WI.LECTINi; K(ir;s .'!:) 



keeper of ii few liens, who, obviously, cannot afford to spend all of his 

 tit.' with a small flock. 



! • ill admit that logic does not always receive the support of prac- 

 tii but, I am sure, we can show logic that is born of practice that will 

 -e ..ii: the arguments to which I have referred. 



1 am fully cognizant of that army of poultry keeper- who keep hens 

 as a -ide issue and are employed in shop, store, office or elsewhere dur- 

 ing most, or all, of the day. They are often unable to derive any of 

 the advantages that would accompany the use of bone cutters, incuba- 

 tors and brooders, or some of the thousand-and-one things that are. 

 very properly, offered to the fraternity in general, without criticism, 

 in the advertising columns of our poultry papers. Others of this class 

 can use some, or all. of those things to more or less advantage. It is 

 not a matter for us to determine for others, but one that must be set- 

 tled by each person for himself. 



I claim that any person who has spare time enough to justify him in 

 attempting to breed and raise chickens with a view to honestly obtained 

 profit can derive sufficient benefit from an installation of Ideal nests to 

 warrant all necessary outlay. 



My argument here is based upon what have become generally — ac- 

 cepted rules for good poultry-keeping and, like all such rules, must be 

 modified by circumstances. 



It is a somewhat bootless task to attempt to time, by watch, every 

 distinct duty of the poultry yard or farm. It will take some time to 

 tell how long it takes to do a thing. The workman who pays strict 

 attention to the work in hand without too much regard for the fleeting 

 moments will, as a rule, do better work and do it more quickly than 

 the one who grabs out his watch every few minutes, for fear that he 

 will work overtime, and, figuratively speaking, leaves his hammer in 

 the air when the whistle blows. 



If our hens lay, the eggs must be gathered. It is admitted by all 

 good poultry men that it is good practice to gather them frequently. 



In cold weather, with open nests, eggs left too long in the nests be- 

 come chilled. In warm weather they do not cool sufficiently if left too 

 long, especially when they are covered by hens much of the time, as 

 they are more likely to be in summer than in winter if not gathered 

 until night. Eggs left in the nests induce broodiness, and much of 

 the poultryman's troubles in summer with broody hens that he does not 

 want, can be obviated by frequently collecting the eggs. Xow all of 

 this is not original with me. The.-e facts are known to all experienced 

 poultrv raisers, and thousands of them collect their eggs regularly two 

 or three, and often four or five times per day r , the year 'round. All, 

 do not. Some cannot, others will not; but they should be gathered 

 sometime and not a few spend considerable time hunting in hay mows, 



