The Sunday Oregonian., November 16, 1919, Magazine Section, Image 91

VOL. XXXVIII. PORTLAND, OREGON, SUNDAY MORNING, NOVEMBER 16, 1919. NO. 46.
i i
POULTRY CAPITAL OF THE NATION IS LOCATED IN OREGON
Record Super-Hens Hail From This State, Which Has Proven Itself to Be a Chicken Heaven.
BT DEW ITT HARRY.
(Copyright by Emma Hyatt Morton.)
1 ACH day increases the esteem In
M which the hen is being held.
1 Christopher Columbus' interest
in the egg was feeble when com
pared with the concern manifested
by the present-day breakfaster. Hens,
busy producers of pin money for
the farmer's wife and riches for
the professional poultryman, have
always had possibilities that at
tracted amateur experts. In days
gone by they used to speak, with
bated breatd, of dollar-a-dozen eg-gs
In the Klondike. No the dollar-a-
dozen egg: Is a reality in many parts i
of America, and is fully expected to
make its debut in Portland in the very
near future.
Fried chicken seems to have faded
away into the limbo of the unattain
able. Omelettes, while yet on some
menus, fail to add that so rich tone
to many breakfast tables. Cakes at
test the lack of sufficient nutriment
by a pasty complexion. Seldom is the
egrsr cup'stained with the gold of the
succulent yolk. Ham has lost his twin.
On through the harrowing list of
startling changes goes the investi
gator and reveals not a shred of hope,
hope, t
All Miss the Vanishing; Egg
Are we going to have to change our
national ways? What will be the diet
of the future? It is a certainty that
few ordinary city workers can afford
bacon and eggs for breakfast with the
proper trimmings at a cost of a dollar
or more a meal. Or chicken a la Mary
land for dinner, with the correct fix
ings, at approximately two iron men.
Not even the best paid of the poor
working men of the present day, re
puted though they are to be garner
ing all of the profits of the country's
industries, can afford $5 daily for
their food.
Which brings us back to the hen,
and gives an added zest to the pos
sibilities of poultry raising. The man
who owns a hen is envied by all his
neighbors and has to have his wife
continually on guard to get the egg.
should the precious fowl decide to be
generous. And this again makes it
r''T' gPyK
:-xx 1 Mil! wf ' A?-- -:
I i A i W,,:-x.
X
200-egg flock, and If they can man
age this It will be the result of
skillful breeding and feeding, and It
111 not be necessary to have the
ostrich hen.
, P.nltry Bnalnea. Appeals.'
With egrgs and meat at their pres
ent high mark It is a source ofwon
der to the non-technical consumer
why there are not more people going
in the poultry business. It has always
had a great appeal to the office man
and there are doubtless numbers of
them today, as has been the case in
the past, whose ambition Is to "get
on a little place and raise chickens."
The difficulty seems to be that, along
with many other businesses, the game
has been reduced to such a scientific
basis, along with the rapidly mount
ing costs of operation, that the small
and unskilled farmer has a slim
chance to make a go of it. Too
many have made a failure and this
discouraged others. It does not ap
pear to be any business for the ordi
nary foolhardy type to venture into
with any hope of great success.
In the matter of large plants the
vicinity of Portland seems to be lack
ing, though there are a number of
prosperous smaller ones. In the
cf interest to residents of Oregon who ense thf 1 .Jar8e p1" r" uf edKth
have never appreciated the varied
adaptabilities of their state.
In eastern and other sections of the
United States poultrymen keep a wary
eye on this etate, for it has the repu-
ness throughout the eastern states
wherein from 10.000 to 20,000 hens
are kept in the colonies. A business
of this magnitude is a great under-
tation of being the best state for taking and calls for skilled hands
poultry in America. Oregon is in the
enviable position of being the state
which has originated more record
chickens than any ether. Oregon is
the native state of such birds as Lady
Alacduff, the first hen to lay 300 eggs
In one year as registered from a trap
nest, and Oregona, the white Leghorn
who laid over 1000 eggs in five years,
the greatest long-distance - trap-nest
record ever known.
