,,natural ,,and ,,artificial ,,duck ,,culture ,,james ,,rankin ,price #ej ,cents4 ,,fifth ,,edition1 ,,revised ,,and ,,enlarged ,,south ,,easton1 ,,mass4 #aijf ,entered according to ,act of ,congress1 in the year #aijf1 by ,,james ,,rankin1 ,in the ,office of the ,librarian of ,congress1 at ,washington1 ,d4 ,c4 ,,all ,,rights ,,reserved4 ,,designed ,,and ,,compiled ,,by ,h4 ,a4 ,,summers ,,boston1 ,,mass4 ,illustration3 ,,birds-,,eye ,,view ,,maplewood ,,farm4 ,,james ,,rankin1 ,,proprietor4 ,,introduction4 ,our original motive in publishing this little book1 was one of self-defense1 to relieve ourselves1 in a measure1 of a correspondence which was becoming much too large for the time at our disposal4 ,after reading from fifty to one hundred letters per day1 from people1 asking all manner of questions concerning the hatching1 growing and marketing of ducks1 in detail1 there were not hours enough in the twenty-four to answer them4 ,this book was published to send out with our machines to meet these queries and give our patrons our method of growing1 supposing it would cover all the points in duck-culture1 but it does not as yet answer the ends4 ,the questions still come in far beyond our ability to answer1 and as our fourth edition is about exhausted1 we now publish a fifth1 revised1 enlarged and illustrated2 also adding a ,question ,bureau1 which will answer many of the questions which have reached us during the past few years concerning the growing1 as well as the diseases to which the ,pekin duck is subject4 ,though we have been in this business for nearly forty years1 and have been eminently successful1 we do not claim to know all about it2 but by persistent effort1 careful selection and breeding1 have succeeded in developing a mammoth strain of ,pekin ducks1 which1 for symmetry1 precocity and fecundity 7experts who have visited our place from all parts of the country tell us71 stand unrivalled on this continent4 ,many of our customers write us that their birds average from #aej to #afe eggs per season4 ,we would say that there is no domestic bird under so perfect control1 so free from diseases of all kinds1 or from insect parasites as the ,pekin duck4 ,from the time the little bird is hatched until it is full grown and ready to reproduce its own species1 it is under the perfect control of the intelligent operator1 who can produce feathers1 flesh or bone at will1 and even mature the bird and compel it to lay at four-and-a-half months old4 ,there is no bird in existence that will respond to kind treatment1 generous care and feed as the ,pekin duck4 ,on the other hand1 there is no bird more susceptible to improper feed or neglect1 and a sad mortality is sure to follow among the little ones1 where proper food and system are wanting4 ,it may surprise some one to know that the predisposition to disease may exist in the egg from which the little bird is hatched1 or even in the condition of the parent bird which produces the egg4 ,strong physique in animal life1 as in man1 are like exotics1 requiring the most assiduous care and cultivation1 and are the most difficult to transmit4 ,defects1 like weeds1 seem indigenous to the soil and will reproduce with unerring regularity1 and will often crop out in all directions1 generations after you think you have wiped it all out4 ,so it is one thing to produce an egg from good1 strong1 vigorous stock during the winter in inclement weather1 when all nature is against you1 and so poorly fertilized that if it hatches at all1 will hatch a chick so enfeebled in construction that no amount of petting or coaxing can induce it to live1 but quite another to produce an egg so highly vitalized1 that it will be sure to hatch a healthy young bird1 bound to live under all circumstances4 ,but this is not all the danger4 ,the operator1 though he may have good eggs1 may be neglectful or ignorant1 and the health of the young birds seriously injured during the hours of incubation2 or he may have a defective machine which under no condition can turn out healthy birds4 ,with healthy1 vigorous parent stock1 judicious care and food1 there is no reason why good hatches of strong1 healthy young birds may not be obtained1 and the same matured with very little loss4 ,natural and ,artificial ,duck ,culture4 ,it is only within a few years that the public at large have become awake to the importance of the poultry interests in the country4 ,formerly it was supposed to be of insignificant proportions compared to the beef and pork product4 ,but recent statistics show that the poultry interests in magnitude not only exceed either of the above1 but are vastly on the increase year by year4 ,yet1 strange to say1 the supply1 enormous as it is1 does not keep pace with the demand4 ,as a natural consequence1 we are obliged to import millions of dozens of eggs from ,europe1 and carloads of poultry of all descriptions from ,canada4 7,december #ba1 #ahhh1 a train of twenty refrigerator cars loaded with dressed poultry1 aggregating #bjj tons1 arrived in ,boston from ,canada1--#ej1jjj worth of dressed poultry at one shipment47 ,still the demand goes on4 ,our large cities1 which form the principal market for poultry and eggs1 are growing larger every year4 ,the rich men who inhabit them are growing richer and more numerous1 and are always ready to pay the poulterer a good round price for a first-class article4 ,good poultry has not only become an every day necessity to the well-to-do classes1 but is a common article of diet at least six months of the year on the workingman's table4 ,it is everywhere recognized by physicians as the best and most palatable1 as well as the most wholesome and nutritious1 of all our flesh diets4 ,duck ,culture an ,important ,industry4 ,duck culture now assumes a most important part in the poultry business1 and yet1 until within a few years1 