SOMICTIIINU AliOL'T PATKNTS 115 



ut two dollars per sotting, or fifteen dozen per annum at an average of 

 tweny-tive cents per dozen? 



The words ••splendid." ••good,'" '-great," "fine," •■better,'' "best" 

 etc. are capable of many specific meanings according to our point of 

 view. The student should not be misled b\ the glittering optimism of 

 the poultry journals and show rooms. If is all right enough as a vent 

 for self-interested enthusiasm, but disappears in vapor under close 

 examination. 



The compounding of "scientific" rations, the devising of new and 

 improved poultry houses and fixtures, the natural beauty of pure-bred 

 fowls, the cheerful rivalry and the incentives to effort produced by the 

 poultry shows, and a natural love for animals, all contribute to awaken 

 and maintain an interest in poultry. When the interest is sufficiently 

 supported by hard work, money and ability, progress is sure to be 

 made whatever the aim— even to the extent of profit — but the success 

 is due to an intelligent working interest in good stock. It is not neces- 

 sarily due to the particular ration employed or the expensive or 

 unnecessary equipment or methods. 



It is perfectly possible to get a good egg yield while paying more for 

 the eggs than they are worth. This fact is recognized by those who 

 sincerely believe that trap nests cannot be profitably used by the aver- 

 age poultry raiser. 1 believe that they understand the average poultry 

 raiser better than they do the practical trap nest, its proper use and 

 possibilities. I have saved time and money enough many times over 

 by avoiding unnecessary but commonly-employed and -recommened 

 methods and expenditures to offset the keeping of my individual records. 

 The attention of the nests has not yet appeared to me a very arduous 

 undertaking and I shall lie unable to reckon that factor at all until T 

 learn of some reason why I should. 



A few drones sent to market, that would be retained were it not for 

 the nests, pays for the nests. If they are kept instead of being sold it 

 is no fault of the nests. 



When the user becomes skillful in recognizing the persistent-laying 

 habit and the different individual tendencies of his birds, and abandons 

 whatever previous theories he may have had that blind his eyes to plain 

 facts he will be able to cull wisely and often, retaining the cream of his 

 flock while marketing the others. 



No man can dispute the logic of gelling rid of every bird that cannot 

 be profitably retained, jusl as soon as its unprofitableness is determined 

 or its self-limited profitableness has ceased, and retaining every bird as 

 long as it is profitable to do so, be it six months or five years. 



Trap-nest experieu e will enable the poultry keeper to do just that 

 and help to solve the question of profits. 



CHAPTER XII. 



SOMETHING ABOUT PATENTS.' 



The golden rule of invention: Find out what has been done, 

 keep track of what is being done, learn what needs to be 

 done, and then do it. 



THE United States has advanced materially beyond all other 

 countries because it has welcomed invention, encouraged and 

 protected inventors by the best patent system on earth, and hailed as a 



