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MONDAY, OCTOBER 12
How To Get Ready For the Shows
Preparing Birds For Exhibition
Proper Care Necessary to
Secure the Prizes
Many Easy Methods of Pre
paration That Will Help the
Amateur
By Frank Heck
Author and Poultry Expert.
Copyright 1914.
Exhibitors of poultry at the shows
should take as much pains in prepar
ing their birds as the horse lover does
in ghooming him favorite for the ring.
There are many apparently small
things that, when done, add immense
ly to the show qualities of the bird.
Carelessness has cost many a blue
ribbon.
Care of the plumage, washing the
legs, handling the bird carefully so
that it will not soare will go far to
ward making a good impression on the
judges.
The following article will be of help
to exhibitors.
If a breeder does not give a little
attention to preparing his birds for
the show, he cannot expect to get the
same results as the breeder who does.
A bird picked up right out of the
yards, without having received any
special fitting, can always be im
proved in some ways.
The coat may not make the man.
but fine feathers and stylish carriage
certainly make the show bird, and
this can be controlled to a certain
extent. White birds should be wash
ed and black, buff and parti-colored
birds should have their plumage
cleaned.
Birds that are wild and object to
being handled will not assume a nat
ural position in the show coop when
the judge approaches them, and he,
therefore, cannot do them justice in
judging their shape. Handle them
often and tame them. Birds intended
for showing should be handled and
put in show condition weeks before
the show. He who waits till the last
minute is apt to see his competitors
awarded the prizes.
It is astonishing how careless the
average exhibitor is in examining the
birds to be sent to the show. Many
birds are disqualified for defects
which the judge finds readily and
which have been entirely overloked
by the exhibitor. If you do not know
what defects are disqualifications in
your variety of fowls, make it your
business to find out what they are
and then take a little pains to exam
ine each bird carefully. Each variety
of Scowls has its special disqualifica
tion % points, and there are also
ma\.,( that apply to all breeds and va
rieties in general. It would be im
possible to enumerate all of them in
the space alloted to this article.
Do not go to extremes in preparing
birds for show. Bungling jobs of
preparation are worse than none at
all. Combs and legs smeared with
A-aseline, etc., half washed plumage,
feathers full of cornmeal or starch,
dirty plumage soiled with dropping,
dried blood on combs and wattles,
bloody or greasy plumage about the
head, and other similar things will
cause a bird to lose many points un
der the section of judging which is
termed ‘‘condition." Do not exhibit a
bird that is out of condition physical
ly. Confinement in the showroom
will agravate illness of any kind and
the bird will seldom, if ever, win a
prize. Birds with scaly legs should
be treated for this defect a long time
before the show. Applications of lard
and vaseline will cure had cases.
Care of the Plumage.
Broken feathers in wings and tall
are the points that often lose a prize
to otherwise winning specimens, and
these broken feathers are nearly al
ways the result of causes which might
have been prevented. Coops should
he ample in size, too many birds
should not be crowded together, and
in other ordinary ways care should be
taken to prevent broken feathers. All
small feathers that are broken should
be plucked. Exhibition coops should
not be less than 30 Inches high and
20 inches long. A coop 25 inches long
will do for two ordinary-sized birds. To
clean paint from birds that have come
in contact with newly-painted coops
or houses, saturate a cloth with ben
zine and rub the feathers with It, us
ing a clean portion of the cloth with
each stroke. The feathers themselves
may be saturated with the liquid it
they are badly* stained. A great many
white birds are ruined for show pur
poses by allowing them to constantly
run through tall weeds of various
kinds The weeds become broken or
bruised and the sap imparts a brassy,
greenish color to the pluumage.
