Farm Poultry Demonstrations in Indiana

(Continued from Page 76) this question is in the hands of the chairman. It has been the object of this paper to give a brief summary of the information which is at hand. H. R. LEWIS,

j£t>ttortal An organization of individuals and institutions primarily engaged in instruction, investigation and extension in poultry husbandry. Publication Committee W. F. KIRKPATRICK, RAYMOND PEARL, JAMES E. RICE. Editor. HARRY R. LEWIS, New Brunswick, N .J. This Journal is published monthly for ten months each year. While published primarily for the use ol the members, additional copies may be secured for individual or library flies at the following rates: Subscription Price, $1.00 per year. Price of a single copy, 15 cents.

FARM POULTRY DEMONSTRATIONS IN INDIANA

AMHERST MEETING The programme of the sectional meeting to be held at the Massachusetts Agricultural College on July 27 th and 2 8th has been printed. A large attendance is hoped for, and the papers listed promise much interest and value to those attending. The meeting opens at 1:30 P. M. Friday, with an address of welcome by Dr. W. P. Brooks, Director of the Massachusetts Agricultural Experiment Station. Let everyone come who can.

NORTH WESTERN MEETING Notices are out giving a call for a sectional meeting in the North West, including approximately twelve states and provinces of Canada. The call has been issued by Prof. Dryden, and it has been suggested that the meeting be held some time in August at a centralized point which is convenient to all. Let everyone located in this section communicate with Prof. Dryden immediately and thus insure the success of the meeting and a full and complete program. A special request is made by Prof. Dryden for as many Eastern men to attend the Western meeting as possible. Full notices of the final plans will be mailed to all members of the Association. ANNUAL REPORT Your secretary and editor is preparing the annual report of the society including the treasurer's report which after approval of the Executive Committee will be published in the next number of the journal. Let every member try and be present at one or more sectional meetings this summer, and if feasible, aid in organizing one in your community. 77

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Many problems confront the poultry extension worker. He is continually trying to devise new and better ways of getting to his people the best and most practical information available concerning poultry production and marketing. But the greatest problem of all is to get his people to put this knowledge into practice. A man attends a poultry lecture or visits a poultry educational exhibit and hears or sees something which applies to his home conditions. "That's good," he says, and makes a note of it. But unless he actually takes this information home and puts it into practice, the extension lecturer has done little but entertain an audience. Purdue has another peculiar problem to face in her poultry extension work. Indiana farmers are not poultrymen. They are well educated, industrious, wide awake. With corn, cattle and hogs they have madt money. In the past they have thought themselves too prosperous to make poultry anything but a neglected by-product. Only with a comparatively few years has there come to the Indiana farmer the realization of the need of conservation of farm products. Therefore, he is just awakening to the realization of his poultry possibilities, and his poultry education must start with elemental things. To meet these conditions, which differ so widely from conditions in other sections, Purdue is trying to teach first the fundamental principles of poultry work. And we use many ways to reach the poultry raisers of the state. Our farmers' institutes and traveling schools or short courses, our farmers' week at Purdue, our educational poultry trains, our educational exhibits at state and county fairs, chautauquas and poultry shows, all give practical information to many people. We reach many more through our work with the 35 Indiana county agents, our boys' and girls' club work, and our publications, press articles and correspondence. But in all of these lines of work we feel we have not reached our aim in as far as we have oftentimes merely carried information, with no certainty of its being used. Can we hope to do more than this? Our answer is our farm poultry demonstrations. Object: These farm poultry demonstrations are a project under the Smith-Lever plan. The object of the demonstration is to furnish the people of a locality not only one practical demonstration of money made and work saved by proper handling of the farm flock, but by personal work to use this one farm as a field laboratory, spreading the methods used to the many surrounding farms.

