22 



POULTRY DEPARTMENT. 



This Department increases in interest, and the poultry indus- 

 try continues to be a very profitable part of the farmer's work. 

 The demand for good stock of all the standard i^arieties of 

 poultry is not likely to abate so long as enterprise and wealth 

 are building up our Commonwealth, to a better agricultural 

 knowledge and position in the Union. 



Your Committee are not inclined to overstate the importance 

 of this Department when they urge the need of continued! 

 endeavor to make this work more perfect every annual exhibi- 

 tion. The work is especially interesting at the farmer's home, 

 when at the present writing, December 1st, eggs are worth forty 

 cents per dozen, and the market value of the best chickens is 

 twenty-five cents per pound. It is well known that the supply 

 of ordinary qualities is ample, but extra lots are never in excess 

 of the demand. This fact is observed everywhere. It is unfort- 

 unate that our best stock of animals are seldom seen at the 

 Agricultural Exhibitions. In some of our villages the produc- 

 ers of milk withhold their stock because the disturbance in the 

 lacteal functions checks the flow, and it is not easy to restore 

 the condition for a considerable time. 



The large variety of pigeons on exhibition gave the visitors 

 opportunity for study and inquiry into this department of in- 

 dustry. We are assured that labor in this direction bring sure 

 apd constant returns. Like everything, left to loose ends on 



