34 The Truth About the Poultry Business 



I were very particular both as to the quality and quantity 

 of the food I gave them. I always gave the exact measure, 

 so that I might be sure of my experiments. 



In view of this care and in view of my obtaining the same 



results with the S Method time after time, I concluded 



that corn was not good for laying hens. 



Don't forget how careful I was in conducting my experi- 

 ments. I was absolutely sure that my deductions were cor- 

 rect. Right here, permit me to say that I make the biggest 

 mistake of my life, a mistake that ruined my poultry career, 

 broke me up in business, and blasted every hope of my "best 

 poultry farm on earth.' 7 



I had gone three years without making a cent; I had been 

 paying out all the time in the hope of ultimate success. Now 

 I was getting bucketsful of eggs every day. I accepted the 

 price the retail grocer gave me (12c per dozen), but after 

 paying the feed dealer 30c to SOc on the dollar above quota- 

 tions for grain, I was rapidly losing money. As far as my 

 hens were concerned I was making a great success of the 

 poultry business, but there were other conditions that pre- 

 vented me from making a real success — conditions that 

 would force me either to sell out or go "broke." 



I sold my hens and thinking I could get better prices for 

 eggs if located near San Francisco, I rented a place near 

 there and began again. If I had been able to buy my feeds 

 at a reasonable price and had obtained a reasonable price 

 for my eggs at the first place, I might have been there yet. 

 I had undoubtedly made a great success, as far as producing 

 eggs went, but it was entirely by accident that I did so. It 

 happened that the food balanced correctly, the hens' diges- 

 tion perfect, and I was in ignorance of the true conditions; 

 this was proved by my subsequent experience, from which I 

 learned the real facts. 



