farmers' institutes. 703 



veiy fasclnatlnj? and you once get the so-called hen fever, nothing but 

 a trial of It will cure you, and then if you are unsuccessful you will think 

 another trial and jou v/ould be successful. Such a class as these are the 

 ones who help to swellthe per cent, of failures. 



But such is the case in all lines of business. Men and women who 

 have made a success in tliis business have put heart and soul into their 

 work, and individuality counts many points in this work. In my opinion 

 the trouble with egg production with the average farmer is lack of proper 

 housing and feeding, two of the most important things concerning your 

 flock. These two things are necessary to add to your profit. There is no 

 excuse for not h.-iving a comfortable poultry house; there are materials 

 within the reach of evei'y one aiilc to own a flock of poultry. No matter 

 how her home may look. If it Is so built that the nipping frosts and winter 

 can not freeze her comb, or give her a chill during the winter nights. The 

 important points about poultry houses are sunshine, p\u"e air and warmth, 

 and the greatest of these is warmth. No matter how careful hens ai-e 

 fed, they must have comfortable sleeping quarters if they are expected 

 to produce eggs in winter when the price is the highest. 



Do not expect biddie to produce feathers, blood, flesh and eggs on no 

 feed and a cold place to sleep. As to feed, a little study and knowledge 

 of the composition of an egg will be of great value to you. See wEat 

 she must be fed to help produce it. Bring about as near as you can the 

 feed and condition of things in winter she has when she produces her 

 full quota of eggs, and lay she can and will, for it is nature for her 

 to do so. 



And in conclusion let me say, let us be for better poultry and more 

 pf it. 



ADAPTABILITY. 



BY CHAS. S. MUMMA, DECATUR. 



[Read before the Adams County Farmers' Institute.] 



Every occupation has requirements peculiar to itself and he who would 

 succeed should first determine whether he Is mentally or physically able 

 to meet the demands his chosen profession may make upon him. "Find 

 out all you can and say as little as possible" was the advice given a 

 young man entering a bank as clerk. If this be good advice then the 

 young man having an ungovernable propensity to "talk" could not suc- 

 ceed as a bank clerk. Farming is a business as much as banking and the 

 successful fanner must be a business man as much so as the banker and 

 must be adapted to his business as much so as any other business man. 

 The principle will apply with equal force in the different departments of 