Plumage will lose much of its gloss
and the color becomes “dead" if the
bird is repeatedly exposed to alternate
rains and hot. sun. This applies with
especial force to moulting fowls. Borne
very successful breeders give their
birds red carbonate of iron for the
purpose of adding luster or sheen to
the plumage. A teaspoonful is placed
In sufficient mash food for twelve
fowls and this Is fed three times per
week. It should not be given to white
fowls. Beef tallow fed to exhibition
fowls is calculated to put gloss on the
plumage. Linseed meal, oil meal, oil
cake, sunflower seed and other like
feeds will grow feathers rapidly. * For
brightening the combs, face and wat
tles of birds in the showroom, a solu
tion is used composed of two parts
alcohol and one part glycerine with
three drops of oil of sassafras to each
spoonful of the mixture. From two
to four applications per day will pro
duce results. Us a small sponge or
soft cloth in applying It. When condi
tions are such that combs will almost
be surely frozen. It can be prevented
by annointlng them with vaseline each
night when the birds go to roost. Con
fining birds in a warm pen or show
room and feeding of much meat will
cause unnatural growth and lopping
of combs, which Is. of course, unde
sirable.
Thorough Washing an Important Item.
Cleanliness and the bright, healthful
condition of the legs and toes count
for much, in the showroom especially,
In the case of yellow-legged fowls
Wash the legs with soap and warm
water and clean the dirt from beneath
the scales with a wooden toothpick.
Dry the legs and then rub briskly
with a chamois skin.
Th» secret of having birds tame and
in cordltion that they will pose In the '
eh v: coop i» to properly train them
<
(
for a few weeks before showing. Place
them in a coop similar to the exhibi
tion coop and handle them often. Feed
them in these coops and hold choice
bits of food, such as meat, etc., near
the top so they are compelled to reach
for it. This will get them in the hab
it of coming to the front of the coop
and standing erect when anyone ap
proaches it.
To clean the plumage of parti-col
ored fowls without washing, take a
clean, white handkerchief and hold it
over the steam from boiling water un
til it is quite moise. Go over the en
tire outer plumage. A sponge damp
ened with ammonia may also be used
to advantage at the same time.
Nearly all white fowls can be im
proved by washing, but if it is not
done properly it had better not be at
tempted. Three washtuhs or similar
vessels should be at hand if they can
be conveniently provided. Tub No. 1
should be filled half full of lukewarm
or a little .warmer, water. Place the
bird gently into the water, holding it
there either by the feet or the sides
of the body. Hold it down partly im
mersed, and spray the water into the
Plumage till it is thoroughly soaked.
Rub the feathers with the web as they
lay, never rub against the "lay” of
the feathers. After the feathers are
thoroughly wet, begin using a good
CROP DIVERSIFY
EXTENSIVELY 111
The Farms are Being Made
Self-Sustaining to Greater
Degree.
HAVE DISPROVED THE
ONE-CROP THEORY
Old Elbert Has Raised More
Grain, More Hogs, More Food
Products and More of Other
Crops and Therefore Is in
Better Position to Withstand
a Siege Should it Become
Necessary tb Hold Their Cot
ton Indefinitely Because of a
War-Depressed Market.
WALTER E. DUNCAN,
Staff Correspondent,
The Augusta Herald.
Elberton, Ga. —For the past few
years farmers of this section, partic
ularly throughout Elbert County, have
given more and more attention to di
versified crops, producing cotton, but
making farms more and more self
sustaining, getting further and further
away from the old idea that the south
must depend upon one crop; and the
progress that has been made in
this direction is now proving a bless
ing. Farmers who have grown cot
ton and who cannot market it at a
price which will cover the cost of
production are, because they have
raised more grain, more hogs, more
food products. In better position to
withstand a siege if in their determi
nation to hold their cotton off a war
depressed market they must wait in
definitely for a re-adjustment of eco
nomic conditions.
If the price of cotton is low,
and even though it may be true
that the price cotton has been
bringing for the past several
years has been a contributing fac
tor to increase the cost of produc
tion, Elbert County farmers have
raised splendid crops, and though
it does not make up in quantity
enough to balance the deprecla-
Thl« is one of the oldeat and beat
known fowl* of Belgium. Together
with ita a later, the Silver Camplne, It
la there regarded aa the atandard util
ity fowl of that country. Ita value
hue been recognized for over a cen
tury and many apecimena were Im
ported to England and bred there. In
the latter country both varletlea of
thla breed hare been brought to a
high atate of perfection, and It waa
Introduced into the United States
white soap upon them. A large, soft
sponge will make the work easier. Af
ter the plumage Is well washed, the
bird should be placed in another tub
of clean lukewarm water as before
and thoroughly rinsed. All the soap
should be removed or the feathers will
stick together and not become natural
and fluuffy.
