208 THE BEGINNER IN POULTRY 



class, fairly conservative potiltryman, to whom he may 

 possibly have sufficient sense to defer. 



The Beginner who is willing to take small risks until 

 the time when his planning gives reasonable promise 

 of being successful may be pretty sure of making an 

 eventual sweep of the good things of poultrydom. 



A sentence from a published report of an editorial 

 visit to an advertiser's poultry farm is exceedingly 

 illuminating. " Two things surprised me greatly on 

 Mr. X's farm : first, the comparatively small number 

 of birds raised ; and, second, the wonderful average 

 quality." This report referred to a fancier's opera- 

 tions. But the same result will often follow those of 

 the small worker in just market stock, or layers of 

 table eggs. One who raises but a few young birds 

 is more than usually sure to raise birds of high average 

 quality. If room is at a premium, selection will be 

 much more rigid, and a small flock is likely to get 

 better care and to be free from most of the handicaps 

 which inevitably belong to large flocks. 



Records of laying, records of purchase and sale, 

 records, even, of the weather have a value to the Be- 

 ginner far above that which they may have to one 

 who is entirely familiar with the operations which make 

 for profit. It is quite certain, however, that the latter 

 reached his enviable condition through the aid of rec- 

 ords kept when he, too, was a Beginner. 



To keep a record of outgoes, without one also of 

 incomes, is to become a detractor of the hen. Not to 

 keep records at all, but to stand helpless by and see 

 good dollars (worth of feed) thrown to insatiate unpro- 

 ductive birds through October, November, and Decem- 



