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EIGHT IMPORTANCE OF POULTRY SHOWS IN AROUSING INTEREST IN INDUSTRY Developed From Small Begin nings to Mammoth Propor tions Today. Fine Birds and Prize Awards Inspire Visitors to Improve Flocks. Copyright 1914 By Reese V. Hicks, Manager of Raneooas Poultry Farms, Browns .Mills. N. J. anil Former President of American Poultry Association. Poultry shows have crown Into an international institution. Near ly 1500 such shows are held an nually In the United States and Canada. Such exhibitions bespeak a wide spread Interest In the poultry bus iness and In fitet they have been largely responsible for the rapid growth of the business In recent years. They tend toward a higher standard of poultry breeding for at these shows the exhibitors see birds that they would like to raise and go home Inspired to so Im prove their own flocks. The modern poultry show has de veloped from sn Insignificant begin ning held, at first, in conectlon with the old time agricultural fair, until to day there are held In the United States and Canada neatly 1,500 shows, de voted exclusively to poultry. This num ber does not Include practically s many more poutry shows held in con nection with scrlcttlttiral fairs or oth er similar exhibits. These poultry shows In size fro > the mammoth ex hibits in New York Boston Chicago, St, Ixiuisville. and other large titles, where as many as 5000 head are dls played yearly, down to the small lo- al shows with nol more than 500 head and sometimes as few as 200. It has been estimated that the aver age number of birds entered at the 1500 exclusive poultry shows Is 1000 birds. Including the fairs, which us ually do not run quite as large in the number of entries, except a few prom inent state and county fairs, it is con servative to state that there annually exhibited over two million head of poultry in the United States and Can ada. While it Is very difficult to estimate the average attendance at the many poultry shows held annually, as no accurate statistics him' ever been col lected, yet it can be safely said that not less than five million people are interested spectators tit poultry exhi bitions in this country and Canada. Million* Spent Annually. From four to five million dollars are •pent annually In managing and con ducting these shows, preparing, hand ling, and assembling the birds, and for premium money ns prlxes. As a ma jority of the poultry shows charge ftont twenty-five cents to fifty cents admission,, with an attendance of five million tlie public, therefore, pays an nually between one and two million doll' r* for the privilege of seeing poul try exhibits The question naturally arises ns to the benefit of these shows to the pub lic as well as to the exhibitor The general public and the exhibi tors must get some adequate return other than the gratification of their curiosity In seeing a pretty bird and the satisfaction of winning prizes. The first and most important work of a poultry show is that of stirring up interese In poultry pmdcutlons In its various branches. The sight of hun dreds of nicely croomed and uniformly displayed birds Is In Itself enough to arouse the desln for ownership in the chance visitor who strays Inside a poultry show room for the purpose of satisfying an Idle eiirtositv Visitors Study Birds. The fact tlv t the birds are attrac tive and entertaining nnturilly leads the average man or woman to study their points of beauty as well as utility, This leads to a stirring up In the vis itor of a "haek-to-the-soll" feeling. Poultry naturally heads the list with every rising thought of agricultural Instincts. The late Homer Davenport, the noted cartoonist, who was a lover of animals in every form, with bird-love especially, prominent, once stated that he could wslk down Wall street. New York city, end that I*9 per cent of the business men w horn he might accost would tell hi i that some day they expected to own a farm and keep chick ens. This illustrates the almost uni versal desire of mankind to raise poul try in some manner. When the wealthy business men on the richest street in the world look forwnrd to the da i.v when they will he In touch with the soil through the en chanting hen It is not to he wondered at that men In the humbler walks of life, who want to economize In their household expenses, should also hove their Interest In raising chickens aroused by sttendlng poultry shows A visitor at a well-managed poultry •how not only admires the beauty of the birds displayed, but he often comes In personal contact with the owner or exhibitor of these fowls. It ia an ac cepted statement that the average poultry raiser is always glad to spread the gospel of good poultry, thereby giving helpful information and his own experience with various breeds, meth ods and any other detail that the be ginner Is usually so anxious to obtain to start him along the right path. As the