START THE BOYS 219 



pair many things about the plant. He can also learn 

 to make many of his appliances, such as water foun- 

 tains, feed hoppers, nest boxes, shipping coops, 

 roosts, dropping boards, feed bins, brood coops, etc. 

 This gives the boy practical manual training, and at 

 the same time saves considerably on the expense 

 account. 



Aside from the education the boy may get from 

 this line of work, the possibilities of making money 

 are favorable. I know of boys who are buying all 

 their own clothes and saving money for a college 

 education from the proceeds of backyard poultry 

 plants. The investment to start the boy in this busi- 

 ness is not heavy, in fact, it is much less than most 

 parents think. Start him in a modest way, and let 

 the little poultry farm grow with the boy. 



Help him to decide on the breed to be kept. Don't 

 let him have more than one breed to start with, and 

 do not permit him to have anything but thorough- 

 bred stock. He will take more interest in nice look- 

 ing, well-bred birds. They will cost little more, and 

 will do much better. It will also give him a chance 

 to sell eggs for hatching, and surplus stock at good 

 prices. 



Either buy him some chicks or eggs for hatching. 

 You can have the chicks shipped to you by express, 

 and they can then be given to hens or put into a 

 brooder, the latter preferable. Buy enough so he 

 will have a nice flock to select from in fall. The 



