612 Missouri Agricultural Report. 



POULTRY AND CHILDREN. 



(Mrs. James A. Staples, Lamonte, Mo.) 



Much has been said for and against the great American 

 hen, but she has been doing some wonderful things in the way 

 of producing wealth, generally witliout much encouraging 

 treatment of any kind. 



On the average farm the hen has literally scratched her 

 way to prominence in financial earnings, alone and uncared 

 for. A natural forager she has been left, on the majority of 

 farms, to look out for her own living. There has been remark- 

 able progress made in the past few years, showing that more 

 attention is being paid to both the breeding and feeding of 

 the hen. i 



\" But what we want to talk to you about today is poultry 

 and children. Doesn't the combination sound good to you? 

 I am sure it does to me. What is more fascinating than, when 

 driving along a country road or passing a city lot, to see some 

 happy, healthy children feeding a nice, healthy, pure-bred 

 flock of poultry? There is something about it that makes you 

 want to stop and speak to those children. Now on many farrns 

 a' great deal of the care of the poultry falls to the children-:;- 

 such as putting out water, gathering eggs, running to see. 4f 

 the setting hens have gone back to their nests, etc. 



"What we want to bring to your mind is, are the children 

 really partners in this business or are they used to fill in and 

 help out? 



We advocate making the children partners, giving them a 

 share, so they may look forward to a reward. It makes the 

 work much more pleasant both for the child, the mother or 

 father, or whoever happens to be working with them. Now to 

 illustrate this. Even we mothers, with as much pleasure as we 

 get rearing and caring for our children, isn't there the hope in 

 our hearts all the while of the fine men and women we expect 

 to have when they are grown. On the other hand, could we 

 work with our poultry with the glad hearts we have, hoping to 

 have a fine bunch in the fall — if we knew we would get none of 

 the money we make out of that poultry but what some one was 

 willing to give us. Perhaps you will say, "Well, I buy Johnnie's 

 shoes or suit or Mary a nice dress or I wanted to give her a 

 book she wanted, or something of the kind." I have seen this 



