164 FIE8T LESSONS IN POULTRY KEEPING. 



rutes Tike the following, which I wish it understood are offered simply as suggestions, though 

 stated more in the form of rules. Few rules could be given to suit all cases, but each may 

 apply the suggestions as far as he sees fit: 



1. Never sell a fowl that you need unless you are sure you can replace it with a better one 

 and make something on the transaction. 



2. Never send out an unhealthy, undersized, or deformed fowl on a mail order. To persons 

 who see the stock and know its faults, and buy uuderstaudiugly, such stock may be sold 

 though it is a question whether it pays the seller to dispose of it for stock purposes at any price. 



3. If you are entirely new in the business and can get an expert's advice in the matter have him 

 sort over what stock you have to sell, and give you the approximate values of each lot. Some 

 people have their birds scored and sell by the score, but private scoring is so much in disrepute 

 through the abuses that develop in connection with it that it Is probably as well to sell by 

 description. 



4. Always describe a fowl fairly ; you may lose some sales by doing this, but in the long run 

 will hold more customers. 



5. Always sell stock on approval, giving the purchaser the privilege of returning the fowls 

 promptly if not satisfactory. 



6. If you find you cannot fill an order with stock of the quality you know should be used, 

 return it or advise the customer of the situation, state what you can do, and await instructions. 

 Don't try to piece out an order with inferior birds and take chances of the customer accepting 

 them. 



7. Keep the stock you have to sell in good condition, and keep it separate from the stock you 

 reserve. Have at least enough of it to till one or two short orders where you can get it easily, 

 at a moment's notice, if need be, and send it away in condition that will not discredit you. 



Shipping Stock. 



Coops for shipping fine fowls are now sold in knock down bundles so cheaply that unless 

 one has lots of spare time H is cheaper to buy them than to make shipping coops. They come 

 in a variety of sizes, and can be put together in a few minutes. If one is making only an occa- 

 sional shipment, and it is not worth while to purchase a supply of coops, any light box of suit- 

 able size may be used, but if it is an object to advertise oneself through these shipments, care 

 should be taken to use neat, clean boxes. 



For shipments that are to be on the road only a day or thereabouts, a little less grain than 

 would be fed the number of fowls in the coop if at liberty, may be thrown on the floor of the 

 coop, it having been previously covered well with chaff, and a good sized piece of mangel or of 

 cabbage will furnish succulent food that makes watering in transit unnecessary in moderate 

 weather. In extremely warm weather do not ship. Do not send fowls off in a cold snap. 

 For long journeys water cups must be provided, fastened in the corner of the coop in such 

 position that the water may be poured in through the space in the top. Grain for long dis- 

 tance shipments may be put in a small bag tied to the coop in such manner that the express- 

 man can get at it easily. Vegetables should be placed in the coop. 



When shipping, notify the customer so that the notice will reach him either with or a little 

 In advance of the fowls. Do this though you may previously have advised hlm'when you 

 would ship. If you know or have reason to suppose that the customer is "green" about 

 handling stock, advise him in your letter to be careful about giving water freely at tirst. Tell 

 him briefly how it has been fed, that he may avoid a radical change. Urge him to keep the 

 new birds isolated from the rest of his stock for a week or two. This last is a special measure 

 of self defense. If the customer has latent disease among his stock, your healthy birds put in 

 with the rest might contract the disease in virulent form, and you would be blamed for having 

 sent him sick stock, when, as a matter of fact, the fault was his. 



The Season for Sales of Stock. 



The breeder who has a large and long established trade makes some sales the year round. 

 The beginner's sales of stock are usually limited to a few months immediately preceding the 



