Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 58, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 March 1919 — COMMUNITY CLUB GAINING FAVOR [ARTICLE]

COMMUNITY CLUB GAINING FAVOR

Each Member Can Work Out Problems in Direct Co-opera-tion With His Neighbors. HAPHAZARD WAYS REPLACED iPowls of Generaj Purpose Type Are Most Popular—Advisable for Farmers tp Get Backing of Local Business Men.

When one speaks of Petaluma, CaL, his imagination immediately pictures flocks of single-comb White Leghorn hens. Tlie mention of the Little Compton district of Rhode island is synonymous with Rhode Island ileds, while Vineland, N. J., spells singlecomb White Leghorns to poultrymen. Community centralization for the promotion and improvement of one breed of poultry in each of these cases has-' resulted in the development of exten-; give and profitable poultry industries. The United States department of agriculture commends the idea to other communities. One Standard for Community Hens. Boys’ and girls’ poultry clubs in various sections of the country have been an education to bqth young and old and have acted as pioneers for the subsequent formation of comiifu 1 ’ nity poultry breeding associations. Each member is interested in the betterment of one breed and can work out his local problems in direct cooperation with his neighbors, the common interest of the locality being centered in the Improvement this breed. With the growth of the business the district soon becomes known asa source of large supplies of fowls aTid eggs for market, eggs for hatching, breeding stock and day-old chicks. Increased interest in the farm hens and the practice of approved poultry management always replace the previous haphazard, shiftless methods of handling fowls after the co-operative community club has been organized. The Farmville (Va.) Barred Plymouth Rock association is an interesting example of what can be accomplished in community hen raising. During the first five months of its history this organization sold $7,5d(J worth of poultry products. The club has now been Incorporated with capital stock of $1,500, and hires a manager to handle Its business affairs. The last report from this association shows that the members had on hand 6,000 Barred Plymouth Rock hens, while they had marketed 1,000 capons during the spring. Seventeen counties in Kentucky have organized community poultry clubs recently and have distributed 83,000 eggs among their members for the foundations of one-breed flocks. Christian county, Kentucky, has already established itself as a White Leghorn district. Hens for Community Clubs. The fowls of the general-purpose type, such as Plymouth Rocks, Wyandottes or Rhode Island Reds, are most popular for the use of community poultry clubs. Most of the members of the associations are farmers who Wish to raise dual-purpose fowl which are adapted for both egg and meat production. However, some specialpurpose egg clubs have been formed, such as the Franklin county (Virginia) White Leghorn association, composed of 75 members, which markets its eggs in New Yotk. There are six similar White Leghorn county clubs in Tennessee, which also ship their eggs t,o New York. How to Start a Club. In organizing a community poultry club it is always advisable for the farmers to get the backing of the local business men. Generally - when the tradesmen are shown that the “gettogether hen club” will be an agricultural asset ,to the community they are not remiss about aiding the enterprise. Funds secured from _the business men may be devoted to the purchase of purebred stock for distrlbu-

tion among the farmer members of the organization. • The local banks In Overton county, * Tennessee, have been.of great assistance to the home poultry club in that they advanced SI,OOO for the purchase of breeding pens. consisting of ten, hens and one cock each. These pen» of breeders were distributed among the association members, each personi who took a pen agreeing to return toj the bank after the first year 20 pulletsi in payment for the 10 hens or pulletsi and the male bird. These 20 purebred! pullets, with two male birds, were then divided into two pens and given l ., unefer the same conditions to two newi members the following. year. This endless chain system Is to be continued for a period of five years. Inorder to repay the original loan with! reasonable Interest the chib members* are obliged to Sispose of their mongrel} hens when they have ceased to ba nfoTfucUyo, while additions} funds which accumulate over and above theoriginal allotment of SI,OOO are deposited at the bank to further other club activities.

Shows Are Helpful. . " - , Annual poultry shows have been at-y 'tractive roundfup features of the on«£ erations of several o£ the community, dubs. Fowls raisedr by The members of the association are exhibited in competition for prizes presented by, ilocal merchants and business men fix the sections where the shows are heloT These exhibitions, in addition to being; of special educational value, als<x effective in promoting friendly tition among the members of The club. Instructive lectures on poultry management usually are delivered at these gatherings by representatives of the state agricultural college or other qualified parties.