518 



Poultry Keeping in Cornwall. 



[Sept., 



The aims of the experiment were primarily educational, and 

 the work involved training in : — 



1. Rough woodwork — the sitting box and chicken coop being 

 made from cheap packing cases by the boys who take the course 

 in rough woodwork. 



2. The care and treatment of young live stock and close 

 observation of the development of plumage. 



3. Weighing and measuring, and arithmetical calculations in 

 fractions, decimals, and percentages. 



Every pupil was provided with a sheet of foolscap, which was 

 kept throughout the whole course of the experiment and on which 

 was recorded, in two tables previously ruled, the weight of the 

 flock at weekly stages, and the weekly weights of foods con- 

 sumed, with valuations. On the completion of the experiment 

 the results were summarised, and the summaries, with a 

 balance sheet, were distributed among the parents of the 

 scholars. 



Each week's work concluded on Thursday night. Friday 

 morning's arithmetic lesson was devoted to calculations based 

 on the week's consumption of food and the weight of the chickens. 

 Food remaining in the " 7 -lb. " bags was weighed, recorded and 

 subtracted from the Inst week's remainders, the difference giving 

 the weicht of the food consumed for the week. This was 

 followed by valuations in exact fractions of a penny, calculations 

 in the fraction end percentage of increase in the weight of the 

 chickens, and the total weights and values of foods which went 

 to make that increase. The fact that the objects of the mathe- 

 matical discussions were running about outside the School made 

 the subject a living interest to the scholars. 



Although the aim of the experiment was educational, the 

 figures obtained cannot fail to interest small producers of table 

 poultry. Eleven cross-bred chickens (Indian Game crossed with 

 Golden Wyandotte) were hatched on 4th March, and sold on 

 •20th May, when eleven weeks old. for a total sum of £3 6s. At 

 the time of selling they weighed 28 lb. 14 oz. (average 2 lb. 

 10 oz.) live weight. The total cost of production was 

 £1 10s. 10Jd., made up cs follows: — market price of the eggs, 

 4s. 4Jd. : food for mother hen for nine weeks. 2s. : food consumed 

 by the chickens. £1 4s. 6d. The excess of income over expendi- 

 ture was £1 15s. Hd. — an average of 8s. 2d. for each bird. 



Of the eleven chickens, only three were cockerels, and at the 

 date of sale, after a twelve hours' fast, these weighed 3 lb. 3 oz., 

 3 lb. 0J oz.. and 3 lb. respectivelv. With the exception of a 



