RANKIN'S DUCK BOOK 



with all the larger breeds, crossing them in every conceivable 

 way to obtajn the best results, and was perfectly satisfied 

 with the Pekins. I was_ finajly through experimenting, and as 

 I grew nearly 20,000 ducklings yearly, could hardly afford to 

 jjuess at it, as one cent per bird made a difference of over 



PEKIN DUCKS 



$200 in my receipts, — one cent per pound, a difference of over 

 $1,200. It is readily seen that I could only afford to use the 

 bird that would grow the greatest number of pounds of flesh 

 in the shortest space of time. Nor is this all. It must be the 

 bird that will give the the first eggs of the season, as this 

 will enable you to get 'your birds on the market when they 

 will command the highest price, as there is more clear profit 

 from one early bird than from three later ones. This will be 

 the more readily understood when it is known that the maxi- 

 mum price paid for early birds is thirty cents per pound in 

 Boston and New York, the minimum price for late ones 



C 20 ] 



