The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1881-03-31
FOR THE FAIR SEX.
Mint Women HIVE nnne.

| large New England village was left q |
widow with four children and q little
less than $500 in money. Friends,
after the fashion that friends have at |
such times, advised her to "put the
children out and perhaps she could sup
port herself by sewing or teaching;"
but, like the plucky woman that she
was, she made answer:
"My children shall not be separated |
while 1 have health and strength to
work for them"
She rented house with few acres
of land adjoining, invested the greater
part of the $500 in poultry, feed and |
"fixtures," and went to work. The |
friends predicted a speedy failure.
"Did she expect to support family |
of five on the profits from q few
chickens 7"
eyes, I expect to do just that" she
answered. "When was girl always |
managed the poultry on fathers farm,
and as 1 made it pay then, 1 see no rea-
son why 1 cannot make it pay now"
"You'll see," said the wise ones. |
cts our private opinion that you have
thrown away the little money that you
had. Five dollars for rooster !" and |
eyes were rolled up and heads shaken
over the shiftlessness of the woman
who paid "five dollars for q rooster"
Last winter 1 met this woman at a poul- |
try show, and she told me of her sue
cess. She had educated her children,
paid for her little farm worth $500,
and had $500 in the bank.
Another woman, whose husband fell
from a building and was crippled for
life, took up poultry raising because it
was the only thing she could do at
home; that was thirteen years ago, and
| to-day she owns O fine farm well stocked,
has money in bonds and in the bank
A young woman whose health failed
in the close confinement of the school
room went to raising poultry because
she was obliged to do something for a
living, and because the doctors advised
mental rest, and as much active out
door exercise as possible. In two years
her health was firmly established, but
in the meantime she had found poultry
keeping so pleasant and profitable that
she refused to teach again. She has
been in the business five years, and is
earning fortune as fast as ever q pair
of woman's hands earned one.
Last year the writer made q clear
profit of almost $1,000 on breeding
stock of some 200 chickens, ducks and
turkeys. L do not publish this to boast
over my success, but to show other
women what woman can do under the
most favorable circumstances. The IA
vorable circumstances in my case We're
q splendid stock of breeding fowls,
healthy location, thorough knowledge
of my business in all its branches, and
! to fret -ploCc IOorlfat
OF course, some doubling individuals
stand ready to declare that it is impos-
sible to make five dollars profit on every
ad rlt fowl kept, but if they will stop
ard consider that get spring chickens
into market during the months of April
ana May, when they sell readily for one
pound capons for thirty cents pound
that L manage to have eggs to sell in
winter when l can get from thirty to
thirty-fve cents dozen, and that sell
a few trios of exhibition birds every
year, they will see where the big profit
comes in.
Now don't stop right here and give up
all thoughts of raising chickens just
because you cannot get such prices in
your locality, but wait until give you
a few hints from my experience.
have kept poultry in the West where
eggs sold at the "stores" for eight cents
a dozen in summer, and poultry sold in
the fall for seven cents pound, live
weight, but 1 made it pay. We lived on
a line of railroad, 200 miles from city
market but [ soon found out that all
the poultry and eggs from our place
went to the city, and could not for the
life of me see why could not ship such
things Just as we'll as the merchants, so
1 sent thirty-dozen package of fresh
eggs to commission house in the city
they sold readily, and there was a call
for more. "These small packages of
eggs, every one warranted fresh, are
just what we want" wrote the commits
sion man. 1 did some more thinking,
and then put on my good clothes and
went to the city. Once there it did not
take me long to find q grocer who
wanted thirty dozen fresh eggs week,
so shipped the eggs direct to him, and
saved the commission merchants profits.
In the fall sold my poultry the same
way.
There was no thoroughbred poultry
in the vicinity except that in my
yards, and when people began to find
out that my chickens were superior to
the common mongrel fowls, they bought
a great many eggs for Matching. There
was not one pair of any of the improved
varieties of ducks in the county. 1 sent
a thousand miles for pair of Pekins,
and within a month after they arrived
everybody had the duck fever, and 1
was overrun with orders for ducks
before single egg Matched. 1 also
procured some bronze turkeys that 1
raised at good prices.
Every woman who goes into poultry
raising may not be able to get in those
"extras," but every woman who desires
to earn money by raising poultry, and
goes into the business with determin-
alton to succeed, will be sure to make it
pay, even if she sells every egg and
every chicken at market prices
Prairie Farmer.
Fashion Freaks.