People's Pilot, Volume 6, Number 31, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 January 1897 — Our Local Poultrymen. [ARTICLE]

Our Local Poultrymen.

A. talk with D. A. Stoner, Rensselaer’s leading poultry fancier developed some interesting information, which we feel justified in giving to the readers of The Pilot. During the last quarter of a century the poultry industry has developed into the largest agricultural industry of this country. The value of the poultry industry is underestimated by the american people, and it has not been until recently that attention has been called to the vast wealth which lies at our very door. Careful inquiry reveals the astounding fact that the United States, instead of producing I more eggs than are required for home consumption, imports annually over $2,000,000 worth of eggs. New York state and city consume about $45,000,000 worth of eggs and poultry annually, and the population of both state and city is about 5,800,000.

The United States with a population of 74,000.000 will consume proportionately about $495,000,000 worth of eggs and poultry a year. In order that the full value of the industry may be determined correctly, we must add to the above $53,000,000 for the value of fowls retained for breeding and laying stock, about $2, for fancy stock and eggs. This shows a sum total of the industry to be over $550,000. The following figures show the cash value of products in the United States: Cotton, $410,000,000; hay, $436,000,000; dairy products, $254,000,000; poultry and eggs, $560,000,000. While the poultry industry is larger than any of the others, it is the only agricultural export. Our entire yield, which is vastly insufficient to meet the demand, is all consumed at home, and, besides statistics show we import from foreign countries over 13,000,000 dozen eggs annuallly. Here, where we have so many natural advantages as compared with other countries, our profit should far exceed them in proportionate value. These facts also show that the value of poultry and eggs exceeds even wheat, the greatest agricultural product of our land, by over $72,000,000. Mr. Stoner has been breeding fancy fowls for the past fifteen years and has shipped stock and eggs to every state and territory in the Union, also to Canada and England. He has been very successful as an exhibitor at the leading poultry shows, and during the past three years has acted as judge at some of the leading shows of the state, always giving satisfaction. He has now consented to give a series of lectures at Purdue University in February. Mr. Stoner goes to Chicago to attend the poultry show Jan. 25.