Housing 129 



every way imaginable, but I never succeeded in stopping the 

 draught. 



We were losing so many hens that something had to be 

 done to stop the roup. Thinking that if the house faced toward 

 the south so that the wind would strike it either in the front 

 or the back it might stop the draught, this large house 

 (16x100 feet) was lifted up and turned around, so that it 

 faced in a transverse direction. While the draught was not 

 quite as bad thereafter, it was still in evidence and plainly 

 showed when cleaning the dropping-boards. The hens had 

 the roup just as bad as before. My knowledge of draughts 

 had been greatly increased at this place, although I did not 

 solve the problem. 



From a financial point of view this farm was an absolute 

 failure. The hens were suffering greatly from roup and 

 would stand around all day, and I could not do much with 

 them. But I could easily see the cause of my trouble, and I 

 was determined to solve it. 



Some people are disposed to be very suspicious of a man 

 who has made a failure. A man who, knowing this, is still 

 willing to come out and tell of his failures — in fact, empha- 

 sizes them and does not try to keep them in the background, 

 but tells the truth and explains his failures to you so that 

 you may profit by his mistakes — such a man must have 

 knowledge that will help to lead you to success. The man 

 who is not afraid of your criticisms, who invites your suspi- 

 cion, your skepticism, who has nothing to fear but every- 

 thing to gain from such a procedure, should by all means 

 be accorded a careful hearing. You have read enough from 

 the pens of those who have carefully covered up their mis- 

 takes. A man who has never made a failure is like one man 

 who never made a mistake. He is the man who never tried 

 and who never accomplished anything worth while. 



