Specimen Pages from Freeman Handbook No. 3. 

 Popular Poultry— Part II ; cloth couers, 6d. 



INTRODUCTION. 



General success depends largely upon small enterprises and 

 industries. A chain is only as strong as are its separate links, 

 and those pursuits which are small in themselves, but vital to 

 individual lives, contribute greatly to national prosperity. By 

 "national prosperity" is not meant that of a few individuals 

 probably those who form a connection between producer and 

 consumer, but the community throughout. Unfortunately, so far 

 as the poultry industry of Ireland is concerned, a large proportion 

 of the eggs sent to the English and Scotch markets are the pro- 

 duction of those whose condition cannot by the greatest stretch 

 of imagination be regarded as prosperous. They know nothing of 

 what ought to be the ordinary conditions of life. To its comforts 

 they are entire strangers. But for the eggs laid by the few fowls 

 kept they would have no money whatever, and miserable as is 

 their lot now it would be worse without their poultry. To others, 

 who are on a somewhat higher plane of life, poultry-keeping is a 

 source of profit as vital; and were the entire egg and poultry 

 trade of the country to cease, the condition of things would 

 descend to an even yet greater depth than now, when the outlook 

 for agriculturists is so bad. 



The poultry-keeping section of the commtinity may be divided 

 mto three classes. First, the cottagers and small farmers, whose 

 only idea is to sell the eggs and chickens as soon as possible. 

 In certain districts of Ireland it is almost entirely from this class 

 that such multitudes of eggs are obtained. These form the 

 industrial portion of poultry-keepers, and it is upon this class that 

 we must depend to a great extent for the improvement of egg 

 products especially. Unfortunately it is unable to do much for 

 itself. It must be guided and assisted— nay, perhaps in some 

 cases almost compelled to abandon or improve present methods 