Oregon liens Prolific
been proven time and time again
that the poultry business is an ex
tremely profitable one when cor
rectly managed, but many a man has
become a cropper and accumulated
some hard-earned and costly expert
ence at this business that has the
surface appearance of being so sim
ple.
On the other hand. It Is frequently
the case that the man 's met with
an insensate and cocksure opinion of
Lady Macduff was a nrollfin l.v.r U own ability at a game where
herself, but her proeenv nroved fullv many students and good business men
as famous, and one flock of ten of havo tailed. This individual, and it
her daughters averaged 250 ergs each ls Dy no nea."S always a male, will
one year. Just think what scientific 1 always quote innumerable Instances
breeding did in the case of this famed of friends who have made a success
hen: ehe weighed five pounds herself. I and are making quite a sum In sm
and In the first .ear she laid 42 1 money from the few birds that they
pounds of eggs and her three years' 1 KeeP ,n their backyard. In many In
production weighed 93 pounds. No stances this number runs into quite
wonder that the birds of the experl- a considerable flock, but It must
ment station at O. A. C. are watched always be remembered that most of
with interest and are in great demand the necessary food is made up of
when they are let loose in the market, scraps and table waste, easily ob
it is possible that the wild ancestor tained, and at hardly any cost, thus
of our present-day domestic hen laid eliminating one of the great sources
from a dozen to 20 eggs a year. The oI expense on the commercial farm.
difference between that and the pres
ent eight or ten dozen that most of
the commercial fowls average at the Most anyone can make a success of
present time, represents centuries of a business when one of the .great
poultry culture. As in many other initial costs is lacking. It would be
things Oregon and cridefully point to surprising indeed if the home-owner
a world record, and undoubtedly pro- would not make a little pin money, as
duces the hardiest and most select well as obtain some eggs and meat,
stock at the present time. Environ- from a flock that would be kept on
ing that the small owner cannot
make a success of a small flock, for
this can and is done in most cases,
but it means that it would be folly
for the rank outsider .to think that
all that ls necessary to make big
profits from eggs and poultry Is to go
out and start a farm.
Commercial Farm Are Favored.
Some of the farms about the city
cater to baby chickens, others to
show birds, some to the production of
fancy eggs, to pedigreed birds, but
the best business seems to be the
straight commercial place, producing
'food In the form of eggs and fowL
There are a numor of these - farms
about Portland, none of them exceed
Ingly big affairs, but most of them
seemingly making a good return on
the amount invested, this, however.
resting mainly with the manner of
management. These places ignore
the show bird development and de
vote their entire facilities and ener
gies to the production of marketable
produce.
Climatic conditions In Oregon make
for good poultry conditions. In the
east they are handicapped by the in
tense cold and this makes it necessary
to build a different type of house
than here. Here open runs and houses
are possible, there it is imperative
that each dwelling have either can
vas or glass fronts. This makes an
Immense difference in costs of pro
duction, as it is also necessary In the
east, during specially eevere weather
conditions, to heat the houses. This
ls not the case here.
palate of an appreciative diner, mean
while leaving the native of its land
of origin to mourn its departure, and
eat an. ancient imitator of the fresh
and popular Oregon product.
War re Doee the Profit Got
Again the problem of the grower
and producer are but faintly under
stood, with the result that the pur
chaser ls disgruntled at the steep
price demanded. Dealers Insist that
they make little or no profit and the
producer says tl-at he Is but little
more than breaking even. Meanwhile
there are not enough eggs to go
around and there Is many a table on
which the favored "sunny smile" has
been a stranger for some time. At
that. Portland would appear to be
better off in the matter of prices
than other parts of the country as
the dollar egg has arrived in many
of the larger cities, and the cheerful
predictors are away again speculating
as to what new and unprecedented
heights It will soar. As far as eggs
are concerned the word "dozen"
seems a back number and that is al
most too large a quantity to be
reckoned.
