A POULTRY COMPENDIUM. 59 



of fancy poultry. He says : " What I wish are fowls 

 that pay, fowls that produce eggs in abundance, and 

 make poultry on a small amount of grain. The pur- 

 chaser of my eggs is not going to inquire whether the 

 plumage of my fowls is nicely penciled, barred or 

 spangled, but whether the eggs are fresh ; and the pur- 

 chaser of my dressed poultry does not ask whether the 

 ear-lobes were perfect, or the comb had just five points, 

 but he wishes to know whether the meat is juicy and 

 tender." So he does not need to be particular about 

 keeping his fowls absolutely pure in blood. A little inter- 

 mixture of blood sometimes seems to him an advantage. 



A poultry farm should be located near a city, in or- 

 der to insure a good market. This is especially impor- 

 tant when eggs are the staple product. Eggs can be 

 delivered weekly to families, in the same manner that 

 milk is delivered, and with this advantage in favor of 

 the eggs — that the route need not be traversed daily. 



Soil capable of cultivation should be selected. Such 

 soil furnishes a good market for the manure, which can 

 thus be utilize^ to the best advantage. Our political 

 economists of the protectionist school • are loud in the 

 advocacy of "a home market." Here is one to which 

 the most rabid free-trader would not object, but would 

 be willing to admit that it was better than the best 

 foreign market. It will be well to grow such crops as 

 are most needed for home consumption ; here, too, we 

 are protectionists. 



The buildings should be economical, both in con- 

 struction and in convenience, saving of money and time. 



The breed of fowls will depend somewhat upon the 