Tub No. 3 should contain water a
little cooler than previously used and
about as much bluing as Is used for
white clothes should be placed in it.
Another rinsing in this blue water
completes the washing process. By
means of the hands, squeeze as-much
water as possibleN>ut of the feathers
and then rub against the feathers. Af
ter drying in that way. place the bird
in a clean coop bedded heavily with
straw and set it near a fire where the
warmth can get to the plumage and
not he too strong for the bird. Tho
feathers will then dry nnd assume a
natural condition within a few hours.
Next week, Mr. Reese V. Hicks,
General Manager of the Rancocas
Poultry Farms, Brown’s Mills, N. J.,
will contribute an article on the
“Housing of Future Layers.” The il
lustration will show the best breeds
to raise for eggs, for meat or for a
combination of meat and eggs. Also
some of the latest types of poultry
houses will be shown.
TlflN PRACTICED
ELBERT COUNTY
tion in price, the corn crop has
been plentiful, the hay crop abun
dant, a world of peas have been
made, sweet potatoes were never
better nor more bountiful In sup
ply, there is plenty of sugar eane
and there is going to he plenty of
syrup, the cattle and there are
lots of cattle raised in Elbert—are
sleek and fat, hogs are doing fine
and there is no shortage of home
grown stuff on which to fatten
them, beef and hams are selling
high and eggs and chickens are
bringing good prices.
No Real Hard Times.
As far as this section is concerned,
bard times is purely an imaginary
conditipn. Of course, there is an ab
normal situation, as exists everywhere
throughout the south, and of course,
there are farmers who have stuck to
cotton, depending absolutely upon a
money crop, who feel the pinch more
keenly—keenly enough to awaken
them to the necessity of hereafter
making their own meat and bread
and feedstuffs —but the present ex
isting situation has thrust forward, as
examples of self-sustaining farmers,
such men as Mr. T. W. Durham, Mr.
■T. N. Wall, Mr. W. B. Neathery, Mr.
Henry Balchin, Mr. H. A. Fambrough,
Mr. Lester Fortsnn, Mr. Coy Hudgins.
Mr. G. L. Herndon, Mr. Will Thornton,
Mr. Z. A. Tate and many others who
grow cotton as a surplus money crop,
but who, wisely producing their own
supplies and devoting first attention
to the filling of com cribs and smoke
houses, do not grow cotton and de
pend upon cotton money for their sup
port and the support of tbelr farms
like the gambler who stakes all upon
one card, however It may turn when
it falls.
Mr. Chas. W. Parker, formerly
postmaster here, who follows the in
tensive farming Idea, and takes more
pride than does the average farmer
tn building tip and enriching his land,
through rotation of crops and the ap
plication of commercial fertilizers,
the Ingredients of which are studied
out scientifically to meet the pecu
liar requirements of the soil, believes
that the scrlptual axiom, “As Ye
Sow Alho Shall Ye Reap," applina
with greater force now than ever be
fore in the history of the world—ln
a literal sense as a matter of course,
and particularly to the cotton farmer.
Talks of Situation.
Mr. Parker, as he expresses It, does
GOLDEN CAMP INES
from that country aome twenty yeara
ago.
They were for the moat part Ihiull,
badly-marked fowla and were In all
likelihood not Camplne* at all, but a
coaraer relative of thla fine fowl Thl*
wav* of Importation and popularity
waa very brief and th* breed wu* dla
mlaaed aa unaatlafactory. Within the
paat ten year*, however, one very en
thuaiaatlc breeder Imported a number
of real Camplne*, both Holden and
, Sliver, and act about popularizing
THE AUGUSTA HERALD, AUGUSTA, GA.
not see why the government should
be expected to "rush in and drag our
chestnuts -out of the fire."
"We are getting no more than is
coming to us," says Mr. Parker.
“There is no reason then why any of
us should howl about it. Of course,
1 am sorry that things are like they
are. I am sorry when a child burns
his fingers. But if he continues to
stick them in the fire after he has
learned by previous experience wliat
the effect will be, It rather takes tho
edge off one’s sympathy.
