bunco game” and if the op¬ 
portunity offers, the egg producer should 
“by all means work it. and work it hard.” 
On the contrary, I, with many others, be¬ 
lieve that the marketing of any but non- 
fertile eggs should be prohibited by law. 
An infertile egg, produced under sanitary 
conditions and protected from external 
infection, is a stable organic chemical 
compound capable of withstanding pro¬ 
longed high temperatures. A fertilized 
egg, after exposure to a temperature even 
below that of incubation, is a living ani¬ 
mal organism as long as germination con¬ 
tinues. When the germ dies, as die it 
must, when the temperature is reduced, 
or when handled in transportation, the 
egg then becomes dead animal tissue, and 
as such, inevitably undergoes purtrefaetion 
when its temperature is again raised. 
There is practically the same difference 
between sterile and fertile eggs as there 
is in grain before and after sprouting, 
except that the rapidity of decay is 
greater in the animal than in the vegeta¬ 
ble organism. 
Until the compulsory inspection of 
poultry plants is required by law—which 
will be co-incident with the prohibition 
of the sale of fertile eggs—egg producers 
for their own interest (apart from the 
criminality of distributing an import¬ 
ant food which is sure sooner or later 
to become unfit for use) should be en¬ 
couraged to produce only non-fertile eggs. 
Who supposes that the low prices brought 
by carloads of eggs in the Eastern mar¬ 
kets, due to “heat defects,” does not hurt 
the pocket of the producer an® would 
be saved if only non-fertile eggs were 
marketed? And would the “candler” 
find “blood-rings” in non-fertile eggs? 
No one claims that non-fertility is a guar¬ 
antee of a perfect egg, but it is one of the 
most important factors. No more is 
freshness a guarantee of a perfect table 
egg. 
Eggs laid in the manure pile or in the 
stable by hens fed on garbage and living 
in filth, even when new laid, are not fit 
to eat, and when you add to this that the 
eggs may have been exposed to excessive 
heat, may have been partly incubated 
and may not have been gathered until 
a week or more old, will not conditions 
be made worse if the eggs are fertile and 
have started to germinate? 
I would like to see you impress upon 
your readers that the first and easiest 
way to improve the quality of the egg 
is to keep the male away from the fe¬ 
males, except during the breeding sea¬ 
son, and never to market a fertile egg. 
ROBT. MEADE SMITH, M. D. 
Pennsylvania. 
Breeding for Color. 
What are the markings of a good 
Barred Plymouth Rock, male and female? 
I have kept the best I could get for six 
years and do not inbreed, and I am very 
much discouraged at the result. The hens 
have fine markings except a dark over¬ 
yellow on bills and feet. Whenever I 
mate a good Rock cockerel to either Leg¬ 
horn or Rhode Island Red hen I get the 
yellow beak and feet, and some of our 
people here who claim to know what is 
straight P. Rock always take those half- 
breeds. I do not keep any males that 
have black beaks or dark feet, and yet 
my stock is getting worse. I raised over 
400 last year and kept only 50 of the best 
pullets, and this year over 300, and expect 
to keep only 40 pullets or none if I can¬ 
not have a better showing. e. d. k. 
Ohio. 
The dark markings upon the legs and 
beaks of your Barred P. Rocks are ac¬ 
counted for by the principle of reversion. 
The B. P. Rocks are a “made” breed; 
that is, in their origin several other breeds 
were used, and some of these, like the 
Black Javas, Black Spanish, etc., had 
dark legs and beaks. More than this, 
different strains of this breed seem to 
have had different dark-colored fowls in 
their ancestry, and by crossing different 
strains as you have done you have only 
increased the tendency of the chickens to 
revert to the type of their early ancestors. 
This tendency to “throw'” dark legs and 
beaks appears to be greater in the female 
than in the male of your breed. Your 
remedy is to stop outcrossing and in¬ 
breed, selecting for color of legs and 
beaks. _ If you wish to get fanciers’ fowls 
you will have to adopt fanciers’ methods. 