Imagine having ten hens or so of
the LaaTy Macduff, type working for
you at this lime? Esgs, real fresh
ones, on the table. It is too much
when yu naven'L them, but It is a
certainty that more and more people
will be investigating the chances of
having the sn.all tack lot flock after
this lesson.'
New Discovery Makes Op
erations Painless.
Patient Rendered In.rnnlble, Yet
Retains Consciousness.
fnr trrA for tho Toiinr chickens, and the earlv mornlnr and aees that his
even In eome cases for bakers eup- I birds have light, and does not turn It
plies, as they are even then good off until late in the evening, and the
neighbors cannot understand what his
eject could be, many of them evi
Backyard Flock Profitable.
ment seems to be the factor that
works this out, and Oregon climate I
and surroundings are so possible of
development into the chicken ideal
tl-at the birds do their level best here.
Recently Aton K. Briggs of Boston,
president of the National Poultry,
Butter and Egg association, stated
that a new type of super-hen was
being bred that would be three times
the elze of the present bird, and
therefore would lay eggs three times
the present size. Nothing is known
of such a development here, in the
poultry capital of the nation, and
most of the breeders seem to be con
tent to. try. and produce a standard
the back lot and whose food did not
cost a great, sum. But when it comes
to a business, and it is necessary to
purchase ground for runs and pens.
build houses, purchase food, hire help,
purchase equipment and attend to all
the myriad details of varying impor
tance but necessary, it will be seen
why so many fall when they get too
ambitious and try something foe
which they are not fitted, for poultry
raising under modern conditions has
become one of the most skilled pro
fessions and calls for a thorough and
Innate knowledge and long training,
as well aa a natural aptitude to make
lt success JXhiA,i4 lar;. from meau-
Propagmtfom Process Is Complicate.
The varied processes of propagation
are exceedingly interesting. As the
hen lays her eggs they are put aside
from the nests, where they are
trapped, in specially marked baskets,
and when the time comes for them
to be placed In the incubators, they
are carefully guarded and their prog
ress watched and charted, and then
the little chicks are kept separate un
til they mature. The size of the in
cubators varies according to the
plant, some of the larger ones 'being
as large as from one thousand to ten
thousand-egg capacity. This calls
for a number of skilled nurses for the
baby chicks, but the average farmer
uses a smaller Incubator of from
hundred to two hundred-egg capacity.
As the new arrivals come they are
placed in brooders. Of these the
most popular seem to he from 250
to 600 capacity on the ranches and
agricultural colleges. Stoves, acting
as artificial mothers, are also of great
interest, as often one of these
sources' of warmth will he surrounded
by from 300 to 1000 tiny milling
chicks.
In California, where there is great
natural heat, it is often possible to
get egg temperature in tjie open, that
ls about 103 degrees, and when thi
is the case the men work about the
rooms in the lightest of clothing and
the eggs hatch in the open. When
an egg is in the incubator and is get
ting its heat for hatching. It drinks
much water, so it is Imperative that
they get plenty of moisture. This
ls done by spraying and sprinkling
the floors. Eggs that have been in
the heat from five to six days and
.test-unfertile are taken, out and -used
1 Typlcml Oregon open-front colony aonae at Portland ponltry ranch.
Z Pes of cockerel 1 birds destined for breeding;. 3 Lady Maednff
of O. A. C the first ken to lay 300 ctti by trapnest record In one
year. 4 Crystal Queen, best nhow hen In 1814 exhibition. B Crystal
Klnar, a classy single-comb White Leghorn cockerel. 6 Oregona. one
of the state's wonderful producers. She laid 112S eggs. Figure this
out at SI a doses.
for use in cakes. ,
Henn and Orchnrds Co-operate.