average poultry raiser simply bub bles over with enthusiasm and strong opinions in favor of the Industry, so trnieh so that he is frequently called a "poultry crank," the seeker after light In the poultry business usually goes away from a poultry show nfter talk ing with auoh a poultry ratser carry ing much of the enthusiasm that the other fellow demonstrated. Impression* of Show*. The first Impression of a poultry ahow i*. of course, tasting on the nov ice, hence it is best that the beginner attend a properly managed and con ducted exhibition. In order to attract the novice the fowls should be kept In good condition and shown In neat coopa. so they may appear at their best. Sick and defective birds are. of course, not allowed. As prizes are awarded to the best birds according to a standard of fixed rules the Judges Who place the awards should know their business thoroughly in order that their work may not mislead the be ginner into a false estimate by award ing prlxes to birds of inferior quality. The officers and managers of poultry shows ahould underst- nd the proper arrangement of coops and the proper Display erf the birds in order that the a WHITE COCHINS Copyright, 1914. By Louis Paul Graham, This is the white variety of the fa mous Cochin fowl which is given cred it 1 v a noted Kngllsh writer as the breed which stirred up and boomed the rearing and exhibiting of fancy 1 on I try. Although variously called Shanghais and Cochin Chinas In their early days the breed came from Shanghai, China, and was first introduced Into Kngland from a sailing vessel, returning from that port about 1845. When first introduced the Shang hai was generally of red color. Skill ful landers developed the Buff, Part ridge, White and Black varieties, and of these the White Cochin la the suh ject of our sketch. Their chief utility qualities are bas ed on their production of large brown eggs In winter. They are also highly show n ay be uniform and harmonious, and thus appear to advantage before the general public. While to a rouse interest In stand ard bred poultry Is the first object of poulty shows, yet the second Is that of receiving entrance money nnd door re ceipts lor the payment of prize money and Incidental expenses, such as rental, light, feed. etc. As the public Is slow to patronlz.e a poultry show by exhibiting birds and paying admission to see a show unless they have confidence In the ability of the officers to make a first-class dis play, it becomes doubly important from a financial viewpoint that men of good standing nnd reputation In (be com munity be placed at the head of the management. Very few poultry shows aim to make a profit as the hope to advance the cause of standard-bred poultry Is the main reason why busi ness men of reputation and tdahdlng can and do afford to devote their time In working up interest, and In the manage n ent of poultry shows In thousands of towns and communities in this country. The meeting together of neighbors In friendly rivalry not only causes each neighbor to resolve that he himself will POPULAR BREEDS OF POULTRY Wyandotte* and Plymouth Rocks Head the List. With Rhode Island Red* Closely Following. Of the entire list of breeds, none meet the demands of Americana so much as do our American varieties, and In this class the most porratar are the VVyandottes and the Plymouth ( - •' . Buff Plymouth Rock Hen. Rooks, with Rhode Island Reds close!; following Also our American strain o, Light Brahmas and the leghorns. The Brahmas belong to the Asiatic class a* a breed, but the Light Brahma a* bred by our people Is so different from that bred in England, that one would hard ly suppose them to be of the same family. It Is also so of the White Leg horns. The Leghorns belong to the Mediterranean class, but there is such a change in the present day Leghorn to the bird introduced years ago, that we feel we own the breed. Plaiting Trees. It Is not advisable to plant a solid block of 100 trees of one variety un less there are other trees in the lm mediate vicinity. Some varieties arc self-fertile, and will give satisfactory results if planted alone; but It Is al ways safer to provide for cross fertlli ration In large orchards every third or fourth row should be of a different variety Two or three varl •ties are enough for a commercial orchard, however, and it W seldom ad visable to plant more To Soften Grindstone*. Grindstone* sometimes become so hard that they are almost useless If they are burled in the ground for a while it will soften them. If the stone la large it wtO require several mouths. esteemed for large roasting fowls and are bred pure and crossed In certain localities for thlH purpose. The White Cochin Is a handsome fowl, large and round, with heavfly feathered legs and feet, long soft curl ing feathers in all sections. Plumage should be pure white In all sections. The hens get broody, sit, hatch and rear chicks, making excellent