102 Money in Broilers and Squabs, 



received '20 to 22 cents per pound when the island ducks brought 

 but 16 to 18 cents. The reason was that the latter were fed much 

 fish, which gave their flesh a strong flavor, and the best trade 

 wopld not touch th«m. Long-Island raisers were obliged to give 

 up feeding fish and guarantee their ducks not fish-fed in order to 

 secure the same price for the same quality of goods. 



At first, Mr. Rankin made blunder after blunder and contended 

 with all "sorts of difficulties, because he had little idea of the syste- 

 matic care and regular feeding required to insure against loss and 

 enable young birds to attain a weight in a few weeks that he sup- 

 posed required as many months. Although those who attempt to 

 follow in his footsteps have the benefit of his experience, he says 

 about three-fourths make a failure* of it. This is because they are 

 not suited to it, will not give the constant attention required, or 

 work 14 to 16 hours every day during the season. 



"Quite a number of Mr. Rankin's successful disciples have gone 

 into the business even more extensively than he, and are being re- 

 warded accordingly. A notable example is the case of the Weber 

 Bros., of Norfolk County, Mass., just south of Boston. 



"Mr. Weber, the father, a German who had worked with his 

 sons in a leather factory ever since he came to this country, was 

 tempted to leave the factory and take his family out into the coun- 

 try and try farming. He was familiar with farming in Germany, 

 where scientific methods are more generally followed than here, 

 and thought he might be able to do well on the farm. A suitable 

 place was selected, partly paid for and farming undertaken. The 

 family — father, four sons and two daughters — ^were strong and 

 hardy, and worked early and late, but found they barely made a 

 living. They cultivated various crops and kept 18 cows, but could 

 not more than pay their expenses, to say nothing of paying the 

 balance due for the farm. It was so hard to get any money for what 

 was produced that after farming for six years they felt obliged to 

 look for some other source of income. Hearing of Mr. Rankin's 

 profits in producing large quantities of chickens and ducks, they, in 

 1888, visited him, learned his ideas and at first tried chickens. They 

 bought of him 300 eggs, hatched 180 chickens, nearly all of which 

 were raised, and were sold in May for $1.25 each. As one of the 

 Webers said, the amount received was more money than they had 

 taken at one time since they had been on the farm. This encouraged 

 them, and duck raising was commenced. In 1889 they raised 800 

 chickens and 500 ducks. In 1890, when they were $3000 in debt, 

 they bought two 600 egg incubators, and from 40 breeding ducks 

 hatched 3000 ducklings. From 200 to 300 chickens were also raised. 

 Thart; year they marketed 2800 young ducks. By doing all the work 

 themselves — the father and three sons — they cleared $1800 that 

 season. When they were killing and shipping two barrels of ducks 

 per day, they received $120 per shipment. 



"In 1891, 150 breeding ducks were kept, six 6oo-egg incu- 

 bators used, 4000 ducklings hatched and 800 chickens, and only 

 about 3000 marketed and $2000 cleared ; this season the price of grain 



