244 THE SMALL COUNTRY PLACE 



berries may be grown upon almost any kind of soil in 

 the poultry yard (Fig. 82), if not too wet, but the 

 plants must be allowed to reach mature growth before 

 the fowls are let in, and during the early summer they 

 must not be allowed to feed on the new canes so as to 

 injure them. With the rapid growth of weeds and 

 other plants in the rich soil of the poultry yard this is 

 not likely to happen, unless unusually large numbers of 

 fowls are kept in small enclosures. 



The business of poultry growing may be started 

 from very small beginnings. A few settings of eggs 

 and some hens bought in the spring or borrowed from 

 a neighbor may serve as a nucleus. From each setting 

 with close attention and care one may expect ten to 

 twelve chicks and a small flock may be almost entirely 

 supported from the waste of the table and the products 

 of the garden. 



One may start in this business in a more extensive 

 way by the purchase of a small flock or the use of the 

 incubator. If one has a warm, dry cellar or small room 

 where the temperature runs evenly, and has the time to 

 watch it closely until he becomes skilled in running it, 

 the 50, 100, 200 or more egg incubators will give a 

 larger start, but the first expense for incubator and 

 feed for the chicks will be considerable before any 

 income may be expected from broilers, or poultry. One 

 should begin and proceed in a moderate way until all 

 the details of the business are well understood, for few 

 lines of business require such exact knowledge and 

 prompt treatment as poultry keeping. 



POULTRY HOUSES. 



The first move in poultry raising after the location 

 has been decided upon is the kind and number of houses 

 required. Expensive houses are not needed but they 



