IN THE POULTRY YARD. 189 
patience and thoughtfulness are qualities which cannot be dispensed 
with. And, moreover, the successful poultry keeper must have a 
taste for the business and a fondness for animals. If his duties are 
performed as a mere matter of duty, and not coz amore, we would 
not give much for his chances. 
‘The next requirement is abundant capital. In a book published 
a year or two ago, in which various occupations are described and 
recommended as suitable for women, the writer names $300 as the 
amount of capital required for a poultry establishment! ‘Three 
hundred dollars would no doubt set up a very nice poultry yard 
for some one who got her /ving from other sources, but we venture 
to say that if any woman, having $300, puts that amount into 
poultry, and depends upon them for a living, she will fail. ‘My 
experience tells me that $3,000 is nearer what is required, and with 
less than this at command success cannot be attained. We assume, 
of course, that the person who undertakes the business intends to 
make a Ziving out of it, in which case he will have to ‘give his 
whole time to it, and consequently will have to get his support out 
of it (or out of his capital) from the start. Less than 1,000 hens 
would not give even a moderate living, and they alone would be 
worth $1,000. It is true that hens may be bought in market for 
much less, but we speak of that we know when we say that 1,000 
such hens will not yield a living to their owner. The hens must be 
select birds, and are most cheaply and satisfactorily raised by the 
poultry keeper himself. 
A thousand hens cannot be housed properly for less than $1.00 
eacly. Unless properly housed the results will be on the wrong 
side of the ledger. ‘his, therefore, requires another $1,000. 
Food must be bought by the car Joad, not by the bushel, and 
cash must be paid for everything. Any other system will so cut 
down the profits that the result will be anything but satisfactory. 
To do this needs a working capital as large as that named by 
the writer referred to. Now, if to the requirements we have named 
we add the cost of living until the returns come in freely, the rent 
of the land and the cost of improving the same, it will be seen that 
our demand for $3,000 is not by any means extravagant, 
