ducks together for a sustained period under conditions available 

 to the average person. I think the sixty old ducks include most 

 of the 45 which the owner reported having in 1911. Seven of 

 them I know are at least four years old. I submit that no fairer 

 report on what the good Runner will do in average hands and on 

 the farm can be made. I have had much higher reports : a re- 

 cent letter from Tenn. says: "I have 50 thoroughbred ducks. 

 Last winter they averaged 48 eggs a day the winter through and 

 all the loveliest pure white eggs. I had but one American-bred 

 duck, and she laid a pale green egg." This duck was bought at 

 a good price, from one of the most prominent breeders of Amer- 

 ican Standard birds. An exceptional report like this is of no- 

 where near the value of the other, just because it is exceptional. 



Mr. Ferrier says: "I have raised them [the Runner] for 

 market when few dealers knew what an Indian Runner was. My 

 experience covers eight years." With t?iis experience behind 

 him, he writes: "Most farms could keep 200 or more ducks and 

 they would bring in more real money than many of the cows 

 kept, with less labor and cheaper outfit, but like any other bus- 

 iness it must be learned. It requires the brains and business 

 methods that are essential to the success of any enterprise, but 

 grow in, don't jump in." Concerning his own place he says it is 

 a natural home for the breeding of ducks, but "We have no fancy 

 place for them ; no expensive buildings." Yet the birds are fine 

 and thrive, very greatly to the benefit of the owner's pocket. 



While preparing this edition, I wrote Mr. Ferrier asking 

 him to write to a breeder mentioned in "The Worst", who, be- 

 cause he cannot get eggs in winter, beheves that no one does. 

 Mr. Ferrier's reply to my letter was received a day before going 

 to press. He said, in part: "That man on the coast has either 

 a great strain of Leghorns or a lot of misfit Runners. I was in 

 Canada last winter and had duck eggs (to eat) all the time I was 

 there. I had shipped the eggs in April, 6 were broken, 21 



