I02 MAINE AGRICUIvTURAIv EXPERIMENT STATION. I913. 



case with attention to fundamental principles. If given a 

 chance hens will make money on a farm. Of specialized poul- 

 try plants, where the chickens form the main or sole line of 

 endeavor, there are all sizes ranging from the town dweller's 

 one, two or three hens in a box in the back yard, or on the roof, 

 or the fire escape, to the immense poultry ranches or farms 

 where the unit of production is the flock of a thousand birds 

 and there may be many such units. Sad it is but true that not 

 all of these specialty plants are profitable. The back yarder's 

 usually is, but after a certain magnitude of plant and of opera- 

 tion is passed trouble begins and frequently does not end until 

 the available capital is exhausted and the business is brought to 

 an end. 



If it is true that some men find poultry keeping profitable 

 while others fail in it, we may well ask what are the essentials 

 to success in the business. It would appear that there are three 

 fundamental elements involved in every successful venture in 

 poultry husbandry. These are : 



1. Good stock 



2. Proper management 



3. Good business sense in the conduct of the commercial end, 



including : 



a. Buying the supplies. 



b. Selling the product. 



c. Economically controlling the labor factor in the busi- 



ness. 

 Of the third of these categories, namely good business ability, 

 nothing further need be said here. It is something with which 

 the hens have nothing to do. It is not primarily a biological 

 problem as are the other two. Furthermore nearly every nor- 

 mal man feels sure, down deep in his own mind, that while he 

 may not be a financial genius, still after all he possesses a rea- 

 sonable modicum of business sense, and is quite certainly not 

 keen on being advised as to how to run his business by any 

 itinerant college professor. 



Good Stock. 



Good stock is in last analysis a question of breeding. Of 

 course it may not be directly such for the man just starting out 



