General Considerations. 13 



be called, for there is now no deception as to the end in 

 view. 



In considering the question of profitable poultry keeping 

 there must be no mistake made by mixing up the poultry 

 fancy, by which term we must be understood to mean those 

 who breed for fancy points, and the revived interest in 

 poultry, of which we have already spoken. The latter is 

 due to an altogether different cause. Recent events have 

 compelled agriculturists to turn their attention to matters 

 wbich they have heretofore neglected, and perhaps re- 

 garded with contempt. Our State and county agricultural 

 societies throughout the country have long been in the habit 

 of offering prizes for poultry from a fancier's standpoint. 

 This is 1 well, perhaps, but they should not only not neglect, 

 but should make especially prominent, the properly agricul- 

 tural — that is, useful — breeds. It is, besides, a sign of the 

 times, having an important bearing on the future of poultry 

 raising, that some prominent societies have offered prizes for 

 cross-bred fowls, shown with reference to their value upon 

 the table, and one, at least, has conditioned the award of 

 prizes upon a statement of the breed and sex of the parent 

 fowls and the age of the chickens. But it is not the only sign, 

 for all over the country more attention is being paid to poultry, 

 both by farmers and cottagers ; and we think that the way in 

 which the matter is now being treated proves that there is more 

 chance of success than there ever has been before. Those 

 who have the best opportunity of succeeding are now turning 

 their attention to it — we mean farmers who have land at 

 their disposal ; and there is little talk of establishing poul- 

 try farms pure and simple, which never have, and we do 

 not think ever will, succeed. Buildings, food, and wages 

 have cost so much that the managers of poultry farms in 

 the past have been induced to over-crowd, in the hope of 

 getting a larger return ; disease has crept in, with ruin and 

 disaster as a natural result. Examples of this kind have 



