HOW TO READ THIS BOOK 
the diagrams used in illustrating various statistics. Such dia- 
grams are technically called “curves.” They may at first seem 
mere crooked lines, if so I suggest that you get a series of 
figures in which you are interested, such as the daily egg 
yields of your own flock or your monthly food bills, and “plot” 
a few curves of your own. After.you catch on you will be 
surprised at the greater ease with which the true meaning of 
a series of figures can be recognized when this graphic method 
is used. 
I wish to call the farmer’s attention to the fact that poultry 
keeping as an adjunct to general farming, especially to gen- 
eral farming in the Mississippi Valley, is quite a different 
proposition from poultry production as a ‘regular business. 
Poultry keeping as a part of farm life and farm enterprise is 
a thing well worth while in any section of the United States, 
whereas poultry keeping, a separate occupation, requires 
special location and special conditions to make it profitable. 
I would suggest the farmer first read Chapter XVI, which is 
devoted to his special conditions. Later he may read the 
remainder of the book, but should again consult the part on 
farm poultry production before attempting to apply the more 
complicated methods to his own needs. 
Chapter XVI, while written primarily for the farmer, is, 
because of the simplicity of its directions, the best general 
guide for the beginner in poultry keeping wherever he may be. 
To the reader in general, I want to say, that the table of 
contents, a part of the book which most people never read, is 
in this volume so placed and co arranged that it cannot well 
be avoided. Read it before you begin the rest of the book, 
and use it then and thereafter in guiding you toward the facts 
that you at the time particularly want to know. Many people 
in starting to read a book find something in the first chapter 
which does not interest them and cast aside the work, often 
missing just the information they are seeking. The conspicu- 
ous arrangement of the contents is for the purpose of prevent- 
ing such an occurrence in this case. 
