X INTRODUCTION. 



and awakening honest criticism, should give 

 rise- to a better treatise, I shall be amply 

 compensated. 



The importance of poultry as a branch of 

 rural economy is little appreciated or under- 

 stood. Scarcely anything pays the farmer 

 a better profit. Fowls require most atten- 

 tion at a seasoa of the- year when he has 

 comparatively little to do, and during the 

 summer and autumn they can almost pro- 

 vide for themselves. Under favourable cir- 

 cumstances they procure their own food, 

 and then the profits in eggs and chickens 

 form a clear gain. Many small farmers, 

 indeed, depend upon their poultry to sup- 

 ply them, either by sale at market, or by ex- 

 change at the store, for their smaller grocer- 

 ies, such as tea, sugar, snuff, &c. To those 

 who have travelled through our Southern 

 States, the frequent occurrence of " chicken 

 fixens" shows their importance as an arti- 

 cle of food, while eggs are the constant ac- 

 companiment to the perpetually-occurring 

 bacon. 



Success in raising poultry depends main 



