THE SOFT ROASTER INDUSTRY. 



A Business that is Profitable Whetlier Conducted Exclusively 



or as a Side Line — How Soft Roasters are Produced and 



Marketed— $200,000 Worth Sold from One Town 



— Eggs for Incubation £u-e Purchased and 



Hatching Begins in August — How the 



Chicks are Housed, Brooded, 



Fed and Sold. 



By Arthur C. Smith. 



One of the safest, surest and most satisfactory branches 

 of the poultry business considered as a means of securing a 

 livelihood is the Soft Roaster Industry as practiced by the 

 Massachusetts South Shore poultrymen. 



This class of roasters is raised largely in Norwell, Rockland 

 and Hanover on the South Shore of Massachusetts Bay. 

 But it is not a business that is exclusive to these towns. 

 There is one lar^e raiser in Plymouth, Mass., another in 

 Hingham, Mass., and to the North of Boston, one in Methuen. 



There are several persons who give their time exclusively 

 to raising this product, but there are many more who do it 

 in a good sized back yard or in a small country-town lot as 

 a side issue. The former class raise them by the thousands, 

 one party raising six thousand this year, while the latter 

 raise from a half a hundred to five hundred. This class 

 comprises carpenters, shoemakers, clerks in stores and 

 about all classes of people. 



Other Parties Market Them. 



Whoever raises them they are sure to go into the Boston' 

 market through one of two firms. They are collected either 

 by Mr. Curtis or Mr. Farrer, killed, dressed, and shipped by 

 them. Mr., J. H. Curtis handles the most chickens, but 

 does not attempt the kindred industry of handling eggs in 

 which Mr. Farrer is also engaged. J. H. Curtis undoubtedly 



