POULTRY ON FARMS. 107 



many farmers would spend that weekly on their poultry as 

 part of their farm management ?) and the receipts for the 

 year were ^130, showing a profit of at least ^"30, besides 

 eggs and fowls used for the household, which were not 

 charged in the above. The eggs were, however, counted^ 

 and in all 28,300 were laid in the year, by a stock of 220 

 hens and 17 ducks. To replace a portion of these, 80 

 pullets were reared, some ducklings also; and 112 cockerels, 

 86 ducks, and 73 hens sent away. The fowls were in three 

 flocks, and fed twice a day, not being made a hobby of in 

 any way, but made strictly a part of the farm management. 



The third case we cite as a supposed " failure," though 

 it will be seen it is hardly so, while the reasons for even the 

 partial failure are clear and instructive. It is the report of 

 Mr. Druce, Assistant-Commissioner of the Royal Com- 

 mission on Agriculture, published in 1882, of the experience 

 of Mr. Carrington, of Kimbolton, who had given up a large 

 farm owing to the depression, and tried a large stock of 

 poultry on a small farm of 100 acres. His stock in October, 

 1 88 1, amounted to 1,800 head, which would soon be 

 reduced by 300 or more, kept in nine yards near the house, 

 and in lots of about 150 each in the fields. All were light 

 Brahmas. A man and boy were employed, and their 

 labour (^58) was all charged, with ^"38 for rent, 1% los. 

 depreciation and renewal, and ^"15 interest on ^'300 capital 

 sunk, besides the food. The gross receipts were ^"461 us. 

 for eggs and fowls, ^"3 for feathers, and ^"27 for manure ; 

 the surplus or "profit" came out as ^25, which is rightly 

 described as not very satisfactory. The case has therefore 

 been paraded as a " failure." 



Let us see what it teaches, i. Even as it was the fowls 

 paid the interest on the capital as well as the ,25, the 

 whole being better than any other branch of the farming! 

 2. The fowls here averaged 18 per acre, not enough for real 



