118 Till- Business Hen. 



tating Mr. Johnson's success. Most of them failed, and the reasons for 

 their failure were quite evident to all but themselves. They undercsti^ 

 mated their job, called it too easy and thought that success would follow 

 without great exertion on their part. Some of them visited Mr. Johnson 

 and saw how quietly and easily he went about his work. I'hey copied his 

 feeding methods and his plans for care, but they could not see that while 

 their work was mechanical a thousand invisible forces were pulling with 

 Mr. Johnson — things which he had gained in 20 hard years of experience. 

 A man to succeed with poultry must have the patience of a sitting hen. In 

 spite of all he can read or observe, or all the advice others can give 

 him, the little chicks will die in the brooders. ]\Iany people grow dis- 

 couraged at this loss, and quit the business. Then in the Fall, when the 

 pullets are getting ready for laying, the expense for feeding is enormous 

 and there is no income. It seems well-nigh impossible to hll up these 

 greedy birds and the beginner who counts the cost without seeing the end 

 is apt to grow frightened and slacken up on the feeding to save cost. 

 He could not do a worse thing, for this will hold them back for weeks, 

 and lose the value of Winter eggs. So the hen man needs a trunk full 

 of patience and a bushel of faith, and we would not make the poultry 

 business seem "too easy" to the beginner. Mr. Johnson has succeeded. 

 The hens helped to pay for his home. They have given him a competence 

 and now, since the death of his wife, carry him each year on a three- 

 months' excursion to various parts of the world. 



POULTRY FOR WOMEN.— I have heard a man tell how he ran away 

 from a small New England farm when a boy because it seemed impossible to 

 make it provide a simple living. He went back 20 years later expecting 

 to find the place grown up to brush— abandoned. To his surprise he 

 found the little farm prospering — neat and clean, with new buildings and 

 conveniences in the house that he never heard of as a boy. As he ex- 

 pressed it, this had been brought about by "a hen and an old maid". 

 A woman driven out of other employment had invested her savings in the 

 farm. She had taken up poultry culture, and by good management and 

 hard work had made the farm pay dividends which the former owners 

 never thought possible. My friend's combination of "hen and old maid" 

 has great possibilities, though married women and young girls are by 

 no means barred. There are many ■^ases where women have met with 

 great success with poultry, though as a rule the business is harder for 

 them than for men. They do such work as hatching, brooding and caring 

 for the chicks better than men. We r\\ know how as a last resort young 

 stock that does not thrive with orainary treatment is turned over to 

 mother's care. The rougher work of cleaning houses, killing and dressing 

 poultry, etc., is hard for a woman, and it is doubtful if she .should 

 attempt poultry keeping on a large scale without a stout boy or man to 



