POULTRY-CRAFT. 83 
Houdans, entitled to mention, (in that section). It will be found that these 
varieties are relatively more popular in the country tributary to New York 
city than elsewhere ;—~ the three first named being those preferred by the 
large egg farmers. A beginner will do better to profit by their experience 
than to be governed by his personal preferences should they run counter to 
common experience, 
A market poultryman locating near Boston, will find Barred Plymouth 
Rocks, White Wyandottes, and White Plymouth Rocks most popular among 
market poultrymen using thoroughbred fowls. These varieties best fill the 
requirements of :— brown eggs, fitness for market at any age, and ease of 
preparation for market. He will find other varieties of the American and 
Asiatic classes often used by poultrymen, but not to anything like the extent 
those especially mentioned are used. 
The egg farmers of the Pacific coast seem to prefer hens of the Mediter- 
ranean class, saying their climate is’ particularly well suited to such fowls. 
The poultryman who wishes to build up a profitable trade must cater to the 
special demands of his market. If it were not for these demands there would 
be no business for the special egg and poultry farmer. As has been said, 
there is more than enough stock produced to fill the demand for inferior 
poultry of all sizes, as well as for stock of good quality, but not of the sizes 
and colors in demand. Popular preferences for certain colors of skin and 
shell are mere prejudices; but it is the poultryman’s business to supply what 
the people want, not to try to persuade them to want something else. When 
selecting his stock he must take varieties that will enable him to supply the 
demands most satisfactorily, and with greatest profit. 
102. Breeds for Profit, (Economic), on a Small Scale.— While the 
varieties recommended in the preceding section are the best suited to exclusive 
market poultrying, many, even in the localities mentioned, who keep small 
flocks of poultry for profit (as an adjunct to another business) find other 
varieties just as profitable. Then if their taste prefers another variety it is a 
satisfaction to be able to gratify it without sacrificing profits. In a ‘* brown 
egg” locality a poultry keeper whose fowls produce white eggs can easily find 
customers to take white eggs of best quality at the same price as brown eggs 
— but this trade is limited. The same thing is true of Langshan, Houdan, 
and Minorca poultry, and of the extra large carcasses of Brahmas and 
Cochins. In every line of poultry production it is a frequent occurrence that 
aman handling a small quantity of a certain kind of goods finds the trade 
satisfactory, which on increasing his stock he firds that he has passed the 
limit of the demand for his produce, and the surplus moves slowly in the open 
market. This phase of the subject is of most importance to those who, 
having been successful on a small scale, are about to give their whole time to 
poultry. If the stock they have been using is not adapted to the market to 
which their increased output must go, the stock should be changed. 
