44 POULTRY. 



POULTYY. 



Your Committee have been pleased to see among 

 the farmers of Worcester North, an increase of interest 

 in a department of farming, second to none in pleasur- 

 able excitement, and as a source of profit, undoubtedly 

 excelling all others ; an interest at once an evidence, 

 and result, of their recovery from the relapse and 

 consequent apathy, naturally following an epidemic so 

 wide spread, and malignant in form, as the "hen fever" 

 of 1848 and 1850. 



The raising of poultry is unquestionably profitable, 

 the returns being speedy, sure and large, in proportion 

 to the capital invested ; and were it not for the 

 somewhat too common tendency to regard it as " rather 

 small business " — as " well enough to keep a few hens ; 

 convenient, perhaps ; don't amount to much either way," 

 &c., ifec, this fact might have become more apparent. 

 Two things may be observed in this connection ; first, 

 that no business can properly be considered small, that 

 pays a good per cent on the capital ; and secondly, 

 waiving even this, and granting, that, as often conduct- 

 ed on a diminutive scale, the receipts are small, the net 

 profit small, and the business small, still the trouble and 

 outlay are also small, and if it is really too Liliputian 

 to be reputable, why not make it better worth attention, 

 by increasing and extending it. It may be thought 

 hardly worth while to keep a hen a year, and only get 

 a dollar for her services ; but a thousand hens j/ieldlng a 

 thousand dollars net profit, sounds differently. We 

 have no room, in a report, necessarily brief, to go into 

 detail in this matter, but we have carefully investigated 



