The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1912-07-20
THE ELEMENTS OF CHANCE
IN THE POULTRY BUSINESS
Written for This Paper. }

eli most chicken fanciers that to b.
successful with poultry is a task 81
easy OF accomplishment that it is no
at all necessary to give the subjec
any special fOrethought whatever.
We are willing to acknowledge
that raising chickens is nothing new
tc most people, and that it has beer
gCing on for time indefinite, but it j!
not until within recent years thai
the vocation has been recognized al
an art and science. We are fully
convinced that it requires as much
experience and business acumen to
handle flock of fowls in a way that
will insure the maximum profit, as
il does to succeed in most lines OF
legitimate business And until the
apprentice is willing to cOncede this
Joint, he will evidently have to con.
tent himself with cropping in the
dark, and his plans will be thwarted
in many ways.
We have decided that the elements
of chance, as applied to the poultry
business, is the counterpart to that
crooked, crafty, little word IF" SO
often used by us all in our effort to
describe the disgust of mismanage-
rent and the horrors of lost oppor-
tunities which have fitted by most
OF us on every hand.
If 20 into the poultry business
by buying foundation stock or eggs
at random, the elements of chance
are against me- The stock may look
we'll all right, but as pretty is skin
deep" only, would need assurance
that the inward structure had been
looked after equally as well as the
outward appearance. If the party
from whom purchased them under
stand how to mate and raise first
class stock, all good and we'll | am
very fortunate indeed, but on the
other hand, if he don't know any
thing about this important stage of
the game, | have lost out, because
the elements of chance We're against
mo.
II spend several years carefully
selecting the very best of Layers, and
PAIRING them with male birds OF
equal worth, thereby building up Il
splendid strain Of prolific layers, aud
then decide hat the infusion Of Rev
iIood is essential to permanent sue
cess, and purchase chanticlerrs Of
unknown parcntagc and promiscuous
breeding. very likely ! have made
another mistake, tor the elements Of
& nance are against me
If ! buy stock or eggs Of poNl-
tryman who does not give his stock
amy special care in the way of re
icctinG ailing specimens from his
Yards. and the multitude of ot her de-
tails which are as necessary TO the
rropa cation of irst-cE S stock. they
viii not prove satisfactory layers.
and they will develop sickness, and
th" elements of chance are AGAINST
r,c.
II | purchase eggs for Matching
" hieh have been gathered from the
general flock. as the owner came to
them. without any thought as to tho
laying capacity of the hens which
laid them. and as the average num-
Der of eggs per hen per year the
country over is conceded to be
where houghtcn feed is fed cNclu-
7irclyl below Il profit paying basis,
VIII have cause to regret it, for
he elements of chance are against
me-.
When II comes to maintaining a
proili-paying flock. there is no bet
ter way than to perpctualp the
blood lines of ones original foun-
Iiation stock throughout the future
1"ncfations. All elements of chance
are then eliminated. Some pronounce
this in-hrceding. but far from il
when one once knows how. will
answer amy quest ion pertaining To
practical poultry culture directed to
ne. JEFF y. SMITH.
Poultry Expert
Lakeland. Fla
Now comes the Scientific Amer