20 
January 2, 
The Henyard. 
A SLAUGHTER OF “SHOW BIRDS.” J 
S INCE the egg-layins contests started 
the demand for utility poultry has be¬ 
come enormous. I’or many years the fan¬ 
ciers controlled all the poultry shows and 
had things tbeir own way generally. The 
only way for a bird to obtain reputation 
was to win a ribbon at a poultry show. 
This meant a premium on tail feathers 
or shape but had little or nothing to do 
with egg-laying capacity. There have 
always been “utility” poultrymen who 
recognized the folly of any such system, 
but what would they do with the fanciers 
in control of all shows, and dictating the 
standard by which poultry could gain 
public reputation as “winners?” 
Then the egg-laying contests started, 
and we began to lay the foundation of 
pedigrees, which contain performances. 
AVhile the “standard” bred birds may 
make some high scores in these contests 
the highest honors are steadily going to 
“utility” fowls—those with a peculiar 
businesslike shape and as a rule the 
daughters of good layers and the sons of 
good layers. Mothers and father’s mother 
seem to impress their good qualities upon 
the daughters. The result of this has 
been a demand for utility birds and an 
end of the blind following of “show-room” 
stock unless it can also show perform¬ 
ance at the egg contests. As an illustra¬ 
tion of what is going on W. H. Hook the 
farm bureau agent for Ulster Co., N. Y., 
reports a trip among the poultry keepers: 
I had Mr. Moseley of the poultry de¬ 
partment, with me i s week. Poultry 
demonstrations were held at New Paltz, 
at Wallkill, at Saugerties, at Accord and 
at Rosendale. These demonstrations of 
selecting layers and breeders were held 
right in the henhouse with the fowls, and 
were followed by requiring those present 
to select breeders. Their judgment was 
then criticised by Mr. Moseley. Over 100 
received instruction and experience in this 
way. We held another successful dem¬ 
onstration at Wallkill, and then made 
visits to individual poultry farms. At a 
number of farms we found hens that were 
a cross between a show strain and a lay¬ 
ing strain. Through our recommenda¬ 
tions at this visit and the previous visit, 
the managers have given their word that 
over 8,000 “show birds” supposed to be 
heavy layers, will be discarded and a 
straight utility strain adopted. 
This is only a sample of what is going 
on all over the country. We would cau¬ 
tion hen men not to go too fast in “cast¬ 
ing out the drones.” Be sure of your util¬ 
ity stock before you change. Breed as 
you would with cattle on pedigree with a 
performance. 
White Crested Ducks. 
W HY do my ducklings have a small 
tuft of down longer than the rest 
on the top of their heads? When 
they get full grown a topknot of feath¬ 
ers takes the place of the down. They 
are large white ducks, supposed to be 
Pekins. o. c. n. 
Fort Plain, N. Y. 
Your ducks are, either wholly or in 
part, White Crested ducks. These have 
the general characteristics of Pekins, but 
have a tuft or crest on the head and the 
standard weights are one pound less than 
those of Pekins. They are either sports 
from Pekin stock, or they both were de¬ 
veloped from the same original birds. 
Occasionally Pekins, supposed to be pure¬ 
bred, will show a mixture of Crested 
blood. W. II. H. 
Hens With Catarrh. 
W ITHIN the past 1% years we have 
kept 50 or 60 hens, and have had 
three cases of an unknown disease. 
The hen seems to be affected at first with 
only a slight swelling at the side or un¬ 
der one eye. This increases in size and 
finally suppurates, but does not break 
out. They appear to be as smart as usual 
in every way until the last stages of the 
disease. Bast year it was a young pullet 
affected by it. Now it is one of our 
large last Spring’s roosters, and we 
would like to save him if possible. The 
pullet last year we bathed each day with 
vaseline. This retarded the progress of 
the trouble, but did not effect a cure. 
Massachusetts. c. s. H. 
As the mucous membrane lining the 
orbital cavity, or the cavity of the skull 
in which the eye is set, is continuous 
with that of the nostrils and respiratory 
organs a catarrhal inflammation of the 
latter may spread to the eye and by 
causing aii accumulation of thick, cheesy, 
secretion beneath or to one side of it pro¬ 
duce the swelling which you have noted. 
