4 PREFACE TO THE AMERICAN EDITION. 



has treated of poultry in a commercial point of view, 

 that is, the keeping of poultry in large numbers, 

 as a business operation, so fully or so completely as 

 this of Geyelin ; and hence it may be said to be the 

 only truly valuable work on the subject. 



Poultry will not bear over-crowding any better than 

 other stock. It must have space enough for pure air 

 and ventilation. It is not essential that it should have 

 free and unlimited range. Some breeds of domestic 

 fowl bear confinement well. Some are not disposed 

 to wander far from their headquarters even if they 

 have their liberty, while others are never easy unless 

 they have full freedom to go wherever they please. It 

 is probable that too little attention has been paid to 

 this point in the attempts made to keep them on a 

 large scale, where they must, of course, be subjected 

 to more or less confinement. 



Again, so far as we know, most of the attempts made 

 in this direction appear to have had the production of 

 poultry for market as a leading object, while it is a 

 question whether, commercially speaking, it is desirable 

 to grow fowls mainly for meat. There is more profit 

 in eggs as the leading pursuit, leaving the production 

 of meat as secondary or incidental to the primary object. 



No doubt the soil of any location has an important 

 influence on the health of poultry. A cold, heavy, un- 

 drained locality is quite unsuited to the poultry yard. 

 The soil should be warm, dry, and sunny, one that is 

 good for grass. If plenty of fish offal were accessible, 

 it should furnish a considerable part of the food. As 

 to breed, it might be any of those commonly known as 