mothers. The chirks grow rapidly and feather slowly, attaining considerable size be fore they are fully feathered. The pul lets reach laying maturity In from six to eight months, but neither sex attains full size until a year old. At that time females weigh from eight to ten pounds, males, ten to twelve pounds anil often more These fowls are poor foragers and are hardly suited for farm flocks, but the small breeder can obtain plenty of enjoyment and considerable profit from the sale of eggs, roasting fowls and hatching eggs If lie has exhibited and won a few prizes on his stock. have more and better poultry the com ing yenr, but it leads each of them to study lhe success or failures of their neighbors, with the reasons for same, and tints often improves the methods used. This friendly rivalry cements a neighborhood Into a closer community of interests, not only along poultry lines but also along those of a social, educational and financial character. Encourages Competition. The third and last object of a poul try show is to encourage competition between the birds in different breeds and varieties to see whose birds are the best and who lias shown his skill to best advantage in breeding certain breeds Incidentally the winning of prize money, cups, anil trophies Is an object, but not the highest object for which the majority of poultry men make exhibits. The financial award nnd immediate cash is not large, but the honor of winning Is a valuable business asset In the form of adver tising. A winning shows a superiority of the birds owned by the exhibitor, and thus enables him to sell stock nnd eggs at prices far above the average market. The larger the show the more valuable the winning from an advertising standpoint. Dr Thomas J. Clemens, Poultry Editor of Philadelphia Inquirer, will contribute an article on “Suc cess In Poultry Industry Rests Up on Selection of Breeding Stock,” next week. The illustration wil show meth ods of treating sick poultry and some devices for preventing dis ease and keeping the chicken house clean. Daily Pattern 1095.—A DAINTY NEGLIGEE. Ladles' Dressing Sack or Kimono. Figured lawn In pink and white, with fnctngs nnd trimmings of pink are here shown. The model Is cut with body and s eeve In one. It 1* comfortable and p.easing. The style 1* good for batiste, cashmere, voile, crepe orguntdo or silk. The pattern Is cut in three sl*e»: Small, nitditim and large It requires three yards of SS-tnch material for a medium else. A pattre-n of this Illustration mailed lo sny address on receipt of to cents in silver or stamps. No. Size N am e Street and No. City Stats THE AUGUSTA HERALD, AUGUSTA, GA. Scientific Farming TO PREVENT APHIS PEST. Measure* That Should Be Employed For Destroying It. [Prepared by United States department ot agriculture.] Grain raisers, especially those In Texas ai d on the southern border of Oklahoma, are urged to destroy all volunteer grain by pasturing, plowing under or burning straw which has been scattered over It, as it is a fertile breeding place for the spring grain aphis or “green bug.” Moreover, ns the specialists of the department point out, it. Is particularly necessary foi grain growers In these two sections nnd other parts of the south to stop the (irst developments of the aphis, us If not controlled in the volunteer grain it may very well spread to the sown grain and become a source of damage The past history of the spring grain aphis, or “green bug,” one of the mosi dreaded pests of the wheat grower in the southwest, indicates clearly that destructive invasions west of the Mis sissippl river have had their origin in central and northern Texas and south SPRING GRAIN A PHTH OH GREEN RUG (EN LAItUED); NATUUAL HJ/Ii AT HIOHT. era Oklahoma, and. in the eastern country, probably In southeastern Georgia and southern South Carolina Farmers have thus come to look with uneasiness upon the appearance of any aphis in abundance in their grain fields. Years of Investigation have given us some facta which strongly indicate that, if the appearance of this "green bug” were to be detected in time and vigorous measures employed for sup pressing it, destructive ravages might be, to some extent at least, controlled Furthermore, all of the information at hand strongly implies that If the pesi could be effectually coutrolled through out a comparatively small area In Tex ns and possibly the extreme southern border of Oklahoma, the enormous de •truction tor which It Is responsible farther to the north and northeast might be nearly or quite eliminated This is in fact what actually takes place when an outbreak Is overcome in its incipicncy by natural enemies North of the latitude of northern Ok bihoina, southern Missouri, southern Tennessee and North Carolina the In Hect passes the winter in the egg stage and therefore would uot he able to in crease In sufficient abundance in spring to work the serious damage that It usually