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INTRODUCTION 



This work is written for and is offered especially to 

 those who are interested in or who contemplate engaging 

 in commercial egg-farming for the profit to be derived 

 from the operation. The writer frankly proclaims that 

 he knows nothing whatever about the science or art of 

 poultry breeding, and excepting for appreciating a beau- 

 tiful bird he would not know a standard bred bird from an 

 ordinary one. His right to offer this work is based solely 

 on the fact that he has "made good'' in the work from a 

 financial standpoint. His "biddies" have to their credit 

 at this time a profit above their cost of keep in excess of 

 forty thousand dollars. The profit in 1918 was out of 

 proportion to previous years. This was due in a large 

 measure to the fact that when the "poultry panic" set 

 in in 1917 and many operators quit, discouraged at the 

 outlook, the writer practically doubled his flock; and the 

 greatest increase was made in young pullets. 



This is not a theoretical exposition. The writer has 

 been in the work more than eight years and he is now 

 engaged in it. He has raised and is raising not a few, 

 but thousands of chicks each year; he has kept and is 

 keeping thousands of hens. Fully 90 per cent of his work- 

 ing hours for more than eight years have been spent work- 

 ing among and with the birds. He has been through 

 every stage of the work, from cleaning a hen house to 

 building several that measure 16x150 feet; from selling 

 a dozen eggs at retail to contracting a year's output of 

 more than a million and a quarter. He has candled 

 and put eggs into storage; he has hatched chicks by 



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