Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1892-03-17
TnE POETRY OF POULTRY
Chicken Raising a. Viewed from tn
Standpoint Of the ConnoIaseur.


Chicken Raising as Viewed from the
Standpoint Of the connoIsseun.
There il about seeing pure bloocled equine
stock a certain charm which no horseman
can accurately describe and yet which ev
cry horSenlan feels In a similar way ev.
cry true lover OF well bred chickens will 90
miles to see high grade Brahma or q
Plymouth Rock Of undisputed lineage.
Indeed. among those who truly love fowls
Of high pedigree, there Is n mutual sympa
thy almost as strong rs the mysterious
bonds Of Freemasonry. aud il is wonderful.
TO see in how short n time two utter stran
gers will affiliate in the discussion OF the
relative merits OF l.eghorn or a Cochin
China
To the delights Of thoughtful and sym
pathetic poultry fanciers the average lay
man is total stranger. To him, indeed
the work OF caring for chickens Is but a
mental and lowly task. consisting of rising
at dusky dawn in response to the summons
of the strident Shanghai and shivering in
the cold morning air while breaking the
ice on the chickens watering trough.
That the work Of raising chickens is a fit
undertaking for the intelligent and studi
GUS, or that such task requires talents be
yond the ordinary run Of mankind. Is a
statement that may provoke the incredu
lity of the Ignorant, but the true poultry
fancier will accept it without question.
1t is astonishing how the charm Of
chicken raising grows on one and how it
affects ones powers Of observation and
memory. 1t is true that there are Incl
dent to such life, what the world might
call annoyances and discomforts. bat TO
the true artist in the science of fowl nur
ture they are but disagreeable iDcidentS
the bitter which comes with the sweet
| There are rats and weasels which must be
kept from perches and nests; but who can
describe the manly sense of protectorship
and responsibility created by such etfortst
There are chicken houses to be kept neat
and clean, shells to be baked or broken
feeds to be mixed but from the sense OF
knowledge which comes with acquired
skill in all those branches, what innocent
and agreeable pride and self respect do not
springS What traits of patience and di
| plomacy are exhibited in the skillful treat
ment of the obdurate and aggressive hen
that is determined to sit even when she
ought to be layingl
What gentleness and forethought must
be exhibited in the proper care of the
dowuy brood fresh from the well kept nest
or the more roomy incubatorl Poultry
keeping stupid or uninterestingS Nay it
is rather the life of a poet and philoso
| pher combined. and the man who has stood
the test successfully should be entitled TO
the ''summa cum laude'' of natures best
school.
Even the grosser delights of the chicken
| fancier are in a measure ideal. He IT is
who knows the unalloyed delight of enjoy
ing fresh laid eggs, when he does not sell
them all. To him. also, falls the most ten
der and the juiciest of spring chickens
Drowned to a delicious crisp and floating
! in a wealth of the softest, creamiest gravy
| When all goes well he sees his capital and
stock in trade increase at rate which
would make our shrewdest bankers green
with envy.
In his little kingdom Of fowls he rules
supreme, and even the gorgeous and mag
nifcent chanticleer consents to follow
meekly in the owners wake at meal times
The younger chickens will perform the
most ludicrous antics for his amusement,
while in the whitewashed hen yard he sees
every day some story Of comedy or trag
| edy, of friendship or distrust, hate or love
under his eyes constantly mimic theater
of plot aud counterplot, until he, as the
overruling fate, steps in to end it all upon
the executioner's block.
And to think that I'll this pleasure may
be had at the expense of building n chicken
yard and purchasing some feed and few
fowlsl The wonder is that all the world
does not go to chicken raising. g.-Boston
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