By care in selecting also for vitality and 
vigor you need not seriously lower the 
tone of your flock. m. b. d. 
Henhouse Questions. 
1. With good care, how many hens 
may be wintered in a house 6xi0 feet, 
six feet high to plate, with a double pitch 
roof? My hens are Black Minorcas, and 
I give them very good care. 2. What 
kind of incubators and brooders would 
you recommend to a man w T ho is exper¬ 
ienced in taking care of chickens, but has 
never ran an incubator? l. w. b. 
From 15 to 20 fowls might be kept in 
a house of that size though it is really 
too small for a henhouse. I am not ac¬ 
quainted with the incubator that you 
mention, but I have known of other 
makes of the same type to be used satis¬ 
factorily in a small way. As a rule, it 
is better to purchase an incubator of one 
of the standard makes and pay a little 
more for it. One of 150-egg size would 
probably answer your purpose. The 
hover that you speak of is one of the best 
of its kind. m. b. b. 
Coal-burning, Sell-regulating, 
Safest, Most Economical 
for 300 to 1500 chicks. Fill coal magazine every 
other day. Fuel costs 8 cents a day. Gives 
chicks correct temperature all the time without 
attention. Ask your dealer or write today for 
Colony Brooder circular 20. 
NEWTOWN GIANT INCUBATOR CORPORATION 
(New address) Harrisonburg, Va. 
NEWTOWN 
Colony Brooder 
When 
The R. N.-Y. and you’ll get a quick 
reply and a “square deal.” See guaran¬ 
tee editorial page. : : : : 
you write advertisers mention 
N.-Y. 
e 
s 
S, C. Whi 
.eghornCockere 
Pu lets and 
Yearling Hens 
Good heads, splendid conformation, low, well 
spread tails and pure white plumage. Ex¬ 
ceptionally vigorous birds. Free range stock. 
For prices or further particulars, address 
H. C. SHEARS, Hyde Park-on-Hudson, N. Y. 
y 
POULTRY PAPER SSiSiS 
up-to-date : 
tells all you want to know about care and 
management of poultry for pleasure or 
profit. Four months for 10 cents. 
POULTRY ADVOCATE, D#pt 88, Syraense, N.T. 
PA TRYMFN -S ? mi 2c stamp f °r Illustrated 
‘ “Dt" in ■ in price list describing 35 varie¬ 
ties. LAST DONEGAL POULTRY YARDS. MARIETTA. PA. 
fi I/# IMF Hk PSfZ C— EnglishSmooth-haired, 
DUIIU.H Black, White, Bed and 
Cream Colors. 2 Sows and 1 Boar, 3 months old, $ 3 . 
H. A. REGEL, 311 North 42nd Street, Camden, New Jersey 
White Emden Geese 
The greatest money makers on the farm. Buy now 
MAPLE COVE POULTRY YARD, R. 0. 24, Athens, Pennsylvania 
THOROUGHBRED BRONZE TURKEYS-Young toms weigh- 
1 lng 20 lbs. K. K. SWIFT, Cherry Valley, N. Y. 
Giant Bronze Toms $7.00 4 R R C DU R C E “| 
cheap. Write, H. J. Van Dyke Gettysburg, Pa. 
Mammoth Bronze Turkeys 
from 25 lb. hens and 40 lb. toms. Pairs not akin. 
Miss Josephine Carpenter, Gouverneur, N. Y. 
M. B. TURKEYS FOR SALE 
Heaviest strain in the U. S. F. B. Garnsey, Clayton, N. Y. 
BL ^ ER R fl A N . D N F,s o H F EL White Holland Turkeys 
from winners at Baltimore. Toms, $5; Hens, $4. 