people did not suppose that ducks were fit to eat4 ,but now the public appetite is fast becoming educated to the fact that a nice1 crispy1 roasted duckling of ten weeks old is not only a dish fit for an epicure1 but is far ahead of either turkey1 chicken or goose4 ,as a natural consequence1 the demand for good ducks is rapidly increasing4 ,one of the principal poultry dealers in ,boston assured me that his sales of ducks had nearly doubled each season for the past five years4 ,twenty years ago1 when growing less than #aejj ducks yearly1 ,i was obliged to visit the city markets personally and tease the dealers to purchase my birds in order to secure anything like satisfactory prices4 ,now1 with a ranch capacity of nearly #bj1jjj ducks yearly1 ,i cannot fill my orders4 ,pond or ,lake ,not ,necessary4 ,the reason is very plain4 ,formerly people supposed that ducks could not be successfully grown without access to either pond1 stream or coast line4 ,as a natural consequence1 a large share of the birds sold in the markets were grown on or near the coasts1 fed largely on fish1 partially fattened1 and were anything but a tempting morsel4 ,for years there have been large establishments on the ,long ,island shores devoted to duck-culture4 ,large seines and nets were used regularly to secure the fish on which the young birds were fed and fattened4 ,these birds grew to a large size and attained a fine plumage1 but1 as might be surmised1 their flesh was coarse and fishy4 ,occasionally a person was found who relished these birds1 but the majority of people preferred to eat their fish and flesh separately4 ,now this is all changed4 ,duck-culture of today is quite a different thing from the days of yore4 ,then1 the young birds were confided to the tender mercies of the old hen4 ,now1 the business is all done artificially4 ,the artificially-grown1 scrap-fed duckling of the interior is a far different bird from his fishy-fed brother of the coast4 ,he has been educated to a complete indifference to water except to satisfy his thirst4 ,taught to take on flesh and fat instead of feathers1 his body is widened out and rounded off1 and1 when properly denuded of his feathers1 is a thing of beauty4 ,ducks ,in ,great ,demand for ,food4 ,this sudden popularity of the duck in our markets1 the great demand for them on the tables of our epicures1 together with the immense profits realized from growing them1 has naturally created quite an interest among poultry men2 so much so that ,i am constantly flooded with letters filled with inquiries as to which is the best variety to raise1 which are the best layers1 if they can be hatched in incubators1 what kind of buildings are necessary1 the amount of profit realized1--in short1 wishing me to give them the whole thing in detail1 which1 were one willing1 it would be completely out of one's power to do4 ,as there seems to be no work published in the country to meet this case and answer these queries1 in pure self-defense1 and through earnest persuasion of many friends1 ,i shall1 to the best of my ability1 through this little treatise1 endeavor to answer them1 together with many other points which will naturally suggest themselves4 ,i shall confine myself almost entirely to an exposition of the artificial method1 giving my own experience in the business for the last thirty years in detail4 ,in doing this1 the most approved buildings will be 7both for brooding and breeding7 described in full1 together with cuts of the egg in different stages of incubation1 and the living and dead germ compared1 and how to distinguish each1 plainly told4 ,just here let me say that a great deal of skepticism prevails among people in general and farmers in particular4 ,they do not believe in the success of artificial poultry growing1 or1 indeed1 of growing it in large numbers in any other way4 ,as a proof of their assertions they will tell you that more than three-fourths of the people who attempt the business on a large scale make a complete failure of it4 ,and it is the plain truth4 ,there are few communities in this country1 large as it is1 but that1 at some time in the past1 has had a bogus incubator within its limits1 or a good one that has been badly managed4 ,the unfortunate experience of these men has spread for miles in all directions4 ,there is but one verdict4 ,the man is never condemned4 ,the system is so denounced that a strong prejudice exists against all incubators1 which it is difficult to combat4 ,every town1 too1 has had its representative poultry man who has erected extensive building's with a view to growing poultry on a large scale in the natural way4 ,he1 too1 has met with disaster4 ,failure has attended his efforts1 and the community is still more embittered against the whole thing1 and the emphatic ,it can't be done1 meets you on every side4 ,now1 there is a cause for all this4 ,where is it8 ,in the men4 ,they do not comply with the conditions of success1 and failure is the result4 ,we will endeavor to give some of the reasons why3 ,nearly three-fourths of these people come from the city4 ,now1 city people have unfortunately imbibed the impression that the necessary amount of brains and executive ability required to successfully run a mercantile1 manufacturing or broker's business in the city is largely in excess of that required to run a successful poultry or agricultural ranch in the country4 ,raising ,poultry in the ,country4 ,men who have impoverished themselves by repeated failures in the city come out to retrieve their fortunes by raising poultry in the country4 ,they visit your place and see thousands of young ducklings of all sizes and ages1 each one vieing with the other as to which will consume the most food4 ,they are completely carried away with the sight4 ,they question you closely in regard to the profit derived from the business1 