This swelling is sometimes sufficient to 
nearly crowd the eye out of its socket, 
at other times it is localized beneath the 
eye and gradually hardening forms a 
permanent tumor. This tumor may be 
opened with a sharp blade and its con¬ 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
tents expressed. The wound should then 
be treated with some antiseptic dressing 
and allowed to heal. Filling the cavity 
made with aristol. iodoform or boric acid 
or dressing it with carbolized vaseline 
would meet the indications for treatment. 
M. B. D. 
Dry or Moisture Incubators. 
H AS there ever been any experiment 
regarding the superiority of either 
dry or moisture incubators; or what 
is the opinion of experienced men re¬ 
garding the two systems? Is there any 
choice, or is one system just as good as 
the other? M. J. s. 
Colorado. 
If by “moisture” incubators you mean 
those provided with some means of sup¬ 
plying moisture to the hatching chamber 
other than the amount contained in the 
air of the room. I know of no tests which 
have demonstrated the superiority of this 
type of machine over the so-called non¬ 
moisture type. In my own use of several 
of the leading incubators of both types 
and in my observation of the results ob¬ 
tained by'others I have never been able 
to see any difference in the hatching 
which could reasonably be attributed to 
supplying or withholding of moisture. 
My own opinion is that the difference, if 
any, lies in the matter of convenience. 
The air of the cellar or room in which 
an incubator is operated should be well 
supplied with moisture, and if non-moist¬ 
ure machines are used the floor should be 
sprinkled at sufficiently frequent inter¬ 
vals to maintain this condition, while if 
the incubator is provided with moisture 
trays or other device for the same pur¬ 
pose these may be used. I have used 
what are probably the best known and 
most reliable makes of both moisture and 
non-moisture machines, and I have never 
been able to satisfy myself that one had 
any material advantage over the other. 
M. B. D. 
Cleaning Soiled Eggs. —In The It. 
N.-Y. for October 24 th were two para¬ 
graphs that attracted my attention 
concerning the cleaning and preser¬ 
vation of soiled eggs. That prob¬ 
lem need not trouble anyone, for 
it is a very simple one to overcome. 
After thoroughly cleaning your eggs let 
them dry; then dip them in a basin con¬ 
taining only the whites of eggs, being 
careful not to allow any of the yolks to 
drop in, and allow them to stand until 
there is no evidence of dampness. There 
is no difference between the whites of 
eggs and the liquid that is found on the 
surface of eggs at the time of laying, and 
they will keep out all air and foreign 
microbes that make eggs unfit for mar¬ 
keting and hatching after a certain per¬ 
iod. One egg will lie sufficient to bathe 
from 20 to 30 washed eggs. On no ac¬ 
count must water be mixed with the 
whites. F. B. H. 
Dogs And Hens. —-We probably re¬ 
ceive during the year 500 letters from 
indignant people who want to know their 
rights against trespasses of tin* neighbor’s 
chickens or the neighbor’s dogs. The 
hen and the dog become a first-class nuis¬ 
ance when permitted to run at large and 
into a neighbor’s garden or backyard. 
Most of our people ask us if they w r ould 
be justified in shooting the dogs or the 
chickens when they trespass in this way. 
A recent case on Long Island is a com¬ 
bination of these trespasses. One neigh- ! 
bor had a flock of choice hens; over the j 
fence was a woman who owned several 
dogs, which she regarded very highly. 
One of these dogs formed the habit of 
going on the neighbor’s premises and 
chasing his hens. It appears that a re¬ 
quest to keep the dogs at home had no 
effect, so the owner of the hens fired at 
the dog, wounded him severely, so that 
later it was necessary to have him killed. 
Now the owner of the dog sued the hen 
owner for $300, the value of the dog, and 
this neighbor comes back with a counter¬ 
suit to cover the value of several high- 
toned hens, which were killed or worried 
by the animal. There is no way to keep 
friendships, even in rags, unless both 
dog and hens are shut up where they be¬ 
long. 
Sprouted Oats-WinferEggs 
DOUBLE your egg yield and CUT 
IN HALF your feed bill by using a 
DOUBLE QUICK 
GRAIN 
SPROUTER 
THE PERPETUAL POULTRY SILO. 
Makes 2 to 4 bushels of the best 
cgg-producing feed from 1 bu. of 
oats or wheat, using nothing but 
grain, heat, and water. 