One of the best uses for a block
of chickens ls when a rancher ls
keeping an orchard, as in this case
there is a great opportunity for a
mutually co-operative double crop, the
trees furnishing shade and protec
tion from hawks, and the chickens
keeping down the insects in the or
chard and fertilizing the ground. Even
In this case it ls well to trace the
progeny, as this has been proven
vital, as many a flock becomes clut
tered with poor stock in time, and
f this tendency Is not closely guarded
against, the result is a breed that win
not produce as they should. The only
safe way Is to eliminate the poorer
birds and to permit but the proven
best to remain. Progeny of record
birds are traced by tiny leg bands
placed soon after they ' are hatched,
and then later their wins are clipped
and bands placed there. Frequent
cross-breeding tends to keep the flock
at its maximum efilciency, and from
year to year the breeding is rotated.
One other advantage that they have
here which is a source of constant
expense In the east and Is also a
source of poor health there among
the birds, is the plentiful green feed.
There is hardly any time in the year
when It is impossible to get plenty of
green feed in Oregon, and this has a
great deal to do with the health of
the, birds. Also it ls seldom neces
sary to close the birds up, to keep
them indoors, as in the east, and
consequently with open runs and the
food that they like this is almost a
real chicken heaven.
IJsrkt Increases Production.
One man who has a fair-sized flock
of birds on Vancouver avenue In the
center of the city attracts a great deal
of attention by keeping electric lights
burnlnE in his pens. Jle gets up in
dently thinking him mentally unbal-
nced. But, according to poultry lore,
his dally performance ls the trelght of
wisdom, as Cornell college recently
announced the result of a series of
experiments along this same line
wherein they took test pens of hens,
trying some with artificial light and
others without. They state that in
the pens where the hens could see to
work, the lamps were lighted at 5
A. M. and the light turned off at 10
M., 100 hens produced 135 dozen
more eggs in 48 weeks than did the
birds in the unlighted pens.
Professor James Lrryden of O. A. C
ls recognized as a national authority
oh poultry and he has turned out a
great number of experts ' from his
college. They come from all aver the
country to attend the classes there,
and it is a puzzle why there are not
more attending from this section.
With the conditions so Ideal here, and
the chance to get the best education
to be had so close at hand, it would
seem that more Bkilled poultrymen
would take advantage of the classes.
Professor Dryden has proved that
the open-front colony house is the
best for this climate, and though it is
a radical departure from those in use
in the east, it ls constantly proving
best for the conditions here. Fer
instance, under the Missouri syBtem
they employ two-storied houses, the
chickens sleeping upstairs and com
ing down runways for the rest of the
day for their exercise. Another thing
that ls overlooked ls the market con
ditions, as they are very favorable
here, the price generally being excel
lent and the demand strong. In the
close vicinity of Portland there are a
number of men who specialize in
guaranteed 24-hour eggs and, they
usually obtain a 16 to 25-cent pre
mlum over the market price for their
product.
( Color, and. size preference. la differ
ent localities la also of Interest in the
egg market. In New York they de
mand white eggs. Boston, on the
other hand, seems to like the flavor of
the brown ones. In most of the other
sections of the country we are glad
to get any, though there are often
spirited kicks as to size and age
locally. Storage problems have al
ways been hard to meet, and candled
eggs and "strictly firsts" have always
proven a stumbling-block to the pur
chaser.
Recent revelations of the causes for
the fluctuations in the egg market
have not been any too reassuring. It
has been proven that the Chinese
product ls invading the country in a
poultry way. even as the Japanese
peril Js threatening the Industry of
the Pacific coast. It is a common
thing to see huge shipments of crates
loading on the oriental steamers on
their Journey to China to escort the
product of the slant-eyed hen to our
welcoming shores. It has reached such
a pass right now that it is a matter
of grave doubt from whence comes
the average egg purchased at the
Portland market or store.
