The progressive farmer., 1902-01-07
ONE wOMAu's SUCCESS WITH POULTRY

DEAR AUNT JENNIE With an
abiding faith in the ability of the
average American woman, having,
through the vicissitudes of life,
been placed upon my own resources
with a dismal future staring me in
the face, but having through good
fortune emerged from the Stygian
gloom that enshrouded me, would
like, if you will permit, to say a
word or two to other young women
who may be struggling for nveli
hood, as to good method of reliev-
ing themselves of the bondage which
apparently surrounds them, striking
from them the imaginary shackles
with which they are bound, and
stepping out into broad sunlight of
independence and prosperity.
The thought has often occurred to
me, that there would be much less
agitation of methods for ameliOrating
the condition of girls and women,
who at an early age are left to their
own resources, if suoh young women
wore more self.reliant, and exercised
for themselves at least portion of
the energy others are expected to ex-
else for them.
The idea has been strongly i'm
pressed upon my mind, by review
ing the present and apparently self
chosen occupation of a number of
my school girl friends, I can truth
fully say that with the exception of
myself, each one is dependent upon
some one else for the means of So.
curing a livelihood. Here in Des
Moines, Iowa, are a number of insti-
tutions of learning of various kinds,
and as a consequence many of our
young people take to education for a
iving-a very laudable aspiration
but, unfortunately the supply seems
to be greater than the demand. One
day | began to think-nothing par
ticularly strange about that-and
decided l would not travel in the
same old rut; looked around for
something to my liking; too inde-
pendent to do as the other girls we're
doing; decided to establish bust
ness of my own that would be both
pleasant and profitable. But what
should it be? People will always
eat. Chickens | The very thing.
For them there will be steady mar
ket at remunerative prices.
The result-bought all the hens 1
could find for sale, and started
poultry yard for profit. Succeeded
fairly we'll, but the profits we're not
what they should have been, as the
best part of the hens life was spent
in Matching the chicks and raising
them. There was generally dearth
of eggs, the chicks we're covered with
mites, and the hens wandered so
much that many of the chicks were
lost Or destroyed,
The next year changed my tao
tics, and decided to hatch chickens
by machinery, the product of which I
found to be more healthy and o1eanly,
and after much inquiry I bought an
incubator and brooder and went TO
work with a z8st Ny first efforts
were somewhat disappointing, as
had not been sufficiently careful in
observing instructions. But by the
time the second hatch came, l had
learned to operate it to the best ad-
vantage, and succeeded admirably.
By watching all the points carefully,
came out at the end of the season
a little over $135 ahead of all ex-
penses. But l had learned lesson
more valuable than the number of
dollars I had received, and deter.
mined to profit by it.
The past season has been a reve.
lation to me. Early in the year
bought two incubators and b1 ooders,
one of which use for chickens for
the market, and the other for the
raising of blooded stock, and so we'll
did succeed that when balanced
the books Nov. /, 1901. found q
credit TO my account in the bank Of
1854 Is, with my machines and .