Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-03-20
COPYRIGHT, 1915.

Poultry raising seems to appeal
strongly to thousands of city men,
tired of the nervous activity of busi-
ness and the fixed income of sal
aried position. They see prospects or
getting in business for themselves, liv-
ing close to nature, building up for
tune, with case.
Too often they fail to consider poul-
try raising is business just like sell
ing goods. or bookkeeping, and ii takes
capital, knowledge and experience.
But this should not discourage them
from the enterprise, for they can OBJ
tain all these by making the sacrifice
and effort.
Thousands have done so and sue
ceeded. Others can do likewise. The
following article may make the road
more clear and certain:
Shall I give up a city position to
raise poultFy?" This question eX-
presses the thought in the mind OF
many city men at the present time.
Back to the land and to nature is but
the wholesome craving of a whole
some heart. This question has been
put to me many time in my official
capacity at the New Jersey State Ag-
ricultural College. My answer to such
a query usually is. ASK yourself the
following questions, Have | ample
capital with which to finance the en-
terprise?' Have I enough training
and experience? And last but not
least, Have 1 a personal liking and
adaptation for the work. If the city
enthusiast can answer these questions
satisfactorily in the affirmative, then
he should not hesitate to make the
change. But how few are those who
can? The following discussion will
possibly result in aiding some in ans
wering these three pertinent questions,
and will also show ways and means of
correcting possible deficiencies. The
European war causing, as it is, higher
prices for foodstuffs and resulting in
the throttlng of certain industries
will, I believe, make this question of
greater and greater importance to
certain classes of city workers.
How Much Capital
The amount of capital to be invested
in the farm and its equipment will de-
pend upon the size of the venture. the
number of birds to be kept and the ma
ture of the products to he produced. 1t
buy and equip n small poultry farm of
approximately l 0 acres to carry 800 to
500 birds. which are enough birds for
any person OF limited experience to
begin with the first year. Such an In
Vestment will also require the keeping
of a reserve or cash balance of from
$500 to $500 to act as operating or
surplus capital. Many failures in the
poultry business can be traced to a
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 busi-
ness. More capital than this amount
specified can be used to advantage, but
it is absolutely necessary to have that
much. Without adequate experience
and training it is rarely feasible for
the city man to borrow a considerable
quantity of money on mortgage to
supply this capital. The chances arc
that lack of experience will result in
lower returns than anticipated.
The Necessary Experience
Tt is safe to say that more failures
in poultry farming are due to lack of
experience on the part OF the one TAX
ing care of the birds than any other
one cause. Multitudes there are who
wish to raise chickens, and many of
them think that it requires no special
knowledge. A little story in this con-
nection Will illustrate my point. and it
is but one of many similar occurrences.
One day last week young man who
had considerable money invested in
the clothing business in New York City
came into my office and told me that
he planned to start out in poultry
keeping this coming Spring and that
he had no general knowledge of the
work.
Questions brought out the, fact that
he had no experience other than what
he had gained by reading the news
papers. ] pointed out to him in a few
words the many problems which he
would have confront him in the man
agement of the poultry flock and tried
to force my point home. For one
thing / asked him to consider our
changing places. ! personally had no
experience i'll cutting clothes, nor
could I hardly tell one kind of cloth
from another. AS 1 expressed it, |
could not cut bran sack so that II
would even set over a mans shoul-
ders, let alone fit him. And. further
more. I pointed out the fact that ii
would he just as appropriate for him