Storace Ecaa Malla-ned.
Some interesting tales have been
told at.d Touched for of late in this
city about the much-maligned egg
and her rambles and travels and man.
ifold adventures before ehe reaches
her ultimate destination in the fry
ing pan. Eggs are sensitive about
their age. and are prone to dissem
ble aa much as possible, lust like
women. It is admitted that the hous
wife ls on the same grounds as the
dealer when it comes to the putting
away of eggs for the rainy day, but
she often falls to heed the lessons of
experience, and when the mounting
costs enhance the value of the egg
during the hen's slack season, she
wishes that she had put some of th
succulent ovals In a liquid glass
pickle when they were cheap.
This is the time of year for th
storage dealer to get his wares on
the market, and the egg of last April
Is now making its belated appearance
to assist in adding that rich taste
to the holiday pastry and cooking.
This egg is frequently- vouched fo
as '"strictly fresh" and, that is an
likely always will be, a bone of con
tention between the housewife and
the dealer. The question is: When is
an egg a storage egg?
Then with eggs such a necessity for
the winter breakfast It stands to rea
son that other sections of the coun
try, not blessed with such a climate
and consequently without the produc
tlon, will invade the territory where
the hen works ten months of the year,
This is again the case here, for Ore.
gon eggs are being purchased right
along and then sent away from home
to some far . distant clime to tickle the
AVERT Important achievement in
surgery is announced In France,
e discovery of a method of perform-
g any surgical operation wimoui
pain. On this new method the prin-
iple is to make the patient insen
sible to pain, but he doe- not lose
consciousness. It ls based on a prin-
iple which was brought out several
years ago, and this allowed of making
operations on the lower limbs and the
lower part of the body without pain
by injections of cocaine or similar
sustance into the spinal column. But
this treatment did not produce in
sensibility in the upper part of 'the
body.
Within a recent period Dr. Le r u-
latre succeeded in making the entire
ody insensible by the use of a single
njection. and the liquid comes In
contact wifh the spinal comma
througout Its whole extent. He makes
se of an injection needle and a rtlass
syringe. After purgation tne aay
before and also half an hour before
the operation, he makes the Injection
of the liquid, which ls . cocaine or
other substances euch as sulphate of
trychnlne and sparteine.
The procedure Is described as fol
lows in the Scientific American: The
patient has his eyes bound so as not
to be affected by external movement.
and he aits on a table with his legs
stretched out before him. The applica
tion is made at the lower end of the
spinal column, and upon making a
puncture, the liquid surrounding the
plnal column flows out. w ben
sufficient amount has flowed,
depending on the degree of in
sensibility which it ls desired to
produce, he applies the syringe
with the cocaine or other solu
tion and pushes In the contents. This
action is repeated several times, and
the operator obtains a properly reg
ulated mixture of cocaine and the
spinal fluid.
The insensibility of the lower part
of the body is almost instantaneous;
in the trunk and in the arms and head
it follows a few moments after. Then
the patient is in a condition to under
go almost any kind of surgical ope.
ration, and without pain, but he re
mains conscious.
Luxemburg Women Have Suffrage.
LUXEMBURG. Women of Luxem
burg share political privileges equally
with men under the new suffrage law
In this litle state ruled by the Grand
Duchess Charlotte. Women candidates
for the chamber of deputies already
have been picked by several political
groups and anti-suffragists concede
that some of them would be elected.
Voting in Luxemburg also was made
compulsory, although the percentage
of abstentions has been unusually low.
Newspapers Ridicule Prohibition.
LONDON. English newspapers, as a
rule are still continuing to ridicule
the prohibition campaign being di
rected by American workers in this
country. The general attitude of the
press Is that this Is the easiest way of
discrediting the attempt to make Eng
land "dry." although some of the
papers have made decidedly hostile at
tacks on the invaders from the United
Stattes. claiming that England can
run her own affairs without assist
ance Irpm outside, . .