a dry mash and in the use of milk or meatscraps. Chicks are being hatched earlier, which will mean more winter eggs., In several cases better markets have been secured. These things are the talk of the neighborhood and have resulted in many changes on surrounding farms. In several localities neighborhood shipments of poultry and eggs have been successful. At a neighborhood picnic one woman boasted that by shipping with the Purdue farm she was getting 22 cents a dozen for her eggs, when the local price was only 16 cents. The meetings and demonstrations held have been well received. The big thing has been the personal work. The community has become acquainted with the extension worker and has felt that through him Purdue had a very personal interest in their work. So to him they have brought their poultry problems. There have been very few scoffers, because we have proven our work as we went. Record Farms: Another result of the work has been the establishment of Record farms. These are farms who agree to keep a complete record of a year's poultry work, on blanks similar to those used by the demonstration farms. These record farms have watched the work of the demonstration farms and have felt that they, too, want to know where they stand in their poultry work. We plan to visit these record farms once, that we may become more familiar with their conditions, hence better able' to help them. Also the record farms will tend to establish a friendly competition in a neighborhood, as well as insure the business handling of poultry on that farm. Future Plans: The work is still in the trial stage, but it promises much. We hope to establish one demonstration farm—and as many record farms as possible—in each county where we can get the cooperation of the county agent. We are planning a monthly news sheet to be sent out to each farm interested, also local newspaper publicity. In many cases it will be possible to organize winter poultry schools, or else take over several meetings of clubs already existing. Organizations of a few neighbors to secure better markets is already started, and can be carried much farther if thought wise. Such work has already stimulated local competition among poultry buyers, and bettered local markets. Cooperative buying of poultry supplies is a natural outgrowth of the work. Another unlooked for development is that, through these farms, we are establishing and training local leaders for poultry work. Already the local workers are being called on for farmers' institute and farmers' club work. The county agent is making use of them in many ways. One of our demonstration women says she almost gets tired answering the many telephone calls asking poultry questions.

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Cooperation of County Agents: The farms on which the demonstrations are to be held are in most cases selected by the county agricultural agents, subject to final approval by the poultry division. The county agent has proven a big factor in many ways. He has secured, through his personal acquaintance, the right kind of farms for the work. He is depended upon for transportation to and from the farm when it is visited. He helps to arouse community interest, arrange demonstrations, advertise meetings and keep up enthusiasm. To get best results from a county agent we have had to first convince him of the value of this farm poultry work. The fact that every county agent with whom we have cooperated is a loyal supporter of our work, tells its own story of our success. Organization and cooperation of all forces is our plan. Agreement with Farm: When the farm is selected a written contract is signed, covering a year's work. The farm agrees to keep the chickens under Purdue's directions (as far as is practical), to keep and send promptly to Purdue monthly reports of all poultry operations, and to allow at least two demonstration meetings per year to be held on the farm. Purdue agrees to visit each farm at least four times a year, to furnish all record blanks and postage on same, and to give all possible help in the work. Number of Farms: Nine of these demonstration farms were secured in the spring of 1915. More could have been obtained, but as this was to us a new field of work, it was thought best to handle a few well, rather than give hurried attention to many. The farms were purposely located in different sections of the state, where environment and market conditions varied. From March 1st to December 1st each of the nine farms was visited about every six weeks, demonstration meetings being held in the spring and fall. Eight of the nine farms completed the year's work, one farm having incomplete records because of the death of the wife of the operator. Seven of the nine requested to have the work continued with them a second year We are doing this, believing that several years' work with one farm will prove much which could not be proven by a single year's work. Besults of Work: The results of the first year's work have exceeded expectations. We believe we have increased the profits and lessened the labor on the demonstration farms. At least we can show a good labor income for all but one farm. While we have not tried to advocate expensive equipment or sudden changes in methods of handling, the farms have of their own accord made many improvements. Hen houses have been remodeled or new ones built. Colony houses are being used for brooding. Poultry equipment, such as feed hoppers, nests, fences, etc., is being supplied. Methods of feeding are improving, especially in regard to the use of

