424 THE BEGINNER IN POULTRY 



"A dollar a ' sell '" might be considered a complete 

 commentary on the whole matter, but the first " sell " is 

 not the end of the " System " ; for it usually includes 

 selling to the novice books, supplies, even incubators and 

 brooders, besides the book which was the original enter- 

 ing wedge. 



The way all these things hinge together is utterly un- 

 suspected, it may be, by the Beginner. For instance, 

 at a big show, I saw a very large display of supplies by 

 a firm which does big advertising. That is, of course, 

 perfectly legitimate. I had noted, with great surprise, 

 as I passed the booth, that it was offering a certain 

 book which ranks among " Systems," as far and away 

 the best poultry book published. Noting the firm name, 

 however, I saw that this was its own book. I have this 

 book in my possession, and it was given me by a near 

 Beginner, who, having paid his good money for it and 

 read it eagerly, pronounced it absolutely worthless. I 

 did not entirely agree with him, because there is much 

 really good workable advice to the uninitiated, in its 

 pages. But, first and foremost, it was an advertising 

 medium for the stock, etc., of the firm putting it out. 

 To call it the best book ever offered to poultry raisers 

 was an insult to the Beginner, to the regular writers of 

 genuine poultry books, and to the Colleges which put out 

 legitimate literature month by month. 



There is one fact which every Beginner ought to think 

 much on, if he wishes to save himself from what we 

 have come to call "exploitation." The basic truth 

 underlying a large number of the systems is the same, 

 and it cannot be controverted. This is why it is possible 

 for them to state without absolute falsehood that exor- 



