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Show GKOWTWH OF FOULTRY INDUSTRY IN THE I". S.v The poultry industry had its beginning be-ginning in the small flocks which were kept by the early settlers to produce chickens and eggs for their own use or for the use of their neighbors. As the population increased, and particularly as cities increased in size, there grew up a Icoal poultry industry designed to supply the needs of these localities. Because of limited transportation facilities, however, the poultry industry indus-try continued to be decidedly icoal iix character, although it showed a steady growth. For the most part, flocks were small and there was 'r.ttle tendency ten-dency toward specialised eCit or poultry poul-try farms. This condition continued, to a largo extent, even with the opening open-ing up of western lands. u".t.'. good railroad facilities became available and particularly until about 1S70-S0 the refrigerator car and lo'.ci storage were developed. Soon after these developments, wide new areas of production were opened for the supply of the eastern population, popula-tion, until as has been previously stated, production has reached its greatest volume in the middle western states. Increase in poultry production in the United States has proceeded steadily until, according to the 1925 . census there were 409.290 chickens on farms on January 1 of that year. At the present time, carlot shipments ship-ments cf eggs and poultry destined for eastern markets average close to 1000 miles of railroad haul. In late years, as the cities grew into larger and larger centers of population, there has developed a decided tendency toward the development of specialized egg farms to supply these urban dwellers. This tendency has undoubtedly been greatly stimulated by the development of artificial methods of hatching and brooding and by a better knowledge of housing, management and nutrition. |