FOREWORD. 
In February, 1882, the writer bought his first setting of 
eggs from pure-bred hens. From that day to the present, 
the dominant interest of his life has been centered in the 
poultry industry. With the experience of these years to 
took back to, and with access to the conclusions reached 
by poultry investigators, the task that the writer set him- 
self to do was so to condense and arrange a vast mess of 
information that it would be readily available. Thus it 
happens that while the words used are almost entirely 
his own there are many ideas in this book which orig- 
inated with others. Proper credit has been given for the 
ideas so appropriated, but the writer desires to make for- 
mal acknowledgment for the help received from Prof. 
James E. Rice, Prof. Horace Atwood, Prof. James Dry- 
den, J. L. Nix, Prof. Graham of Canada, Prof. F. L. Stone- 
burn and others whose work has been consulted. Wiith- 
out their work this book would have been impossible. 
The arrangement of topics in alphabetical order will, it 
is believed, meet with general approval. The illustra- 
tions are from photographs taken by the writer for the 
most part, although a few are from photographs of fowls 
of exceptional quality secured from other sources. This 
book has not been written to read consecutively but 
rather to furnish information in every emergency in a 
form which makes it quickly available. 
In the hope that this book will be of practical value to 
all who are interested in poultry, the author submits it as 
a cheerful service. 
February, 1910. My oR, 
