246 Missouri Agricultural Report. 



The educated farmer is no longer a curiosity, and along with his 

 education has come progress in every line of farm industry to a 

 greater extent than that of poultry culture. On most of the farms 

 of the progressive Missouri farmer are to be found large cattle and 

 mule barns and the most approved shelter for pure bred and often 

 registered swine, yet on some of these places you find little attention 

 given to the needs of the poultry. I do not, however, feel that the 

 farmer himself is altogether responsible for this state of affairs, 

 and though the conditions are not as many farmers' wives would 

 have them they do not in every way do their part. For example, 

 there are but few really progressive farmers, or any other business 

 men for that matter, that cannot tell their exact expenditure and 

 profit for the year; yet there are few farmers' wives who could 

 even give the amount received from the sale of the poultry products, 

 to say nothing of the cost of feed, etc. Keep account of this for 

 awhile, and once you convince the other side of the house there is 

 a profit, and a good one, he will in all probability want to take 

 charge himself. Do not allow him to do this, for I feel that the 

 women are best adapted to this line of work; but once he is 

 thoroughly convinced you will have no more trouble in getting the 

 necessary equipment for conducting this important part of the 

 farm industry, and it will then prove more pleasant and profitable 

 to all concerned. 



The poultry industry in the United States is a billion-dollar 

 industry, and Missouri leads all states in this — her income in 1911 

 amounting to $50,818,145, a greater revenue than is received from 

 wheat, oats, hay or any other farm crop with the exception of corn, 

 an income greater than that received from the sale of dairy 

 products, hogs or sheep. Think of the magnitude of this, and yet 

 the average farmer is hard to convince that his particular flock con- 

 tributes very much, if any, and it is true that few do even half as 

 much as they might. 



Missouri is the only State having a separate poultry experi- 

 ment station. It is situated at Mountain Grove, Mo., and under 

 the efficient management of its director, T. E. Quisenberry, is doing 

 much toward creating interest in better poultry culture. Likewise the 

 poultry department of our own State University, our state poultry 

 journals and farm papers, and even the poultry fancier, breeder 

 and professional exhibitor of pure-bred poultry, have played no 

 small part in the matter. 



No one is justified in raising mongrel poultry in this day and 

 age, no more than he is justified in raising any other kind of 