does during years of exces slve abundance. South of this line the Insect breeds in w heat fields during fa vorable weather throughout the entire winter and becomes excessively ayim daut. Unfortunately the same weulli er conditions are not favorable for th. development of the parasites which prey upon the "green bug Whenevet an outbreak occurs, especially west oi the Mississippi river, the pest first tnnkes Its appearance in the fields in •[tots, usually circular in area, prlmnrl ly indicated by the reddening ot the blades of the wheat, which afterward turn brown The spots become target until the Insects spread over the entire field. In very many cases these Injur ed spots have been found to coincide exactly with the locution of the shocks of grain where the kernels have rat tied o(T and fallen to the ground, thus producing volunteer plants. In the na ture of tlilugs. therefore, volunteer grain, whether of wheat or oats, con •tltntes the initial breeding grounds for the pest If this volunteer growth could be pastured off in Inte fall or early winter much of the danger of an outbreak would be eliminated. Preparing Celery For Winter. As it is now time for preparing cel ery for winter keeping. I wish to tel* my experience with it during the last two years writes a contrlbuter to the Rural New Yorker. In the summer, when ready to transplant my celery. I have a deep trench dug the length ot my garden. As ray garden slopes gently In that part of it I find it very easy, in case of a dry spell, to supply the plants with water by simply pouring cans of water at one end of the row and letting it run the full length of the row. Care must be taken to pour the water very slowly when the plants •re small, else they will be washed out. I grow Golden Self Blanching •nd begin banking It up in September 1 simply gather each bunch together and wrap it, not too tightly, with a short strip of cloth, and then pack the dirt tightly around 1L The trench fa cllltntes the first banking; also contln tions banking goes on until danger of a freeze, when It is covered for the winter. I do this by covering it over very deeply with clover chaflf and Just let the celery remain in the ground 1 During the winter, when you wish ' celery, pull away some of the chaff get your celery and for whiteness crispness aud tenderness It connot be beaten. Good Fodd*r For Horses. Horses like alfalfa sterna. This 1* one of tl*s conclusions of • Nebraska : experiment station bulletin, adding i that “refu«r front the cattle racks is ' verv ... READ HERALD WANTS WATCHFUL WAITING. Stock owners should sit tight and not become panicky over the foot and mouth epidemic, isays the American Cultivator The fatuous "watchful waiting" pol icy applies here. When the dis ease appears nearby don't visit the place and vlxirors should t>e kept away Tie up the dogs. Shut off the Infected farms so far as possible, but no need to get a scare nnd sell all stock as some western farmers are re ported doing We have had the epidemic before and always the scare hits been much greater than the damage HOOF AND MOUTH DISEASE. Some Facts About Plague That It Causing Havoc In Many States. Somewhere in southern Michigan a few weeks ago a cow became ill. Sin was feverish, saliva dripped from hei mouth, her milk supply ceased, she he came lame and ulcers formed in bei mouth. Today fourteen states in the Uniot are quarantined against the hoof nnd mouth disease, the most dreaded dis temper among hoofed animals Mil lions of dollars have been sacrificed In the thousands of animals that bavt been slain to stop the spread of tin disease. The Chicago stockyards fm the tirst time in almost half a eenrur? were absolutely emptied of beef cattle sheep nnd hogs, and the national ntn state governments are exerting ever; effort to stay the pestilence which in bound to prove so costly and to de pleie our food supply so greatly. In England In 1871 there was a sleg, that cost the country $10,000,000. Get many in !!H)"> suffered a loss of SIOO 000,000. The present Is the fifth and most sc vere out break of the hoof and inoutl disease that has visited this country In New England an outbreak in Ilk* cost 5,000 animals. It is impossible a thus time to state how many unitnc ... \ w ■, j ■ ■ ‘ 4-A " f • I •• < v "Vi> ■JVHi tit’v - .