MKS. S. Xj. PURDIE, - Genoa, New York 
For Sale—White Holland Turkeys 
Best of breeding, farm raised and healthy. Price, 
$6 per pair. Dr. X. Paul Peery, Tazewell, Virginia 
White Wyandotte COCKERELS 
only eight left. Utility bred. One dollar each 
F. O. B. HOWARD RAYMOND GRIFFIN, Howard. Ohis 
Barred Rock Cockerels 
If you want something good, here's your opportu¬ 
nity. Prices, *3.00 and $5.00 each. Write now. 
“ FOUR ACRES.” - - Nutley, N. J. 
PULLETS! PULLETS! 
To make immediate room: R. & S. C. Reds, Barred Rocks, 
White Leghorns. This ad. will not appear after the 13th. 
Yours, 31A PL K COVE POULTRY YARDS, - Athens. Pa. 
Austin’s 200-Egg Strain 
higu record stoek. Old and young stock for sale. 
AUSTIN POULTRY FARM, Box 17, Centre Harbor. N. H. 
B. I. Reds, Mans, Indian Runner Ducks 
High-class stock for UTILITY. SHOW or EX¬ 
PORT. Eggs for bate hing. Mating list on request. 
SINCLAIR SMITH. 602 Fifth St., Brooklyn. N. Y. 
R. I.Reds—White Wyandottes™, 
S. C. White and Br*<wn Leghorns, Exhibition and utility 
quality. Young stock and yearlings. Bargain List and 
j catalogue gratis. Rirerdale Poultry Farm, Riverdale, H. J. 
Rhode Island Reds&Mdmmoth BronzeTurkevs 
"HONE’S CRESCENT STRAIN” 
High class breeding and exhibition birds for sale. 
Every bird shipped on approval. Early hatched Red 
eockerels and pullets, bred from tested layers. 
0. R. HONE, Cresctnt Hill Farm, Shared Springs, New'York 
L EGHORNS—Thoroughbred R. C. Brown Leghorn Cockerels. 
Hearty and strong. I. C. Hawkins* R. I). 3, Middletown, N. Y. 
FOR SALE-VIGOROUS COCKERELS from business white Wy- 
n audottes. ffm. Schrader, Now Springvllle, Stateu Island, N. Y. 
Choices, C. White Leghorn Yearling Breeders 
$1 each. VANCREST POULTRY FARM, Salt Point. New York 
sale-S. C. White Leghorn Yearling Hens 
for breeders. Wyckoff strain. Large, white birds. 
$1 each. C. C. BREME, R. D. No. 1, Harrington, Delaware 
S. C. IV. Leghorn Cockerels 
SELECTED, VIGOROUS BIRDS-12 EACH. 
JOHN LORTON LEE, - Carmel, N. Y. 
w]flto»S.C. White LeghornPullets& Cockerels 
of a large and great-laying strain, write 
J. M. CASK - - Gllboa, New York 
_ Also have a few breeding hens for sale. _ 
Single Comb White Leghorns-f^*^ 
for breeder*. Price, $1 each. Special price on quan¬ 
tities. Day-old chicks—April, $12 per 100. May. $10 
per 100. Geo. Frost, Levanna, Cayuga Co., New York 
Barron’s English Leghorns Con¬ 
necticut, Cockerels for sale. I own th* leading Amer¬ 
ican pen of Leghorns (Sieger's). Also leading 
American pen of White Wyandottes—Mrs. Haines' 
Idaho birds at the Connecticut Contest. A limited 
number of eggs for sale F. PALMER, Cos Cob, Conn. 
MAK 
INI 
Lots of eggs by feeding green bona fresh cut, because it is rich In protein and ah other 
elements. You get twice the eggs—more fertile; vigorous chicks; earlier broilers; 
fowls; HANkfiC LATEST DAMP Oil I* 1 CD cuts all kinds 
profits. InAlYII 9 MODEL QU11 EL l/U I I til of bone, with 
lng meat and gristle, easy, fast and fine. Automatic feed; open hopper; never clogs, 
free. 1^> Jays’ Freo Trial. No money in advance. 
’• W. Mann Co., Box IS All I ■ fo rd, Mass. 
