PROGRESSIVE POULTRY CULTURE 279 



come thoroughly disintegrated and fitted for use as 

 a top-dressing for grass land or for fertilizing the gar- 

 den. Any substances not sufficiently decomposed can 

 be thrown into the next compost heap. This is a simple, 

 cleanly method of promptly and effectively disposing of 

 things that might otherwise become offensive. It pre- 

 vents wastes and saves fertilizing materials which will 

 help to produce crops for feeding the fowls or for other 

 purposes. 



ECONOMY OF OPERATION 



The poultryman who keeps accurate records of the 

 amount of feed and labor involved in operating his 

 poultry plant, is able after a time to figure very closely 

 the cost of each of these items per egg produced, per 

 pound of broiler, roaster or capon fitted for market, 

 per pullet raised to laying age or per head of fowl for 

 a year's keeping. 



Comparing the cost with the price obtained or the 

 income returned in any one of the lines of production, 

 he has a basis for determining which branch of his 

 business is most profitable and worfhy of enlargment. 



By means of his study of these problems of produc- 

 tion he comes to realize that the ordinary methods of 

 caring for poultry are not economical but exceedingly 

 expensive. 



The next step, naturally, is to endeavor to improve 

 on the methods in use. Experiments are tried and 

 new plans are tested. Economies are practiced which, 

 while not lessening effectiveness, do reduce expenses. 



Other poultrymen, hearing of the new methods test 

 them under their conditions and perhaps modify them 

 to some extent. 



In this way progress in management has been ac- 

 complished which has made the poultry business in- 

 creasingly profitable and satisfactory. 



On numerous poultry plants the laborious lugging 

 of water in buckets to supply the drinking fountains 

 has given way to a system of piping which conducts 



