Arizona republican., 1898-02-24

and they are generally fanciers and pure bred breeders rather than poultry farmers. The public really has hard work to get at the facts. They inex- perienced have to try half a dozen breeds to learn which are most suit able, and then they may not know. Thousands repeat the same experi- ments. This would be needless if the reliable experiences of a few were made public. A great expense would be saved the country.
 The commercial end of the poultry industry, representing permanent interest of $240,O0O,OOO, certainly is worthy of attention As with market gardening, boot manufacturing and other lines of business, the specialist, the large producer, is getting grip on the business and taking it away from the small operator. But there is a chance for the farmer in poultry pro- duction. The more complicated the poultry specialist makes his business the more skill it requires, the greater the chances of failure. The risks are greater as well as the profits. He uses breeds adapted to a special purpose, buildings planned to save labor, se- cure sanitary conditions and best pro- tect the stock; follows the best meth Ods of feeding, and, above all, has a defined plan that is adhered to and carried out in every detail. He is thus enabled to secure at slight cost the very best product, even when there is the greatest scarcity and when it will bring the very highest price.
 I believe it is best for farmers not to undertake to follow the specialist; that he can produce poultry and eggs cheaper and with less risk. The fur ther you go from the old methods the more work you must do, and the great CT the chances of disease. The old pioneers did not have to take the pre- cautions against disease that people in cities do now. If you keep large numbers and follow improved methods your obstacles are greater.
 The specialist who confines his flocks in yards and provides all their feed the year around may get a greater product than if they were allowed free range, but fowls thus cooped are whol ly dependent upon their keepers. Ii he does not give them fresh water, meat, gravel and green food, they sui fer. If the yards and houses get foul, they cannot get away and must breathe foul air. Such neglect the specialist cannot be guilty of and be successful, but it has been my experience that many farmers who attempt to improve do this very thing. Those who take up advanced methods, build modern buildings, get good breeds, and then fail to carry out the details, are verse off than if they were following old methods.
 I have seen men who kept bees try to improve and have a similar ex- perience They understood just how to keep them in the old box hives, and made little honey and money every year. They made no great thing out of it, but as far as it went it was pretty sure. A few years after they took ] up modern methods there were nc bees cn their places.
 It was not the fault of the new hives or methods. They had simply gone further than they understood, and did rot carry cut the details. So my ad- vice to the farmer who wants to pro- gross is to adopt the stock and man. agement and buildings best suited te his circumstances. It is better ever to keep bees in box hives, or poultry in the old way, than to strike too high a key and fail entirely.