1498 
Iht RURAL NEW-YORKER 
December 6, 1924 
Economic Comparisons of Poultry 
S EVERAL readers have asked us to give figures 
showing the comparative standing of the vari¬ 
ous poultry breeds in egg production, cost of feed, 
profit and general business performance. It is not 
easy to do this fairly, since individuals of the dif¬ 
ferent breeds vary greatly in their ability to turn 
feed into eggs and meat. For instance, at the 
S to its. Conn., egg-laying contest, one pen of 10 Wy- 
andottes gave a return of $75.13 over the cost of 
feed, while another pen of the same breed gave only 
$*25.10 over feed cost, both handled in the same way, 
and given exactly the same feed. Of the Leghorns, 
one pen of 10 made a total of $60.52 above feed cost, 
while another made only $19.63. Then again, we 
must consider the difference in value between brown 
and white-slielled eggs. In New England the brown 
eggs are worth more, while around New York the 
whites are at a premium. And then there is the 
meat value of the bird. The heavier breeds, like 
Rocks or Reds, will bring 40 to 50 cents more than 
the Leghorns when they are sold for meat. 
There are two egg-laying contests in New Jersey 
—at Vineland and Westwood, with 2.000 birds in 
each contest. Grouped by breeds, the following fig¬ 
ures have been worked out: 
BERGEN COUNTY CONTEST 
Item 
No. of birds. 
Lbs. grain consumed 
Lbs. mash consumed 
Ratio grain to mash. 
Feed cost per bird.. 
Value eggs per bird. 
Returns above feed. 
Plymouth 
Rock 
120 
34.73 
45.15 
1 — 1.2 
$2.17 
4.36 
2.19 
W 
Av. for 
2,000 
Item 
No. of birds. 
Lbs. grain consumed 
Lbs. mash consumed 
Ratio grain to mash. 
Feed cost per bird.. 
Value eggs per bird. 
Returns above feed. 
Cam- 
pine 
20 
32.60 
32.05 
1—0.98 
$1.73 
4.86 
3.13 
VINELAND 
Item 
No. of birds. 
Lbs. grain consumed 
Lbs. mash consumed 
Ratio grain to mash. 
Feed cost per bird.. 
Value eggs per bird. 
Returns above feed. 
Plymouth 
Rock 
220 
37.92 
53.2S 
1—1.4 
$2.99 
5.72 
Item 
No. of birds. 
Ibs. grain consumed. 
Lbs. mash consumed. 
Ratio grain to mash.. 
Feed cost per bird. . 
Value eggs per bird.. 
Returns above feed.. 
dotte 
R. I. Red 
Hens 
80 
200 • 
2,000 
34.27 
34.18 
34.07 
43.74 
46.56 
40.55 
1—1.2 
1—1.3 
1 — 1.1 
$2.11 
$2.20 
$2.01 
4.S9 
5.25 
5.89 
2.78 
3.05 
3.88 
Ancona Leghorn 
Av. for 
2,000 
Hens 
20 
1.560 
2,000 
33.94 
34.72 
34.07 
34.14 
41.70 
40.55 
1—1 
1—1.2 
1 — 1.1 
$1.82 
$2.15 
$2.01 
4.66 
6.30 
5.89 
2.S4 
4.15 
3.8S 
CONTEST 
Wyan¬ 
dotte 
R, I. Red 
Av. for 
2.000 
Pullets 
80 
220 
2.000 
31.97 
33.95 
35.89 
35.90 
45.62 
47.37 
1 — 1.1 
1—1.3 
1—1.3 
81.84 
$2.13 
$2.27 
4.24 
4.50 
5.54 
2.40 
2.37 
3.27 
Black 
Giant 
Leghorn 
Av. for 
2.000 
Pullets 
60 
1,420 
2,000 
37.79 
37.66 
35.89 
56.54 
45.52 
47.37 
1—1.4 
1—1.2 
1—1.3 
$2.58 
$2.25 
• $2.27 
3.56 
' 5.S2 
5.54 
.98 
3.57 
3.27 
Some quite elaborate figures have been prepared 
it the Connecticut Station to show the average of 
live years’ feeding, which are summarized below. 
Remember that these figures represent the perform¬ 
ance of 10 birds in each pen—a five-year average: 
Plymouth Wyan- Leg- 
Rocks 
10 birds’ egg produc¬ 
tion. 1,534 
Value of eggs.$51.26 
Cost of feed. 23.7S 
Return above feed cost 27.47 
Feed per doz. eggs 
(lbs.). 7.59 
Cost of feed per doz. 