Sprouts in 20 to 30 hours and 
forces from 1 to 2-inch growths 
daily. 
Many a dead-expense flock of 
bens changed to profit producers 
by feeding sprouted oats. 
Send for circular on sprouted 
oats and the Double Quick sprouter 
CLOSE-TO-NATURE CO., 78 Front St., Colfax, Iowa 
Improved Parcel Post Fgg Boxes 
SEND 15 CENTS FOR SAMPLE 
New Flats and Fillers and Egg Gases 
CATALOGUE SENT FREE ON REQUEST 
H. K. BRUNNER, 45 Harrison Street, N. Y- 
I fitoef RnnLr ‘Trofltable Poultry,” finest pub- 
LillLal DUUti linhed; 144 pages; 210 Ixiautiful 
pictures ^complete volume,how to succeed with Poul¬ 
try; describes busy Poultry Farm with 53 varieties of 
pure-bred birds. Gives lowest prices on fowls, eggs, 
incubators, grain sprouters, etc. This book G ceuts. 
Berry’s Poultry Farm, Box 47, Clarinda, Iowa 
When you write advertisers mention The 
R. N.-Y. and you'll get a quick reply and a 
“square deal.” See guarantee editorial page. 
MAHUFACTUACO #T 
WAVERLY. N. Y. 
[SKttH (OStwnlAl BUOWff Al FAfF18 C0». 
QAIWJI SOUOWSUD 
Wttftt fto TO urn TltlY CANT HELP LAYING 
TIO-GA 
POULTRY GRAIN 
MAKES HENS LAY 
MORE EGGS 
IT INCREASES THE CAPACITY OF 
GOOD HENS, AND MAKES EVEN 
A POOR HEN DO HER LEVEL BEST 
( 
CORNELL @1*1 
GASOLINE 
BROODER HEATER 
Equal to five Kerosene Heaters 
Improved 1915 
Cares for 250 Chicks 
Needs little attention 
No lamps t,o trim 
No ashes, no dirt, no soot 
Absolutely safe 
Perfect ventilation 
PRICE COMPLETE 
* 10.92 
CAPACITY 
250 
CHICKS 
Recommended by the New York 
Stare College of Agriculture 
Send for Free Catalog 
TREMAN, KING & COMPANY 
DEPT. 311, 
ITHACA, N. Y. 
Manufacturers of Poultry House 
Appliances 
Will burn any kind of Gasoline 
^ ^ Incubator 
I ye OS Thermometers 
+F' 'always tell the truth”. Scientifically made and tested. 
Accurate and dependable. When buyintr an incubator 
• brooder, insist thatit bo fated with Tycos Thermometers, 
means bigger hateheB—tetter chicks, bigger profits. Ma* 
na front makes reading easy. Slightest difference m t om p ra » 
.dicated. 76c at your dealers or from us. postosud. Wri.otoeay loi 
jokkit. “Incubator Thermometer Facts Wortii Knowing . * KLL. 
D n nil ftotor N V 
Let your two 
eyes judge! 
Compare H-O Steam-Cooked Chick Feed with 
any other brand. You’ll see at a glance that 
every handful of the H-O feed runs clean, even 
and “bright” throughout 
All clean, full-nourished grains—including cu’c 
oatmeal. The most feeble little “peeper” can 
easily digest this perfectly balanced feed because 
it is steam-cooked. 
H-O Steam Cooked 
Chick Feed 
Write for free samples, prices and printed matter. 
Every H-O feed is famous for its correct bal¬ 
ance : Scratching Feed, Poultry Feed, Chick 
Feed and Dry Poultry Mash. 
The H-O Company 
Mills: 
BUFFALO, N. Y. 
John J. Campbell 
General Sales Agent 
HARTFORD, CONN. 
Prairie State Incubators 
Famous for hatching big, strong chicks that live. Built 
for lasting service, reliability and economy of operation. 
* Poultry misers lind them practical 
to operate and profitable to own. 
Prices $9 to $38 
Made in five sizes; 60 egg to 390 
egg. All embody the well-known 
Prairie State principles—top radi¬ 
ant heat, down-draft ventilation, 
and applied moisture. Catalog tree. 
Pr»»r»e Stato Incubator Co. 
125 Main St., Homer City, Pa. 
Both are made of 
Calif. Redwood. 
