126 City Homes on Country Lanes 



segregated and kept in close confinement, would produce 

 more eggs and earn more money per hen than could be 

 realized by old-fashioned methods. In other words, the 

 modern intensive hen is a better business proposition 

 than the ancient promiscuous hen. Many enterprising 

 poultry experts proceeded to build on this principle, 

 with excellent results. My own favorite among them 

 all is Charles Weeks, of Palo Alto, California — a man 

 of such distinction in his line of work, and so good a 

 prophet and exemplar of the theme of this book, that 

 we must pause for a moment to note his significance in 

 the movement. 



Mr. Weeks was born on a farm in Indiana, and fell 

 deeply in love with the poultry game at an early age. 

 In spite of this, he turned to the big city for his oppor- 

 tunity, like many other country-bred boys of liberal 

 education. He found no difficulty in getting remunera- 

 tive employment, first in Chicago, then in New York ; 

 and doubtless would have made his way in city life, but 

 he was distinctly country-minded in temperament and 

 never quite satisfied with life among the skyscrapers. 

 Passing up Fourth Avenue one day, his ears were 

 assailed by the welcome sound of cackling hens and 

 crowing cocks announcing the annual poultry show in 

 Madison Square Garden. He bought a ticket and went 

 in to feast his eyes on the poultry aristocracy of Amer- 

 ica. That experience rekindled his early love, and 

 spoiled him for the city; his heart was set on egg- 

 farming as a profession. I use the word "profession" 

 advisedly, because Mr. Weeks had thought of it from 

 the beginning as something that should be approached 

 and dealt with in the highest professional spirit, with 