(cents). 1S.5 
Weight of doz. eggs 
(oz.). 25 
Eggs from 100 lbs. 
feed. 15S 
Value of eggs for each 
dollar of feed. $2.15 
dottes 
R. I. Reds 
horns 
1.631 
$55.72 
21.98 
33.75 
1.514 
$50.62 
23.11 
27.51 
1.61S 
$53.25 
20.59 
32.67 
6.61 
7.56 
6.17 
16.2 
18.3 
15.2 
23.5 
25.1 
24.1 
182 
159 
195 
$2.53 
$2. IS 
$2.5S 
One Item of the Tuberculin Law 
What is the law in regard to the tuberculin testing 
of cattle in New York State? In one town in Oneida 
Co., N. Y., S5 per cent have signed to have the cattle 
tested, and an appropriation of $60,000 has been given. 
By law will the .remaining 15 per cent be forced by 
quarantine to have their cattle tested and products kept 
from the markets if not tested ? c. M. R. 
S ECTION 76, Article 5, of the New York State 
Farms and Markets law, as amended by Chap¬ 
ter 267 of the Laws of 1924, says that “Whenever 90 
per centum of the herds of cattle in any town have 
been subjected to the tuberculin test for the purpose 
of ridding such herds of the disease known as tuber¬ 
culosis, and the owner of any untested herd in such 
town refuses or neglects to have his herd tuberculin 
tested, then the commissioner may order the prem¬ 
ises or farm upon which untested herd is harbored 
to be put in quarantine, so that no domestic animal 
shall be removed from or brought to the premises 
quarantined, and so that no products of the domestic 
animals on the premises so quarantined shall be re¬ 
moved from the said premises.” 
If this laws stands, and I should like to see its 
validity promptly tested in court, the Commissioner 
of Farms and Markets may not only place a dairy 
farm, in any town where 96 per cent of the dairy 
herds have been tuberculin tested, in quarantine, so 
far as the products of the dairy are concerned, but 
he may forbid the sale of eggs, wool and pork from 
such farm, the bringing to it of a hive of bees or the 
driving to a neighboring village of the farm team. 
In other words, the owner of a dairy farm in such a 
township may be deprived of the use of his prop¬ 
erty, forbidden to supply the needs of his family, 
driven from his farm, and absolutely ruined, all by 
the single word of a man in Albany. There is noth¬ 
ing in the wording of the above quoted law that 
places it within the power of the Commissioner of 
Farms and Markets to order a recreant dairyman 
put to death without trial. M - u - 
Destruction of Rats With Calcium Cyanide 
A N EFFECTIVE METHOD.—In a preceding ar¬ 
ticle, the writer mentioned that gas-flake (cal¬ 
cium cyanide) is useful in killing rats. As this 
is a new poison and used in a novel way, many 
readers of The R. N.-Y. have written in and asked 
for more details. The writer undertook some ex¬ 
periments with different forms of gas-flake and 
killed rats under many different conditions. Some¬ 
thing of the possibilities and limitations of this 
method are known. Several readers of The R. N.-Y. 
Lave reported success with calcium cyanide as a rat 
poison. * At this season of the year the farmer has 
a little time to himself and can protect his stored 
crops by devoting a little attention to rat killing. 
This work is most effective now as the rats have 
come in from the fields and remote areas and are 
colonized in and under the farm buildings. They 
have congregated for food supply, warmth and pro¬ 
tection. Trapping is a slow and inefficient method 
of killing rats, and they are not likely to take 
poison baits when there is an ample food supply of 
other materials present. The gas-flake was found 
very effective in clearing rat infested places. Tf 
the work is done intelligently and with some degree 
of regularity, say once in four months, a farm will 
be almost rat-free. 
USING THE POISON.—The gas-flakes are most 
useful when there are visible and accessible bur¬ 
rows under concrete flooring or beneath a tight 
wooden floor. By putting two tablespoonfuls of the 
gas-flake in each burrow and plugging up the en¬ 
trance with earth or rags or anything handy, the 
rats will be killed, and most of them will be found 
near the entrances, just behind the packing. It is 
not likely any rats will escape, but if they should 
they can be killed or driven away by putting about 
three tablespoonfuls of the gas-flake in the hole, 
they came out of. and again plugging it. The gas- 
flake should always be placed in the burrows as far 
as possible. The time to do this work is late in the 
evening or at night, as rats are most active in the 
night. 
FUMIGATION OF BUILDINGS.—The gas-flake 
is very useful in fumigating an outhouse not oc¬ 
cupied by any sort of stock. Merely spreading some 
of the gas-flake on some newspapers and closing the 
windows and doors and leaving the place will kill 
all rats, mice, and insects in the building. One 
pound to each 1.000 cubic feet of air space is the 
' right amount of gas-flake to use. The next day the 
doors and windows may be opened, and half an 
hour later it is perfectly safe to enter the building 
and gather up the gas-flake residue. There is prac¬ 
tically no danger in this method of gas fumigation. 