“There is a certain amount of cot
ton more than the probable needs of
the market will demand. This means
cheap cotton. How cheap depends
upon the grower. If he is In position
to hold until the price gets right, lie
won’t he hurt much; if not he will be
scalded. But If he places himself in
the same position next year, where he
has to mortgage everything he lias
and his prospects for the future, for
a hare existence, and then runs still
further into debt for guano, hay, corn
and supplies, he will be worse off
than ever this time next fall.
“The solution of the present prob
lem." continued Mr. Parker, “rests
with each man engaged in farming
occupation. It is lime for him to
sit down and think. Here and there
you will find a man who made up Ills
tnlnd some time ago to live at home,
first making enough on the farm to
take care of his family', then to have
something to sell, hut first assuring
himself of enough to be on the safe
side. Wh.n times like these come he
weathers the storm without difficulty.
The fellow who has not learned to do
that for his own protection had better
hire out and work for wages, under
some landlord who can teach him.”
Self-Sustaining Farmers.
Practically all land-owning farm
ers throughout this section have been
making enough corn, hay and provis
ions to run them, and for the past
few years more cattle have been rais
ed, more possibly than at any time
since following the War Between the
States men turned their attention to
herds and flocks.
To Raise Cattle.
Mr. O. E. Tate, who lives about
nine miles from Elberton, is preparing
at present to go Into cattle raising
on an extensive scale. He will fence
hfs land, and stock It this fall.
Mr. C. A. Lunsford and Mr. R. T.
Lanahan are among the Elbert Coun
ty farmers who have found profit In
cattle and livestock. Mr. Tinsley Mc-
Lanahan, who was recently elected to
the legislature, is also a successful
farmer who profits by giving atten
tion to livestock.
Mr. .1. A. Boggs, wbo lives near
Royston, In this county. Is one of the
leading young farmers of his section.
Mr. Beggs prepared himself for the
pursuit of agriculture at the A. & M.
School at Madison. He believes that
successful ’ farming requires prepara
tion from an educational standpoint.
A Good Market.
Under normal conditions Elberton
handles from 20,000 to 30,000 bales of
cotton a year. So far this season
there has been only a comparatively
small amount sold. W. T. Arnold &
Son have taken some 250 bales, for
which they paid 10 cents, on account
and Cauthern Brothers have bought
a hundred bales on the same basis
under a like arrangement.
Bought Their Bales.
The “Buy-a-Bale" movement has
gained a foothold here. Mr. and Mrs.
T G. Swift each bought a bale, so
did Mr. Gdrry Hall, proprietor of.
Hotel Elberton, and Mr. M. E. Maw
ell, president, and Mr. H. P. Hunter,
cashier of the First National Bunk.
Elberton, a progressive little city
of 7,000, has four banks, the First Na
tional, the Elberton Loan and Sav
ings Bank, the Bank of Elberton and
the Citizens Bank, all of which are
showing a disposition to lend all pos
sible aid to the farmers customers
who need their help respectively,
through extensions of paper when
warehouso receipts are deposited with
them.
What Would You Do?
There are many times when one
man questions another’s actions and
motives Men act differently under
different circumstances. The question
is, what would you do right now if
you had a severe cold? Could you do
better than to take Chamberlain’s
Cough Remedy? It Is highly recom
mended by people who have used It
for years and know its value. Mrs. O.
E. H argent, Peru, Ind., says. ‘Vhani
berlain’s 'Cough Remedy is worth its
weight in gold and I take pleasure In
recommending It." For sale by all
dealers.
them for their actual worth aa great
layers of the whlte*t egg», aa well aa
for their beautiful marking*. After
peralatent effort the breed "took” and
I* today one of th# moat popular and
beat Helling breed* In America.
The Oolden Camplne I* a very
I handsome fowl Both sexes have large
red rumba and white earlobe* The
plumage la glo»*y, greenish hlnrk each
feather framed with narrow V-ahap
ed bands of golden red. Lega Mid
fact arc elate colored.