were as follows: 29 members preferred White Wyandottes, 104 Rhode Island Reds, 112 Barred Rocks, 34 White Rocks, 4 Buff Rocks, 25 White Orpingtons, 39 Buff Orpingtons, 4 Black Orpingtons, 49 White Leghorns, 11 Brown Leghorns, 4 Black Minorcas, 3 White Minorcas, 7 Silver Camuines, 1 Golden Campine, 7 Light Brahmas, 15 Black Langshans, 3 Silver Hamburgs, 2 Blue Andelusians, 4 Buff Leghorns, 1 Buff Wyandotte, 1 Toulouse Geese, 3 Dark Cornish, 3 Anconas, 3 Golden Wyandottes, 3 Silver Wyandottes, 1 Bronze Turkey, 1 Pekin Duck, 2 Silver Laced Wyandottes, 1 White Langshan, 1 Polish, 1 Houdans, 1 Indian Runner Duck, 2 Columbian Wyandottes, 1 Partridge Wyandotte, and 1 Buff Cochin. It was also interesting to note that 102 members of the 429 who reported feed some protein feeds, 235 feed carbohydrate feeds, and 11 fed mineral matter. The popularity of natural methods of artificial and brooding was strongly manifested, there being 362 members hatched with hens, while only 45 hatched with incubators. This preference for natural methods of incubation probably was due to the fact that in most cases the members hatched only a few sittings of eggs. Two hundred and sixty-seven (267) members used the natural method of brooding, while only 8 used the artificial methods. This preference for the natural method again was probably due to the small numbers handled. Sixty-four counties of the state were carrying on poultry club work this year. Some counties had an especiall - strong interest for the work. Methods of Instruction The county and women agents in various counties are the ones who are in personal contact with the club members and give them personal instruction. This instruction is supplemented by a monthly card sent out from the office of the Boys' and Girls' Club Department at Stillwater. During the year club meetings and rallies are held in the respective counties at which the county agent or the poultry club specialist or some other person give practical demonstration and instruction. A course of instruction is given some club members at the Oklahoma State Fair and Exposition at Oklahoma City. The members have the privilege of taking this work are the ones who have won first prize in their respective counties. They make this trip, having all their expenses paid as a reward for their good work. During this school they are again given practical instruction and demonstrations along various lines of poultry and also have the chance to broaden out considerably by coming in contact with club members from all parts of the state. They are also given instruction along other lines of club work as corn, cotton, kaflr, and pig, and the girl members along the lines of canning, better bread making, sewing, etc. In addition to this they have a chance of seeing all the fine stock in exhibit at the State Fair. In 79

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So the work is just well started. It has developed many unlooked for problems and given unhoped for results. We shall continue it, publishing the results of each year's work in bulletin form, where all details will be given. LeROY L. JONES, Indiana. POULTRY CLUB WORK IN OKLAHOMA. Object The object of forming boys and girls poultry clubs is to give a better knowledge of the value and importance of the poultry industry and the marketing of the first class uniform product, to teach better methods of caring for poultry and eggs, and to show the increased revenue to be derived from well bred poultry where proper methods of management are pursued. The work not only gives the boys and girls valuable information along the line of this particular subject but it also gives them training which will be the means of making them better citizens and productive citizens. Past History Poultry Club Work in Oklahoma was first organized in February 1915, under the direction of Miss Emma A. Chandler who is in general supervision of the girls' club work. The enrollment of 1771 on November 1, 1915 indicates that considerable interest was taken in this work. The number of chicks hatched during this years work by club members was 1933. This does not give a true conception of the actual amount of work done as only 89 out of the total enrollment of 1771 made reports. The poultry club contest was held at the Oklahoma State Fair and Exposition at Oklahoma City at which 9 trios were exhibited. Poultry Club Work For 1916 Due to the interest shown in the poultry club work for 1915 it was decided by the authorities of the A. & M. College at Stillwater to get a special person for the poultry club work, this person to be obtained through and with the aid of the Government Poultry Division at Washington. Harry Embleton was appointed and started work in this state on March 17th. The total enrollment of members during this year was 2251, an increase of 480 members over last years enrollment. These 2251 members set 17,691 eggs. There were 13,227 of these eggs hatched or 74.4 per cent of the eggs set were hatched. Of this number hatched there were 7305 raised to weaning stage. This was 55.2 per cent of those that were hatched. These high averages were partly due to the fact that only 429 members sent in reports and that these would necessarily be the club members getting the best results. Again these figures do not give a true indicaton as to the amount of work done by the boys and girls in as much as there were only about 20 per cent reporting. It was interesting to note the preference the club members showed for the various breeds and varieties which