999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 



UNIVERSITY 



Preface. 



In offering the contents of this volume to those who are inter- 

 ested in poultry culture, it has been the object of the author to make 

 clear the fundamental principles of successful poultry raising and to 

 impart such general information as will in a measure meet the de- 

 mands of the poultryman who is sufficiently interested in the work 

 to seek a detailed knowledge of the numerous conditions with which 

 he is confronted. The experienced breeder will, of course, find much 

 that is not new to him, but it is hoped that to all who are not close 

 students of the vocation, there will be presented a few ideas worthy 

 of consideration, and that the book will possess merit as being con- 

 venient for ready reference and for refreshing the memory to advan- 

 tage occasionally. Its greatest value, perhaps, will be to the amateur 

 or beginner who feels the need of information of a purely rudimen- 

 tary character, as well as a knowledge of the more intricate prob- 

 lems, the correct solution of which has so great a bearing upon suc- 

 cess. An effort has been made to cover both branches of the busi- 

 ness usually designated as fancy and utility, and to aid both the 

 fancier who breeds fowls for pleasure and exhibition and the market- 

 poultryman who is interested only in the number of eggs and pounds 

 of flesh that his fowls produce. Theories and undemonstrable deduc- 

 tions have been eliminated, or designated as such, and the positive 

 conclusions arrived at are supported by the experience of acknowl- 

 edged authorities and conspicuously successful breeders, as well as 

 the experience of the author as a breeder, exhibitor, judge and edi- 

 tor, in which positions the numerous phases of the business have been 

 presented and dealt with. The great variety of topics and the nature 

 of their arrangement precludes the possibility of a detailed classified 

 index, and, in the absence of it, the reader will find it convenient to 

 designate by marginal notes those questions which may be of great- 

 est interest and to which it is desirable to refer often. The form 

 adopted for presenting the information namely, that of questions 

 and answers has been chosen for the reason that it responds to a 

 universal and unmistakable demand for knowledge in few words and 

 to the point, devoid of all unnecessary and uninteresting preliminary 

 introductions and supplementary comments of a general character. 

 The fondest hope of the author is that the book may prove of real 

 value to those into whose hands it may fall. 



THE AUTHOR. 



Sept. i, 1903. 



186714 