GREAT DEMAND FOR
BIG STORY OF WAR
Orders Which Have Come
From Far and Near Show
Great Interest.
Let us use the revised version of
tho old saw and say the proof of
the pudding is In chewing the string.
In this case the particular piece do
resistance Is the first part of the great
war book and the appendage Is liter
ally represented by the string of peo
ple who are taking advantage of the
Herald’s attractive offer.
Since the announcement was first
made that the distribution would be
gin, orders have come from far and
near, by mail and by personal mes
sengers. One man not only assures
us that he will want each part for
himself as Issued, but afterward gave
nn order for three additional sets to
be sent to far-distant relatives. He
says he read Part One ns soon as he
got it, and that now he wants his
friends to know the truth about this
great war of the nations.
Tiie parts are all lavishly Illumi
nated with splendid Illustrations re
produced from photographs taken at
tho scene of action and many of these
illustrations arc printed in full pages.
Others are reproduced by the most ex
pensive color process and depict
scones of great hnitles painted by ar
tists of world renown. Taken all in
all, the entire series will represent a
grand collection of art which could
not possibly he duplicated in any oth
er work of tlijs character.
Turn to the War Book Coupon
printed daily elsewhere in these col
umns and learn how you may coma
in Immediate possession of the first
part of this great war story.
Toned Up Whole System.
"Chamberlain's Tablets have done
more for me than I ever dared hope
for," writes Mrs Esther Mae Baker,
Speneerport, N. Y. "I used several
bottles of these tablets n few months
ago. They not only cured me of bil
ious attacks, sick headaches and that
tired out feeling, but toned up my
whole stystem.” For sale by all deal
ers
MATTRESSES
Scientifically Renovated
This Is ABSOLUTELY tho
only place you can have your
Matresses made over with the
latest Improved machinery.
When you have a Felt Mattress
made over with a Picker It Is
never satisfactory, It soon be
comes hard and lumpy. If you
want real comfort let me Felt
your Mattress And It will be
like a new one.
Don’t forget the time expires
November Ist.
E. H. HUTCHESON.
Phone 2824.
Bigger, Better,
More Complete
Than Ever, the
TriCounty
Fair
Opens October 14 for a
Three Days Agricultural
and Live Stock Show, at
Batesburg, S. C.
The best and most Pro
gressive farmers of the
“Ridge” Section—Salu
da, Lexington, and Aiken
counties—will have ex
hibits.
Clean, Wholesome
Amusements. Many Free
Attractions. Pleas ure
and Profit For All.
Thursday, October 15,
the big feature of the fair
will be a Red Shirt Pa
rade of the veterans of
’76. Good speakers have
been secured.
Friday, October 16,
will be Field Day for the
schools of the three coun
ties, and many events
have been arranged.
Visit Batesburg This
Week. See how pro
gressive Farmers Have
Become Independent of
Low Price Cotton.
The Fair will he in
progress Wednesday,
Thursday and Friday.
WISE
ECONOMY TALK No.
14.
HIPP HKPP
HURRAY
And a Tiger Bargain
Monday No. 2
Is Some Hummer.
Perhaps this little re
minder will get to you in
time to get here before
the doors close today.
If you miss it, promise
yourself you won’t miss
next Monday.
profit”
SHARING
SALE
Jogs along an easy
winner, adding new cus
tomers daily.
What about you?
Have you got the
habit?
But, just a minute
let’s get a few WISE
bargains in here.
$lO and $12.50 ladies’
and misses’ Cloaks for a
few days only, at . $6.95
7£c yard wide Bleach
ing, good, smooth, soft
finish, special (limited)
at s|c
36 inch Silk Poplins, in
the new fall shades,
worth $1.25 per yard,
at . . . . . . . . . ~. 89c
Every article in our
house has been reduced
in price for this sale. See
the tags on each piece,
marked in plain figures,
showing the original and
the mark-down price.
They are reduced from
about 10 to 25 per cent.
This is the greatest
profit sharing sale that
we have ever conducted.
NUF SED—WHAT?
The Wise Dry
Goods Co.
The Shop of Quality.
858 Broadway.
Don’t Forget—Try Wise
First—lt Pays.
THREE