Sub-Department of Poultry Husbandry. 41 



benefit they had received from taking the Poultry-Course. Replies 

 have been received from 15 of the 17 members of the class. The 

 answers are gratifying in the extreme. Of the six students who 

 desired positions, all were satisfactorily placed. All report that 

 they are satisfied with their places and all appear to be giving satis- 

 faction. One has had his salar}^ raised. All are receiving higher 

 salaries than they did before they took the Poultry Course. One 

 person I'eports "2| higher salary/' one "$150 a year better." From 

 the replies received it is safe to say that any persons having the 

 natural qualifications for success with poultry can secure a salary 

 enough larger the first year after completing the Poultry-Course to 

 more than pay for the entire expense of taking the course. From 

 the reports received it would appear that an equal financial advantage 

 would also apply to those who luidertake poultry raising for them- 

 selves. Tlie demand for our students to take places of responsibility 

 as managers of commercial poultry plants or those at agricultural 

 colleges or experiment stations, is greater than we have students to 

 s\ipply. 



The Reading-Courses. — During the year reading-course work in 

 poultry husbandry has been conducted for the Reading-Course 

 Bureau. I am informed by the supervisor of extension work that 

 the records show that 1,483 persons in this state have received these 

 lessons. 



In addition to this, three of a series of 20 short stories about poultry, 

 for children, have been prepared and published by the Cornell Junior 

 Naturalist Monthly. 



The amount of correspondence that comes to this office is very 

 large and is increasing. This is due to the many ways in which we 

 reach the farmers and village people, both old and young, nearly all 

 of whom are in some degree interested in poultry. 



Experimentation. — A large aniount of data has been secured during 

 the past two years on a wide variety of problems of interest to poultry- 

 men. Two bulletins will soon be ready for publication from this 

 department. The principal problems which have been or are now 

 under investigation, may be mentioned, as follows: 



"Comparative influence of a very warm, close pen and an open- 

 air pen on the health, productivity and fertility of fowls;" "Com- 

 parative influence of a glass or all cloth windows on the lightness, 

 dryness, temperature and purity of the air of poultry houses, and 

 the consequent eft'ect upon the health, growth, and egg production 

 of fowls;" "Influence of alfalfa pasturage and other green food on 

 egg production, the health of fowls and the fertility of eggs;" "Com- 