FrsIghtPaW Q| Incubator is cov- 1 
Last of ered with asbestos and galvanized | 
tbeKockiea 0 iron; has triple walls, 
_ copper tank, nursery, 
egg tester, thermometer, ready to 
use. 30 DAYS’ TRIAL—money back If 
notO.K. Write for FREE Catalog Now. 
IR0UCLA0 INCUBATOR CO., Deptl 11 RicineJ 
i.aiiTomi« 
Redwood . _ 
plote, or 180 Egg Incubator and Brooder 
$12.00. FREE Catalogue describee them* 
Send for it TODaY or order direct. 
Wisconsin INCUBATOR CO., Box 104 
POULTRY PAPER 
U p-t o-d ate; 
tells all you want to know about care anti 
management of poultry for pleasure or 
profit. Four months for 10 cents. 
POULTRY ADVOCATE, Wept. 8H, Syracuse, N. Y. 
Money in Honey ; 
pBees pay 
—Easy, inter 
csting work. 
Latest methods of bee-keeping — simply told in * 
our “Bee Primer.” High'y instructive. Send 
today for the book and 6 months’subscription to 
AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL, Box K,Hamilton,!!!. 
MacKellar’s Charcoal 
For Poultry Is best. Coarse or fine granulated, also 
powdered. Buy direct from largest manufacturers of 
Charcoal Products. Ask for prices and samples. Est. 1844 
R. MacKELLAR’S SONS CO., Peekskill, N.Y. 
AKE HENS 
Lots of eggs by feeding green bone fresh cut, because it is rich in protein and ah other 
egg elements. You get twice the eggs—more fertile; vigorous chi cks; earlier broilers; 
Iheavier fowls; MAUM^C LATEST DfMUr I'llTTFEI cuts all kmds 
nigger profits. Bvl#%Wr3 O MODEL aSWniE. I/U I 8 &!■ of bone, with 
adhering meat and gristle, easy, fast and fine. Automatic feed; open hopper; never clogs. 
Book free, ip jays’ Free Trial. No money In advance. 
F. \A/. Mann Co., Box 15 Milford, Mass. 
CHICK and EGG Ship chicks or eggs safely in ‘H & D” Boxes. 
CtUES3B3M\ir“ pnvre Chicks cannot smother or sweat. Eggswill notbreak. 
StrliWrilVw oUAta Waterproof, sanitary, compact — handy to use. 
Strong but light. Made of double faced, corrugated jute board. Cut down 
your express bills — guarantee safe arrival of contents. 
“H & D” PARCEL POST SHIPPING BOXES 
We make up boxes and cartons for any purpose. Write us what your 
products weigh, and size package you wish, for special prices. Send 
for free booklet, “ How to Pack It for Parcel Post.” Also write 
for free booklet of “ H & D ” Fireless Brooder. 
THE HINDE & DAUCH PAPER CO., Dept. E, Sandusky, Ohio. 
Do you want to save money and raise all the Chicks ? 
The Ideal Colony Brooder SttSSKSm 
With SHAKING and DUMPING GRATE Adjustable Hover Chicks always Visible 
Price $19.00 including Automatic Regulator $24.00. Economical and safe, 101) 
per cent efficient. Large anti Binall farm a ime the Ideal with success. Vastly superior to oil 
burners. The Ideal Fresh Air System given perfect satisfaction. Many testimonials showing 
the wonderful results obtained during zero weather in the cold spring of 1914. Write for free 
booklet. Learn to brood chicks without loss. Make two chicks grow where only one grew before. 
LIBERTY STOVE COMPANY, 110 Second Street, Philadelphia, Pn. 
This Brooder Saves Time, Labor, Fuel, 
The Newtown is the brooder for the chick grower who demands that his 
chicks shall make rapid, vigorous growth, with least mortality and at lowest 
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thousands of others. The 
NEWTOWN GIANT COLONY BROODER 
is coal-burning; self-feeding; self-regulating; fully ventilated; 
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free from fire risk; easy to care for; RAISES THE 
Learn all about this time-saving, profit-producing 
machine before you add to your brooding equipment. 
Our Btooder Catalog will show you the way to sure 
success. Free tor the asking. 
NEWTOWN GIANT INCUBATOR CORPORATION 
74 Warsaw St., Harrisonburg, Virginia 
