1907.] DISCUSSION. 63 



whether in your experience you have found that there are large 

 profits in the poultry business. 



Mr, Almy, Well, that depends on what you call large 

 profits, I suppose. Compared with the profits in some enter- 

 prises, I should not say that the profits were large, but the 

 profits are quite satisfactory, and very good compared with the 

 capital and time invested. 



Question, It depends on the amount of brain a person . 

 puts into it, I suppose ? 



Mr. Almy. I don't know about the brains, but it depends 

 a good deal on having a love for the business, and constant 

 study and work. 



Question. What is the average yield of eggs, a good 

 average egg yield? 



Mr. Almy. That is something that I cannot answer 

 definitely. That depends a great deal on how many hens you 

 use to set, and how often you use them. We always hatch our 

 chickens in the spring, and I suppose, of course, that the hens 

 lose quite a little time in incubating the eggs that we hatch. I 

 think, however, that my hens, taking the whole flock altogether, 

 averaged about 130 eggs apiece last year, which, of course, is 

 a small yield, but it is enough to give a good profit. 



Mr. Graham. Is there such a thing as a hen getting too 

 fat to lay? 



Mr. Almy. In my opinion, there is not. I believe that 

 a hen that is not laying any eggs is not doing so for some 

 other reason than because she is too fat. I do not believe that 

 a hen will get too fat to lay. There are certain birds that are 

 inclined to be lazy, but after a hen gets old, and beyond the 

 productive stage, they, of course, let up in their laying for natu- 

 ral reasons, but when young I want to see them fat. 



Question. I would like to know what kind of a vessel 

 you use to, hold the drinking water for your fowls. 



Mr. Almy. I usually use a few shallow wooden pails that 

 hold about five quarts, for my hens. For the little chickens I 



