The sun., 1915-03-21
P0ULTRYMAN'S JOB
Is NONE TOO EASY
City Worker Should Think
Hard Before Deciding to
Raise Chickens.
EXPERIENCE NECESSARY

I shall give up a city position TO raise
| poultry7' This question expresses the
thought In the mind of many city men AZ
| the present time Back To the land and
TO nature IL but the wholesome craving
OF a wholesome heart. This question has
been put TO me many time In my oriciil
capacity at the New jersey State Agri-
cultural College. My answer to such a
query usually Il. Ask yourself the follow
ing questions. Have I ample capital With
which 20 finance the enterpiseY Have I
enough training and experienced And
last bur not least, Have a peraonai lik-
ing and adaptation for the work1' II the
| city enthusiast can answer thcss oues-
/ tions satisfactorily IN tho Affirmative. then
he should not hesitate to make the change.
But how few are those who cam The fol-
lowing discussion will possibly result In
aiding some In answering these three
pertinent questions. and will also show
ways and means Of correcting possible
deficiencies. The European war causing.
as II Ia. higher prices for foodstuis and
resulting IN the throttling Of certain In
| dustries will, bo'isve. make this question
OF greater and greater Importance TO Ger
tain classes of city workers.
The amount OF capital to be invested
In the farm and It's equipment will de-
| pend upon the size OF the venture the
number OF birds TO be kept and the nature
OF the products 20 be produced Il viii
require from o. 900 70 . ocn 20 buy and
equip a small poultry farm OF approx
imately ten acres 20 carry ZOO TO 500 birds.
which Is enough birds for any person Of
limited experience TO begin with the nrst
year. Such al Investment Will also re
! Quire the keeping Of a reserve or cash
| balance OF from $500 20 $500 TO act IA oper-
atins or surplus capital. Many failures
| In the poultry business can b. traced 10
lack of capital. both as TO the amount
expended IN Investment and by the amount
OF cash kept In the bank which can be used
TO operate the bsuines- More capital
than this amount specified can he used
to advantage. but II Is absolutely necessary
to have that much without adequate
experience and training Il Is rarely feasible
for the cify man 10 borrow n considerable
quantity OF money on mortgage 20 supply
this capital. The chances are that lax Of
experience wit result In lower returns
than Anticipated
II Is safe TO say that more failures IN
poultry farming av due 10 lack o! expert
encs on the part OF the one taking cRre uf
the birds than any other one cause Mol
t'ude- there are who wish 10 raise Cli heus
aud many OF them thins that Il re-
auircs no special knowledge. A little
| story In this connection Will illustrate MY
point. and IL Is but one Of many similar o.
currences One day last week q young
man who had considerable money Invested
In the clothing business In New York city
came into my Office and told ne that he
planned TO start out In poultry keeping
this coming spring and that le had no gen
cral knowledge OF the WORK.
Questions brought out the fact that re
had no experience other than what hs
had gained by reading the newspapers
pointed out 10 him IN a few words the
many problems which he would have con-
front him tn he management Of the poul-
try flock and tried 70 force my point home
tor one thing ! asked him to consider our
changing places personally had no e1-
psricuce In cutting clothes, nor could |
hardly tell one Kind Of cloth from another
As expressed Il. / could not cut "a bran
sack 80 that it would eyeu set over man =
shoulders. let alone ~ him And further
moro. | pointed out the fact that Il would
he Just as appropriate for him 10 eGpe,t 10
20 into the poultry buslnes. a. Il would l."
for me 20 30 into the tailoring business
The probability OF success would te equal
IN either case. The point was well taken,
and the Young man decided 10 folio" my
suggestions and get some experience be-
ioro making the start My advice 70 him
Nas that he should understand thoroughly
what vas before him before hs decided
10 give up a good position and = pay en-
Velope at the end OF each month.
There are many ways In which a ci'N
man con gain poultry experience, !
would suggest tho progressive steps a.
follows. flr-t. move TO a suburban com
uuIl'y and keep from eiSht To ten hens
iu the back yard BY stadylug these
closely much can he learned And what
~ even greater than this the man can
learn whether hs Il going to liae the
work or not
Second. lie should subscribe 70 mum
ber OF reliable poultry paper, and read
them ihteligeutly ana carefully lie
should not only read the news ''cms
bat should study the advertisements ana
editorials carefully.
Third. He should secure number OF
reliable poultry books. Of which there are
u number Of excellent ones on the market,
and should read them carefully with
the idea Of applying he Rno~ledge gained
10 the management OF the few hens IN
his yard.
Fourth. lie should got I'm touch with
hls state experiment station aud request
I their bulletins and circulars We Shouts
not hesitate 70 ark them questions hS
correspondence. nor should he fail O.
visit the college plant and become nc'
uuainted With the experiments under way
e and the men IN charge lhis Nork Is a.
| lrust ia par, supported by hi- take.
s FIFTH. lie should get in touch through
. oorrespoudeuoe with the Federal Depart
: ment Of Agriculture at Washington anC
" rruucst their published material pertain
lns to poultry keeping.
SIXTH, He should visit successful poultr,
] farms In his community. Thi- II Il goo,
, occupation for Saturday afternoons whri
2 work In the city Ii not pressing H.
I should come TO know these men pcrsou
h ally and become scquainted with thei
@ problems
| seventh. Wherever possible get IN touCl
g with an educational poultry association
% IA the community. II there are none ~
busy and form ono. such coorerati,
0 action on the part OF enthusiastic anna
8 tours results IN IN" securing Of woudcsfu
= educational facilities
\ Ishh just before taking the rnH
| ,It b., .k,IIl