out, viz., that the profit in caponizing comes from let¬ 
ting somebody else grow the cockerels up to the crow¬ 
ing age. In late August and September our markets are 
often filled with such live birds often brought several 
hundred miles for sale. These can sometimes be 
bought in quantities as low as 10 cents a pound live 
weight, or even lower, though nobody can afford to 
grow them for that price. These are the birds for 
the caponizer. Let him buy several hundred, engage 
an expert to operate on them and then feed them for 
the high prices of February, March or April. This, if 
we mistake not, is the way to profit in the capon busi¬ 
ness. The average farmer has no use in his yard for 
more than one, or at most two roosters. All other 
males should be killed or caponized. There is no 
question about the superiority of the capon’s flesh for 
eating, and many a farmer could afford to have half 
his rooster crop caponized to serve for his own table. 
Mr. Cushman disposes of many extravagant claims of 
hose who are in the capon business for tool-selling 
only, and puts the matter in the most common-sense 
light we have yet seen. 
from Mr. Cushman’s bulletin seems to us very sensible : 
Doubtless every one determined to do bo can learn to make caponB, 
but we do not advise them to buy Instruments and learn just to operate 
on their own birds. Although the abdominal cavity must be opened, 
we see no more grounds for objection against castrating cockerels 
than calves, but kind-hearted lovers of animals will at tlrst ttnd It 
quite a task to overcome their feelings and work unconcernedlj among 
the Internal arrangments of a live chicken. If birds are properlv and 
quickly done they do not appear to mind the operation and will eat as 
pick. Keep hens busy; keep them clean and feed the 
right amount of the right kind of food, and with 
suitable houses to shelter them, and they will pay a 
handsome profit in eggs and poultry alone Strict at¬ 
tention to little things, or, as some call it, “fussing 
with hens ” is what pays. The aforesaid 200 paid me 
last year a profit of 32 per head over all expenses, and 
I hope to make them do even better than that by giv¬ 
ing them more time and better care. F. L. AVERY. 
Massachusetts. 
AN EXPERIMENT WITH CAPONS. 
THE SENSE OF THE MATTER. 
We are glad to see that several of the experiment 
stations are making investigations as to the breeding 
and feeding of poultry. The E. N.-Y. has always in¬ 
sisted that these stations would do much to popularize 
themselves and gain the support of farmers by treat¬ 
ing the poultry question in a practical and entertain¬ 
ing way. Just now the question as to the profit of 
caponizing is being discussed, and the Rhode Island 
Station (Kingston, R. I.) has shown commendable en¬ 
terprise in issuing a bulletin giving the results of ex¬ 
periments made by Samuel Cushman to determine the 
profits of caponizing. It is a first-rate pamphlet and 
might well serve as a model for other station publi¬ 
cations. Mr. Cushman tells us how he proceeded to 
learn caponizing. First he bought an advertised set 
of tools with the printed directions. After practicing 
on a dead bird he was able to caponize live ones, but 
it was slow work. Then he visited parties in the 
New Jersey counties near Philadelphia, and saw them 
do the work on a large scale. One man, Mr. Wm. 
Ellis, caponized alone in the season of 1891 21,000 
birds, while last season, 1892, he handled 28,000. Tue 
day Mr. Cushman spent with him he did over 450 birds, 
killing not one per cent To reach this number of 
birds they drove 15 miles, going from place to place 
where the birds had been confined and fasted. One 
lot of 183 birds was done in just three hours 
The price paid him was three cents per head. 
Rut little pain was apparently felt with 
GOOD FARMING POSSIBLE WITHOUT STOCK. 
The old homestead develops a gold mine in the hands of a 
thrifty young son of Connecticut; he gives away the 
secret of raising heavy, paying crops without manure, 
nothing e<[uals a knowledge of one's soil, unless it is 
familiarity with and nearness t„ market; a single 
acre in small fruits increases to 40 in less than a de¬ 
cade; from the berry field to the legislature. 
A Large Capon. Fig. 84. 
Baby, Cat, Work Horses and Half a Cow. 
“ Good farming is not dependent on stock keeping.” 
The truth of The Rural’s assertion is being proved on 
the sandy soil of the Connecticut Valley at Cromwell, 
Conn., by Hon. G. S. Butler, whose likeness is shown 
at Fig. 87. For eight years he has been supplying the 
markets of Hartford, Middleton. Meriden and Water- 
bury with an increasing stock of small 
fruits, and making special shipments to other 
points when called upon. These have reached 
as far west as Chicago. What he told me 
of his methods should interest all young 
. (. men. His success anybody with a love for 
the work can achieve by close application, 
jj; “You say you use no 
soon as released, but to have confidence and be an expert requires 
practice. One who knows how but has not operated for a long time Is 
awkward, feels less sure and If he does but a score or two hardly 
acquire* the “ knack,” while one that does thousands every season is 
prepared by experience for any material or emergency. Therefore we 
advise those who have any number to caponlxe to unite with the 
poultry keepers of their neighborhood, agree on a date and engage an 
expert to do the work. 
It seems to us that this bulletin proves beyond doubt 
manure, but prac¬ 
tically you keep a few cows, inasmuch as 
there is a creamery next door,” I insinuated. 
“ No, I don’t keep any stock aside from 
the family cow and the horses needed to.do 
the work.” Then, contradicting himself, he 
resumed, “ Why yes, yes I do. There’s a fel¬ 
low,” pointing with pride to a chubby cherub 
of six months who was trying hard to swali 
low his dimpled fists. “Sylvester Benjamin 
has come to stay, and we have no desire to 
turn him off. Ginger, the cat, seems also to 
be a necessary appendage, but pigs, poultry 
and other stock are entirely tabooed.” 
“Your men are not troubled much by 
chores, then.” “ I don’t expect any of my 
help to do chores. If they work 10 hours 
afield faithfully, I am satisfied, and tell 
them so. I get my cow cared for by giving 
half of her milk to one of my married men 
the year around. I furnish everything.” 
One Year Old Roosters. Fig. 85 
But One Specialty. 
“ Wouldn’t it pay to keep a herd of good 
cows ? ” 
“It would if we made it a specialty, but 
it is my opinion that a fruit farmer should 
give his undivided attention to his trees and 
vines. Instead of thinking of and watching 
cows in winter, I put my whole attention on 
the trees and berry plantations, and find 
it pays better.” 
The Food for 40 Arces. 
“You have more than a dozen acres in 
fruits alone?” 
“ Yes, 40 acres.” 
“ What do you put on the land ? ” 
“ I have found nothing so profitable for my soil as 
bone finely ground and muriate of potash.” 
“ You overlook nitrogen almost wholly, then.” 
“ I seem to be able to so far. Perhaps in the future 
I may be forced to buy it. A little is used now in phos¬ 
phates for starting raspberries when they don’t grow 
fast enough for the season.” ' > 
“ Have you found any difference between raw chi mi- 
cals and ready-mixed fertilizers ? ” 
“ A slight superiority in the former, so far as cost 
and returns show.” v. ■ i 
“ What quantity do you use ? ” . 
“ About 31,800 worth yearly. The rule is a ton to 
30 hundredweight per acre for strawberries, and this 
season the quantity is to be increased.” 
One Year Old Capons. Fig. 86. 
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