POULTRY. 125 



What if they do scratch in the garden, it was 

 clear that they could not damage mine ; and do they 

 not also catch the early worm that destroys the crop ? 

 Besides, chickens are good gastronomically, and eggs 

 undeniable. They pick up most of their own food, 

 and consequently are economical, and this, with so 

 careful a calculator as myself, was sufficient. Their 

 increase is vast, and the profit upon them immense. 

 If every hen should only raise five broods yearly of 

 ten each, and there were ten hens to start with, at 

 the end of t\vo years they would number three hun 

 dred and forty-four thousand seven hundred and six 

 ty, after the superfluous roosters were sold ; and then, 

 supposing the extra eggs to have paid for their keep 

 ing, and the produce to be worth only a dollar and a 

 half a pair, there would be a clear profit of $258,520. 

 Allowing for occasional deaths, this sum mio-ht be 



o tD 



stated in round numbers at a quarter of a million, 

 which would be a liberal increase from ten hens. Of 

 course, I did not expect to do so well as this, but 

 merely mention what might be done with good luck 

 and forcing. 



Chickens had become very scarce about the time 

 I wanted to purchase. Whether hens had given up 

 laying eggs or raising young was not clear, but every 

 old woman in the neighborhood to whom applica- 