- . ■ j SOME GUARDED YOUNG STOCK have been slaughtered, us the nutnbe increased daily as the precautions wer, doubled. Although the hoof and mouth d> ease has been known in this couiitn only a generation, it has visited liur. pean countries for a couple of ten turies and was imported to our shore by infected cattle. It manifests Itsel in ulcers about the mouth and feci Fever, saliva and lameness are syutp toms. In malignant outbreaks tin death rate is high, but in mild at tacks It is low However, cattle tint* hogs that survive usually continue it poor condition. The disease is high!' infectious, cattle, hogs aud sheep Dt lug its chief victims. Like many other diseases, but littb is known of the hoof and mouth nil ment and the virus which transmits it All that science can tell us is that It b highly Infectious and can be checkc only by stumping it out. killing dls cased animals and disinfecting places where they have been. IN ORCHARD AND GARDEN. Scions of apples for grafting nexi spring may be cut now. After the first fall of snow Is a good time to thin cut the neighborhood mb bits. Covering the strawberry bed with straw and mulching the lawn shrub bery Is in order now. A little sulphur dusted over plants that show signs of mildew will often •top the spread of the disease. Paper white narcissuses and daffodils potted early may be brought to beat and light aud will soon flower. All roots and cabbages should be in winter storage now. Cut off aud burn the foliage of th< asparagus its soon ns it has been killed by frost. This will destroy many In sects and plant disenses. Unve plans been made for bettet plantings around the home uext •prlng? Now is the time to stud? these things aud decide what plant to use. The seed of many of our bervle •hrnl's, such ns buckthorn, sandthori and high hash cranberry, may t* •tratlfled In sand over winter ate planted n»Tf READ HERALD WANT ADS. “BACK TO THE FARM” XIV. —Bringing the College to the Farmer. By C. V. GimQDRY. elation.J THE agricultural colleges, th* secondary schools and tin rural schools are doing a gren deal to educate the farmer of the future. To educate the farmer of the present some other system i> needed. This has been provided It. many communities through extension departments of the agricultural eo; leges. The purpose of these depart ments is to get as close as possible ti - , 4 : ! ■? ... &A-; , I r 5: ' V ' 1 &- V; SiM ' r -' FIELD DEMONSTEATION WOTtK. the actual farmers and to teach the; a few of the principles of modern agi culture. One of the principal means of ;v complisbing this work is by shi: courses held at the agricultural col lege. They are attended by a lar; number of farmers. Most of these an men who could uot leave home to tal., a longer course. The instruction a' these courses is as simple and practiea as possible. There is very little stud? ing connected with a course of tin. kind, it consists mainly of lecturt and laboratory work. Laboratory work is given in con Judging. The farmers learn to distil, guish between the different varieties they learn the points that go to malo a good ear of corn, and they get ; great deal of practice in placing ear and samples in order of merit. Th interest iu this work is heightened ii many cases by holding a corn show i; connection with the short course. Laboratory work is given also i; stock judging. Most of the colleges have n large number of representative animals of the principal breeds. These are supplemented in many cases b? importations from leading breeders Many farmers learn for the first tin,, just what a sidebone is and how it is formed. Most of them know a good horse when they see it. but they learn at the short course just what points make him good. They alA> learn to discriminate between two horses which at first sight look equally good At some short courses meat demonstra tions are held, which prove to be a very popular feature. The annual meat demonstration at the lowa Ag ricultural college, at which Uncle John Gosling, the veteran butcher of Kansas City, presides, is famous all over the middle west. The farmers who are attending short courses go over the animals in class until they become thoroughly familiar with them Then these same animals are slaugh tered. and Uncle John points out the differences in the cuts of meat. Aftei such a demonstration the student un derstands more clearly the difference between a pure bred steer and one oi ' the nondescript kind. The chances ar (hat he goes home with a determlna tlon to raise better cattle. One mott step has been taken to relieve the bee famine. The women are not neglected at tb short courses. They are given won in domestic science and home manage meat They go back with an ambitio: to have more beautiful and more convenient homos. They also learn some of the things they can do to im prove the social life of the neighbor hood, and the Inspiration they gain li re fleeted the next year in their horn* community. While the work given In the shor courses cannot be as thorough ns th;. in the longer courses, the results ar seen more early The short course sn. dents are nearly all nctual farmers o farmers' wives, and the ideas they learn at the short course are put Into Immediate izactice on their own farms and in their own communities. It is impossible for any very great percentage of the farmers to get away from home for even two weeks, how ever. The short course at the colleg is good as far ns it goes, but it Is onl; a beginning To extend the work oi 'he college short course several state have Inaugurated the plan of putting