IN THE POULTRY. YARD. 47 
Facts and Fancies. 
JHE balmy days of June were fully upon us, and as I sat 
one evening watching the increasing rows of brooding 
coops with their tiny population, I could hardly help 
dreaming of the future possibilities which they enfolded. I had 
already fully discussed in my own mind, the subjects of truck farm- 
ing, or gardening; of the keeping of cows, and selling milk; of the 
raising of small fruits, and of some other branches of country work 
which I thought might help me out, but, after the most thorough 
and fair consideration that I was able to give them, I was com- 
pelled to decide that they would not suit my purpose. At the 
sight of so many young broods, I again reverted to poultry-keep- 
ing, and could not help running over in my mind the ordinary cal- 
culations upon which the profits of this business are based. 
The usual calculation is, that a hen can be supported for one 
dollar a year, and that, if of a good breed, she will lay twelve 
dozen eggs, which sell at various prices from 20 to 60 cents per 
dozen. Assuming an average of 35 cents, the twelve dozen would 
bring $4.20, leaving a profit of $3.20. The manure, etc., is sup- 
posed to offset the labor and interest on house, etc., and as the hen 
ning, TH CARRS aL altos DET oe, it is argued 
that the profit ought to be’ quite equal to the amount named. 
Now, it seemed to me that, if this were anywhere near correct, 
people would have found it out long ago. Still, it no doubt re- 
quires skill, tact and knowledge to produce such a result, and it is 
not every one that can command these. But, the point which 
impressed me most strongly was, that if there was any basis of fact 
in these calculations, then 235 hens ought to yield $750 yearly, 
the amount I needed to make ends meet, and as I had already on 
the place nearly half as many hens and chickens as was demanded, 
the fact stared me in the face, that, with very little more expense 
and labor, the experiment miglit be tried. 
