THE 1JKST STYLE OK NEST TO USE 29 



explicitly. It will be well to have the lien-opening exactly 8 by 8 

 inches as the measurements given for adjusting the trap-plate and 

 pawl are based upon that exact size. 



After the boxes are all finished and ready for work, place them in 

 the pen and remove every other nest of whatever kind or nature. 

 This for best results. The Ideal is not ashamed to go into company, 

 good or bad, but when it tackles a job of this kind it likes to handle it 

 alone and then it knows that the work will be done right. 



Placing one Imp nest in a pen of hens, expecting to learn much about 

 the nest or the hens, is about as reasonable as it would be to expect one 

 man to carry a grand piano up a flight of stairs. The man might be 

 able and willing to do his part but he could not, and would not try to 

 do much more than that. 



If the reader, after he has tested a complete equipment of Ideal nests 

 long enough to understand them, and the relation that a single, soli- 

 tary trap nest bears to a flock — even a very small flock — of hens, and 

 considers that probably nine-tenths of the unsatisfactory trap nest tests 

 that have been made have been apparently made on that basis, he can 

 form his own opinion of some expert, judgement and will perhaps say 

 with Schiller: "Against stupidity the gods are powerless.'' 



One trap nest is of no practical use to anyone unless he can rightfully 

 use it as a model from which to make a complete equipment. "One 

 trap nest is enough for five hens" is true if only one hen is laying and 

 the others let the nest alone, but if two hens are laying it is not enough, 

 unlesss both are able to occupy it at once — as they are very likely to do 

 with some traps. 



I do not know as anyone in particular is responsible for the very 

 prevalent notion that one trap can be made a satisfactory test of its own 

 merits and of the practicability of the trap nest system. 



It seems to be due to the all too common tendency of people to jump 

 at conclusions, to assume that they understand a thing before they 

 can know anything about it, and to ignore completely all competent 

 authority. 



Experience in the care of poultry justifies no man in assuming that 

 he is competent to judge of the practicality of the individual system or 

 -of the appliances used in connection with it until he has been qualified 

 by adequate experience with the system and its accessories. 



The average daily egg yield and tin; length of time between the visits 

 of the attendant are the only factors that determine the correct number 

 of trap nests to place in the pen. The egg yield is the most important 

 to be considered of these two. As many nests will be needed if they 

 cost three dollars each as if they cost but three cents each. If the nests 

 are so large that there cannot be found room for enough of them it will 

 not lessen the need of more. "One box sufficient for each pen" in an 