on local short courses The commcr ial club of some live <*ountry town loins with the farmers to provide a place for meetings. Wherever stifTi dent Interesi Is shown the eollege fur q'thfw j> . -v of Instructors These READ HERALD WANT ADS. MONDAY, DECEMBER 14 local short courses usually last but one week. The work given is much like that of the college short course, al though, of course, there is not as much equipment to work with. Every stu dent is obliged to bring ten ears of corn for class work. Stock is obtain ed from local breeders. The lowa Agri cultural college last winter sent out a car loaded with some of the best of the college stock and corn to short courses in that state. The local short courses are very popular and reach many farmers who cannot get away from home tor more than a few days at a time One of the oldest means for taking information to the farmers is the farmers' institute. This is exceptional ly good in that it gives a chance for a great deal of discussion among farm ers. which creates interest and brings out the methods which have proved most successful. Usually two or three speakers from the college are present to talk at these institutes. The county fair is another rural in stitution that is a great educator. The old type of county fairs, that were lit tle more than racing meets and places for gamblers, is almost a thing of the past. The modern county fair has Its full share of amusements, but they are for the most part clean. A good horse rnce Is enjoyed by every red blooded farmer. A baseball game or a halloon ascension adds to the enthusiasm. An opportunity is given to the farmar and his family to meet their friends from all parts of the country. The vil lage and town people mingle with the farmers ou an equal basis, and all get better acquainted. Many fair associa tions have provided groves where pic nic dinners can be spread. The best part of the fair, however, is the educational feature. This is fos tered by competition. There are corn growing contests for the boys and corn and stock judging contests. Often the boys who come out ahead In these con tests are sent to the short course at the college and their expenses paid by thp fair association. The farmers are eager to see which can produce the best colt or best steer. A man from the agricultural college judges the stock. After he has placed the rib bons he explains why the prize win ning animals were given the prefer ence. The man who gets a blue ribbon goes home encouraged to strive harder than ever, while his neighbor who is placed further down the line grits his teeth and determines to have some thing next year that cannot be beaten. The county fair Is America's most tru ly rural Institution and Is one of the foremost factors In arousing Interest in country life. What the county fair does for locali ties the state and district fairs do for a larger territory. Perfect cattle vie with each other for the premier honors, and the massive drafters divide the popu lar attention with the high stepping, flashily moving carriage horses. Spreading agricultural knowledge by special train is a new way of reaching the farmer thtii is just coming into vogue. The movement began In lowa six years ago, when the seed corn trains were run on all the principal railroads of the state. A regular schedule was made, the train stopping for half an hour at each station. The cars were filled with farmers, and the college professors explained of tested seed corn and told ho<v the testing could be done. A comparison of the average yields of corn In the >• » • - * ~ v* <;r --x fi ; -V „! FA RUE IIS LEAVING CORN QOSPRL TRAIN AFTER A LECTUPE. 6tate for the five year periods before and after the first corn trains were run shows an Increase of 2.4 bushels to the acre. Careful observers credit a large share of this increase to the seed corn trains. Figuring the average acreage and the average farm value for the five yenrs, the increase was worth more than $8,000,000 a year. The extra 2.4 bushels have done much to bolster up the diminishing food supply. Since 1904 special trains of various kinds have been run for the benefit of the farmers. Oregon has ran an apple train. Ohio has run a dairy train, and the people of that state have been taught to test their cows and get rid of those which are not paying for their board. South Dakota and north ern lowa have run oat trains and taught the farmers how to put the oat crop od the paying side of the ledger. Illinois has run a good roads train, teaching the farmers by the object lesson how they can have hard roads the year around. The special train Is spectacular, but that is one of the rea sons for its success It reaches mors people in a given length of time than nil ether methods of agricultural ex tension together. In lowa last winter three weeks - work with special traina sprend the gospel of corn testing to more than 50.00 Q farmers. READ HERALD WANT ADS.