256 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



ciations that are doing a great deal to encourage and stand- 

 ardize the poultry business. From the above it is evident that 

 the would-be poultry keeper in Massachusetts does not lack 

 opportunity for preparation, guidance or encouragement. 



Profits. 



We are asked innumerable questions regarding profits in 

 poultry culture. Does poultry pay? Can a man make a Hying 

 from poultry? With an investment of $6,000 in a farm, equip- 

 ment and stock, what profits should a man realize annually? 



As man is the controlling factor in poultry keeping, no defi- 

 nite answer can be given to these questions. There are a great ' 

 many men in this State who are making more than a living 

 from poultry; there are many more who are making a good liv- 

 ing from the business; and there are thousands who keep 

 poultry as a side line, either in the back yard or on the farm, 

 and find it very profitable indeed. But just what a particular 

 man or woman can do who has had very little or no experience 

 is a question no one can answer, as the success of any project 

 depends largely upon the human element involved. The profits 

 per hen should range from $1 to $4 or $5, depending upon the 

 use to which the eggs are put and the method of calculation. 

 Many poultrymen add to the value of eggs produced the value 

 of chicks raised, giving the hen credit for both. By this method 

 of calculation the profits per hen appear large. 



From the foregoing it is evident that Massachusetts pos- 

 sesses many advantages as a poultry State, and that poultry 

 culture has developed in recent years into one of our most 

 iiftportant lines of specialized agriculture. There are opportuni- 

 ties in the various branches of poultry keeping not offered else- 

 where in this country. In taking up poultry culture for a liveli- 

 hood or as a life work we believe one should prepare for it the 

 same as for any other business or profession. As with any other 

 branch of industry knowledge is power, and experience and skill 

 are necessary to success. 



