122 POULTRI?-CRAFT. 
work and cost the probable better results would justify. Once in a while an 
amateur poultry keeper allows his efforts to make a few hens lay to take time 
and create expense not warranted by the best possible results. 
It is not good advice to every poultry keeper to urge him, by all means, to 
get the largest possible egg yield. Those who make a business of producing 
market eggs must, if the business is to pay its way and make the living, keep 
the flocks producing nearly all the time, and must secure high average yields 
of eggs; but even for such it is a question whether extraordinarily large egg 
yields will in every case be most profitable. It should be a part of a poultry- 
man’s business to determine this point in accordance with his circumstances, 
and he should work always for the most profitable egg yield — large or larger 
as the case may be — remembering that profit is measured in dollars and cents 
when the books are balanced, and remembering, too, that it is often easiest 
to increase profit by reducing expenses. 
Of amateur poultry keepers whose interest centers in the production of eggs, 
there are many whose regular occupations leave them time to give a few hens 
as much care as will keep them laying fairly well under favorable conditions, 
but will not admit of their giving the fowls the careful regular attention 
necessary to secure particularly good results in eggs. There is a limit to 
what any person can do. A workingman, a business man, a_ professional 
man is not always able to give his hens the little extra attention required for 
a better egg yield: — even a farmer’s ability to make the most of every 
opportunity afforded by the possession of land, is limited —though some 
people, not farmers, seem to think otherwise. It is the easiest thing in the 
world to p/az all sorts of extra work— for other people. When it comes 
to doing, most people have to choose between one thing and another, and 
leave the less important thing undone, or do it indifferently. The latter 
course is the only one open to very many poultry keepers. Those who are 
wisest get what good they can out of their fowls, and are not disgusted 
because their hens do not lay as well as the best. Poultry keeping that yields 
profit with little trouble deserves consideration as well as that which is made 
profitable by great painstaking. Many who are not able to give hens the best 
care, are still concerned that what time they can give them shall be used to 
do the things it will pay best todo. Many whose fowls need little care want 
to know enough about what good care is to know what does and what does 
not constitute neglect under the conditions to which their fowls are subjected. 
However dittle time the reader is able to devote to his fowls, he is urged to 
study the chapter as a whole; for until one has a general knowledge of the 
ways and means of handling laying stock, he cannot determine how to handle 
his stock most satisfactorily. 
To avoid repetitions the text of the chapter is adapted to business poultry- 
men making a specialty of market eggs. Information and suggestions for 
other classes of poultry keepers is placed in parentheses, or given in the foot 
notes. 
