ANIMAL IXDUSTRIE8 241 



tion than in any other line of agriculture, probably- 

 due to the number of novices that have enframed in 

 the business. It is also a complicated business, many 

 persons who have successfully kept a few hens hav- 

 ing failed in larger enterprises of the same sort. A 

 few hens kept on the farm as a side line very well 

 care for themselves with little attention. I^atural 

 forces protect them and provide their feed. In 

 larger flocks, however, this is not the case. On the 

 other hand, many farmers who have begun to record 

 the cost of keeping different farm animals and have 

 counted the returns, have found that the hens were 

 the only type of stock that were paying. 



Xew York City in particular, and in fact all the 

 cities in the region to a large extent, demand white 

 eggs. They pay a premium for " chalk white " eggs, 

 that ranges from two or three cents in April to 

 twelve or fifteen cents in Xovember over brown 

 eggs. Boston is the market for brown eggs. Conse- 

 quently, hens that lay white eggs are far the most 

 common in ISTew York State. This means the Med- 

 iterranean breeds with the White Leghorns far in the 

 lead. This is particularly true wherever attention 

 is given to the commercial aspects of poultry-keeping. 

 Available data indicate that over two-thirds of all 

 birds are of the White Leghorn strain. On the other 

 hand, on many farms where both eggs and meat for 

 borne use are desired, one of the heavier breeds that 

 lay brown eggs is kept. 



Much attention is given in the schools of the State 

 both of secondary and college grade to improving 