THE DUST GUN.—Gas-flake dust was found 
n ost useful in old foundations, in killing rats under 
wooden floors elevated two or three inches above 
the ground, and in killing rats between walls of a 
srable. The dust is put into an inexpensive dust 
gun such as is used for dusting plants and the gas- 
flake dust is blown into all burrows or openings 
where rats ax*e likely to be hiding. Blowing should 
be continued until the dust appears in other open¬ 
ings more remote. When the dust generally ap¬ 
pears to be well distributed the blowing may be 
stopped and the holes plugged or left open. In case 
they are left open the rats begin to come out within 
five minutes. The rats must he killed as they ap¬ 
pear. They are dazed and wander about for a few 
minutes, hut the open ajr revives them, and they 
find other places. The rule of about 1.1b. of dust 
to 1.000 cubic feet of air space holds when killing 
rats by the dust method. It was found that cal¬ 
cium cyanide is not effective in killing rats in a 
manure pit. This may be due to the large amount 
of ammonia neutralizing the cyanide gas. It is ad¬ 
visable to use more than the stated amount when 
w orking around manure. 
PRECAUTIONS NECESSARY.—It is necessary 
to take some precautions when using gas-flake or 
the gas-flake dust. The dust gun should not be 
used in an enclosed room, and it is w r ell to protect 
oneself from the dust. Observing the directions, 
printed on the packages will remove the possibility 
of danger to the rat killer or his helpers. It must 
be remembered that small amounts of cyanide gas 
liberated from gas-flake or gas-flake dust w T ill not 
affect a man, but will kill all rats, mice, insects and 
also dogs, cats and poultry. One subscriber wrote 
that some rats had been killed in between the walls 
or floors and the dead rats caused more annoyance 
than the live ones had caused. It would have been 
expensive to rip out the boards, and he asked the 
writer how to handle this situation. I advised him 
to make some gimlet holes as near to the dead rats 
as he could and to squirt two or three ounces of 
formaldehyde in the holes. This chemical at once 
removes all odor, and if it gets on the rat will em¬ 
balm it. The subscriber reported success. The 
writer will be pleased to take up special problems, 
and he is especially desirous of knowing the re¬ 
sults others get when using calcium cyanide in this 
new gas warfare against enemies of the farmer. 
CLARENCE W. WINCHELL. 
Gum Flow of Cherries; Transplanting 
Seedling Peaches 
1. I have an Early Richmond cherry tree set out two 
years ago this Spring that grew nicely and had a few 
cherries this year, and which also made a strong 
growth this Fall, About the first of September an 
exudation of a clear gummy substance broke out from 
two places on the north side of the tree, six inches and 
a foot from the ground. This has continued all Fall, 
and this week the leaves have all curled up, although 
a Montmorency about 20 ft. away planted at the same 
time is still in full green foliage. Is there danger of 
losing the tree? 
2. I have several seedling peach trees., one of which 
I never transplanted, but let it grow where it appeared 
two years ago this Spring. A neighbor says that she 
was told a seedling peach tree should always be trans¬ 
planted to “break the center root.” Was she correctly 
informed? G. T. 
New Y T ork. 
FLOW of gum on a cherry tree means that 
something is wrong, hut it is rare that one can 
diagnose the casual agent correctly off-hand. Win¬ 
ter injury, sunscald, several different kinds of bor¬ 
ers, and mechanical injuries of various kinds may 
all result in an exudation of gum. The gum forms 
in a pocket under the bark and may not exude at 
all, or for quite some time. There is a bacterial 
disease common on sweet cherries on the Pacific 
coast which causes a certain gum-flow disease or 
gummosis, but so far this has not been reported 
from Eastern United States. It will he well to 
probe the wounds for borers, and dig around the 
crown of the tree in search for other signs of bor¬ 
ings. If the tree seems weak, try a handful or two 
of nitrate of soda applied early in the Spring. 
2. Transplanting assists a plant to adapt itself 
to subsequent transplantings. For this reason vege¬ 
table transplants are benefited by transplanting be¬ 
fore they are set in the field. But if a tree is in its 
permanent location there is no reason why it should 
be transplanted. It will be checked and not bene¬ 
fited. H. B. T. 
Radio and Airships in Law 
T HE use of the flying machine and the radio is 
bringing new points of law up to judges and 
lawyers. In one case a tenant put a radio aerial on 
the roof of his house. The landlord objected to it, 
and as the tenant would not take it down the land¬ 
lord proceeded to destroy it. The tenant sued the 
landlord for disorderly conduct and destruction of 
property. The magistrate before whom the case 
came adjourned it because he said there is no exact 
precedent in legal practice. It will require the 
higher courts to decide whether an aerial of this sort 
is a part of the household fixtures which any tenant 
has a right to install. There has to be a beginning 
in all points for legal decision. In the early history 
of this nation it was necessary for the courts to 
construe and establish many new points of law 
brought out by the American constitution. John 
Marshall, the first Chief Justice of the Supreme 
Court, was forced to decide many of these primary 
points of law. It will interest our people to know 
that Marshall was attacked with almost inhuman 
savagery for deciding rules of legal conduct which 
are now seldom if ever questioned. 
