HOW TWO WOMEN WENT INTO POULTRY CULTURE. 67 



A school boy became interested In poultry, bred and studied a popular variety, and before 

 he was out of his teens was competing successfully with veteran fanciers. He was educated 

 for a profession, but his health being poor after having embarked in his profession, he found 

 the confinement too much, and engaged temporarily as manager of a poultry plant. The 

 position proving congenial and profitable, he continued in it. Whether he is as well off finan- 

 cially as he might have been had he continued in the line of work first chosen, I cannot say, 

 but he earns a very fair salary now in a position which still leaves him a little time forjudgiug 

 shows, contributing to the poultry press, and mating fowls for others. 



A lady who had for years. taught school, found after her marriage that housework was far 

 from congenial. After many consultations with the gentleman most interested, she arranged 

 to hire her household work done and give her own attention, except for the cares devolving 

 upon the wife and mother, to poultry, of which she was very fond. Her poultry business 

 grevv and flourished until the problem became how to keep it from intruding upon other 

 obligations, and at last was given up solely because it was found impossible to make a satisfac- 

 tory adjustment of business, family, and social cares. 



Another school teacher whose health had been impaired by years of hard work to such an 

 extent that she had to give up teaching, began to interest herself in poultry. She made her 

 home with a brother whose business was in one of the large cities, and residence on a farm 

 near a suburban town. Beginning with a few dozen fowls, she increased in a few years to 

 several hundred, the receipts each year netting her a substantial amount, until a change of 

 residence for her brother'* family was necessary to give the children the educational advan- 

 tages desired, since when she hits had to content herself with a few pens of fowls on a city lot. 



I know a young man whom I first met as an exhibitor at numerous New England shows 

 some seven or eight years ago. I don't know whether this young man would make a financial 

 success of poultry keeping make it pay either for himself or anyone else. It has happened 

 that he has more than once been selected by men with ample funds to take charge of poultry 

 ventures~of the kind that have never yet paid, and few men who have made poultry pay can 

 command a better salary or show net earnings in a year larger than his salary. The situation 

 in regard to such places as he has filled is peculiar. There will probably always be a demand 

 for men to run poultry farms on big plans for men who will be convinced that their plans are 

 not practicable only when it is made clear that they have not accomplished what they 

 expected to, and they see no prospect of doing better. In my mind this problem of the man 

 of ability, well paid for his efforts to make a success, in a sense parallels many cases we find in 

 manufacturing and commercial enterprises men who never really succeed in what they 

 undertake, but who are always ready for new effort, and always find fresh opportunities open- 

 ing up to them. 



These opportunities must be reckoned among the possible results of one's interest in poultry 

 as it, develops. 



There are also other ways in which opportunities may come to successful, or even to capable 

 but not brilliantly successful poultrymen. 



Some years ago a marketman, buying and selling poultry, became interested in the produc- 

 tion of poultry. He began growing poultry and ducks on a very small farm, not much larger 

 than a good sized village lot. His successes here led him to purchase a farm, and begin to 

 build up a business on a large scale. He had his ups and downs, his business grew, but he had 

 a heavy load to carry. Sometimes he felt like giving up again, things looked brighter and 

 encouraged him to keep on. The farm paid, but did not pay enough he was not making as 

 much at poultry keeping as he could make at something else. Then his services were wanted 

 by a manufacturing concern for a position calling for a knowledge of the poultry business 

 and a wide acquaintance with poultrymen. In this new line he rose rapidly. His ability and 

 character attracted attention and brought him an offer of a position of great responsibility with 

 commensurate emoluments. 



