vi THE PEOPLE'S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 



leaving the care of them in the hands of the good housewife, who would 

 esteem it a great pleasure to care for the chicks and teach the children how 

 to rear them. 



What is there that the farmer produces of quicker sale than eggs and 

 poultry ? The prices which he receives therefor are in the main remunera- 

 tive, the labor incurred is light and agreeable, and can be performed by the 

 junior members of the family. The poultry yard produces food which is 

 highly palatable and nutritious at all seasons, and in this respect is hardly 

 equaled by any other department of the farm. Is it not worth while, then, to 

 bestow more care and skill in managing poultry ? Left to themselves, half 

 their products are often wasted, and half the year they are non-layers. In 

 winter they need simply warmth, light and sunshine, clean, roomy quarters, 

 and plenty of food. Every day they will pay for this. In the summer they 

 want range, fresh earth, shade, water, seclusion, and protection from vermin. 

 An abundance of eggs and broods of plump chickens, either for market or 

 the farmer's table, will result from this care. If it is not feasible to carry on 

 the poultry business on a large scale, it should be done on a medium scale ; 

 for every farmer should make a couple of hundred dollars' worth of their 

 products yearly, independent of fertilizing properties the farm receives in the 

 manure saved from the hennery. It is our object, however, to especially 

 impress upon the minds of village and city residents the importance and 

 advantages of rearing and keeping fowls. We take it for granted that large 

 and small farmers know their own interests in this matter. 



In villages there can be no excuse whatever for not breeding fowls, suc- 

 cessfully and profitably. In nearly all the small villages in Europe fowls are 

 bred by tenants ; their children make pets of them. Wherever there is a 

 cottager's family living on potatoes, or better fare, may be seen a little pent- 

 house, with nests of straw or hay for the fowls to lay in, and a speculation in 

 eggs and chickens sought. It is said Americans are shrewd ; then why 

 do they not demonstrate their shrewdness in this matter. We know, from 

 past experience, that there is no money lost in keeping and rearing a few 

 fowls, and a great deal of pleasure and profit derived from it. Viewing 

 the matter in this light, with the hope of inducing our city, village and 

 rural population to enter more fully into the breeding and rearing of fowls, 

 we present this volume, and submit it, without further introduction, to the 

 inspection, and we trust, favorable consideration of the public. 



W. M. L. 

 BROOKLYN, N. Y., 1871. 



