TIME RLQUIRLD TO MAKE POULTRYMEN. 103 



for those who learn by themselves (that i-i, who through the agency of books, papers, their 

 own experience, and an occasional interchange of opinions with another poultry keeper, are 

 Belf-taught) to be in any sense well prepareil to make choice anil decisions when necessary. 



Where a man learns poultry keeping as he would a trade, occupation, or business in which 

 a thorough training covering a period of years is regarded as essential to proficiency, he has, 

 during all that period, frequent — perhaps daily — opportunities to see how others under 

 various conditions make such choices as he would have to make if In business for himself. He 

 can also see subsequently how events mark a course as wise or unwise, and through 11 all be 

 hears from those interested in the matter discussion of all phases of the situallon. 



Now there are, as we all know, some men whom no amount of training, experience, and 

 instruction will fit for positions of independent responsibility. They need a|i\ ays someone to 

 oversee and direct their work, to plan for them and decide for them. And there are some 

 men w ho, wherever you put them, learn very quickly, as compared with tbe average of their 

 fellows. But I have never yet seen a man who in any position acquitted himself well who 

 hud not the particular kind of knowledge and skill needed for eiTective work in that position. 

 He may not have acquired this knowledge and skill for the purpose of using it in this particu- 

 lar way, but it was knowledge and skill that could be applied, and when you hear of a man 

 accomplisliing wonderful things in a line new to him, you may be very sui'e either that his 

 previous training adapted him to this work, or that the reports of what he is doing are 

 exaggerated. In poultry culture the stories of phenomenal successes by novices are — I think 

 without exce[)tion — greatly exaggerated, or refer to accidental successes never repeated. As I 

 have said in one of the recent lessons, the plants that I kiioio are successful have all been 

 developed very slowly from small beginnings. 



The attitude of the beginner who thinks be would get along all right If only someone would 

 tell him just exactly what to do in each situation as it arises, after having outlined for him the 

 g'tieral scheme upon which his poultry keeidng is to be conducted, is practically that as he 

 looks at it the poultry business is one that, with all conditions right or best, runs itself. Most 

 lieginiiers will unhesitatingly affirm that this is not their attitude at all, but in practice will 

 still continue to show that that is exactly their position. 



llr. J. begins poultry keeping with White Plymouth Rocks, because in some way be has 

 formed the opinion that they are the best fowls for his purpose. If his hens do not lay, and 

 his ii<iglibor«' JiuS Rocks lay well, he concludes that the fault is in the stock. It never occurs 

 to hlin that it is in his inexperience. When he began poultry keeping be fed by the method 

 that seemed best to him. Perhaps it vv'as recommended by someone who used it very success- 

 fully. Not getting results by it, he casts about for another method. He takes that of t'he 

 poultry keeper who, so far as he can learn, is most successful — just at that time. He succeeds 

 no better by it, and tries another, with no better success. Peibaps he tries a dozen difierent 

 ways of feeding before he begins to get a satisfactory egg yield. Then he thinks results aie 

 due to tbe parlicular feeding formula used. The fact usually is that out of his varied efforts 

 in feeding he has developed judgment and skill in feeding, and the results he is getting are 

 notdue to special virtue in the feed in use, but to the cumulative knowledge and skill that 

 have been acquired little by little. 



There is another fact closely related to this which many do not appreciate. It requires a 

 good deal of familiarity witli a subject to enable one to grasp understandingly anything beyond 

 the simplest and briefest statement of matters in it. Even in «. series of simple and easily 

 understood statements many will make no lasting impression on tbe mind of one not familiar 

 with the matters treated. Some readers who thought the elementary lessons of last year very 

 complete when they read them first, write me that in reading them over again in book form 

 tbey find much more in them — much tliat escaped their attention in the first reading, though 

 thev read carefully. The printeii matter is precisely the same. There is neither more nor less 

 of it. The difference is in the reader. He knows more of the subject — perhaps more from 

 other reading, but certainly much more by experience. This is his own knowledge — what he 

 knows at first hand. 



The first year that I was in the poultry business I bought breeding stock of several varieties, 

 partly from and partly through an acquaintance in the business. I did not get the results I 



