ECONOMIC ASPECTS OF POULTRY CULTURE 43 



manufacturer has been the moving spirit in the development of this 

 industry here, and, like most far-western districts famed for any 

 product, it has been widely exploited by real-estate interests. While 

 the product is different, the egg farms of Petaluma in several im- 

 portant respects resemble the soft-roaster^ farms of New England 

 mentioned a little farther on. On general principles, as observed 

 in developments elsewhere, it may fairly be presumed that, while 

 the general accounts of, and claims for, the industry in the Peta- 

 luma district, and for the methods used there, are somewhat 

 exaggerated, the industry as developed there suits the existing 

 conditions and gives good profits to a fair proportion of those en- 

 gaging in it. How long the present methods will continue will 

 depend on developments beyond the district quite as much as on 

 conditions in it. Almost invariably, specializing in poultry keeping 

 succeeds only for a short time, the success of the specialist stimu- 

 lating farmers generally to give more attention to that line, and 

 so to increase the supply and reduce the profits of the specialist. 

 Experience in other places also indicates that after a time the 

 intensive methods used at Petaluma must be modified. 



Broiler farming. Broiler growing as a specialty began to attract 

 a great deal of attention about 1890. Interest developed at that 

 period as a result of sensational stories published about the extent 

 of operations in this line in and about Hammonton, New Jersey, and 

 the large profits obtained. Broiler growing in this vicinity has been 

 carried on principally as a winter occupation by men engaged in 

 fruit culture, gardening, or other work which did not require all 

 their time at that season. Their operations were not usually on 

 a large scale. So conducted, the "business" brought the broiler 

 grower some income at a time when he had little from other sources. 

 When his results were unusually good, and he caught the market 

 right, his profits might be considerable, but the average profit as 

 stated by growers who kept careful accounts was only about twenty 

 cents a bird. Instances were cited in the early days of as high as 

 $400 profit in one season on a broiler plant of 1000 capacity run 

 for seven months in the year. 



'■ Chickens specially grown to be marketed as roasters are disposed of by the 

 growers while the flesh is soft ; hence the term " soft roaster," distinguishing such 

 from the ordinary roasting chickens, which are often hard-meated. 



