224 BOAKD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Third Day. 



The Board met on Thursday at ten o'clock, Mr. Wheeler 

 in the chair. 



The Chairman. I have the pleasure of introducing one 

 of the most experienced poultry raisers in Massachusetts, if 

 not in the whole country, Mr. A. C. Hawkins of Lancaster. 



POULTRY AND EGGS. 



BY A. C. HAWKINS, OF LANCASTER. 



It is with much pleasure that I meet the farmers of Berk- 

 shire to discuss a subject that is of great importance to us 

 all ; a subject the magnitude of which can hardly be ac- 

 cepted by many of you who have not had experience in it. 

 Although I shall make some remarks in regard to keeping 

 poultry as an entire business, I will call your attention more 

 particularly to the subject of 



Poultry and Eggs as Farm Products. 



There are many farms in almost any section of the State, 

 the soil and general conditions of which are adapted to the 

 production of poultry and eggs. Carefully managed, this 

 may be a source of much profit to the farmer ; and if he or 

 his family have an aptitude for the business, there is no rea- 

 son why it may not be made very profitable. He will com- 

 plain from one end of the year to the other that he is selling 

 his milk at a less price than it costs to produce it, that there 

 is no money in raising pork at the price received ; he is com- 

 plaining now that he has raised thousands of cabbages this 

 season that he had to feed to his cattle as there was no mar- 

 ket for them, and that what were sold had cost him more 

 than he had realized for them. Let some of these farmers 

 who have suitable land give a part of their attention to rais- 

 ing poultry and eggs for market, care for their fowls as they 

 do their cattle, or as they do for their cornfield when they 

 are trying for that hundred bushels of shelled corn per acre ; 

 leave nothing undone that will increase their comfort and 

 consequent thrift, and I am satisfied that the poultry page in 

 their account book will in a short time be looked at with as 