and then openly avow their intention of doing the same thing themselves4 ,you advise beginning small1 and meekly suggest the possibility of failure through inexperience4 ,the incredulous smile that plays over their features informs you that advice is wasted4 ,why1 haven't ,i read up all the poultry journals and got the whole thing down fine8 ,others1 still1 who1 from close confinement at sedentary work in the city1 are anxious to engage in a business which promises equally to restore their health as well as to provide them a livelihood4 ,these invalids come out with their exhausted energies and dilapidated constitutions to engage in a business which1 to insure success1 requires a minuteness of detail and intensity of application second to none4 ,they are unequal to the six or eight hours required of them on a revolving stool in the counting-room in the city1 but are equal to the fourteen and sixteen hours indispensable to the poultry business in the country4 ,is it strange that a large proportion of these men fail8 ,others1 still1 come to us wishing to engage in the business1 at the same time candidly acknowledging their complete ignorance and inexperience4 ,they frankly state their circumstances4 ,they are poor1 with families to support1 and are not afraid of work1 throwing themselves1 as it were1 upon one's mercy4 ,they seek a good1 healthy and fairly profitable occupation in which they can cultivate the physique and morals of their children away from the temptations of city life4 ,now you take kindly to such men2 readily forfeit any advantages which may accrue to yourself through want of candor on your part1 gauge their calibre1 and to the best of your ability measure their chances of success1 and give them the best advice you can1 which advice usually is to begin small1--say with one machine1 buildings in proportion1 and increase their plant as their experience and judgment dictates4 ,raise ,ducks and ,chicks4 ,but the reader will say3 ,what has all this to do with duck-culture8 ,simply this3 ,it is to give the would-be poultry enthusiast some idea of what he has to contend with before he begins4 ,to convince him that this is no child's play--that the care of young ducks and chicks means early hours and late4 ,the closest confinement and application is required for at least six months of the year1 and if he is at all afraid of hard work or of soiling his fingers1 he had better stop where he is4 ,the theory that the poultry business furnishes a good occupation for little boys and girls1 superannuated old men and invalids1 has long since exploded4 ,we advise people to secure a fair share of health before they begin and then they will be sure to keep it4 ,as an inducement to all1 ,i would say that there is nothing in the way of farm industry or any other legitimate occupation which will at all compare with the profits obtained from poultry when artificially conducted4 ,there are1 however1 a few notable exceptions in favor of watered railroad stock1 bogus mining shares1 patent medicines1 and the business done by our bank cashiers when guaranteed a safe transit through to ,canada4 ,i would advise all contemplating the poultry business to combine the growing of ducks and chicks together1 for the reason that more profit can be realized from both than from either alone1 because they do not necessarily interfere with each other1 and the same buildings and machinery can be utilized for both4 ,the brooding-house should be filled with chicks in ,november and ,december1 which they will have outgrown by ,february1 when the building will be required for ducklings4 ,the ducklings1 strange to say1 though two months younger1 will be ready for market as soon as the chicks 7provided the latter are held for roasters1 as they should be7 and they will both be in the market in time to command the highest prices4 ,this is what the poulterer should always cater for1 and machinery alone will enable him to do it4 ,he who expects to incubate with old hens during the winter will surely get left4 ,but more of this hereafter4 ,select ,a ,good ,site4 ,the first thing for one to do 7if he is not already located71 is to select a good site4 ,it should have a gradual slope to the east or south1 enough for natural drainage4 ,no matter how poor the land1 it will be rich enough before your fowls get through with it4 ,i need not say that in those regions where snow lies upon the ground four or five months of the year1 the conditions are not as favorable for the poultry grower as near the coast line1 where snow1 though a frequent visitor1 remains but a few weeks or days at a time4 ,in the one case it means close confinement to the fowls a great part of the winter1 with want of exercise and consequent want of action in the digestive organs4 ,the food is not assimilated1 the fowls become debilitated1 and though they may give a fair share of eggs1 these eggs can seldom be depended upon to hatch4 ,it is true1 the active poulterer may overcome this in a measure by clearing away the snow for ten or fifteen feet in front of his buildings after each storm1 and by a free use of barn chaff and chopped straw induce his fowls to go out on sunny days1 but all this increases his work and makes the conditions against him4 ,i simply mention these facts1 assuming that where a man has his choice of locations1 these hints may have their proper weight in the matter4 ,advantages with ,ducks4 ,the same rule holds good in a measure with breeding ducks1 though not in so great a degree4 ,for instance1 your hen when closely confined seems to lose her ambition1 and spends a large part of her time on the perches1 apparently indifferent to all sublunary things4 ,not so your duck4 ,she is in constant motion1 no matter how small her quarters4 ,no meditation for her4 ,indeed1 the days seem too short for her to exercise in1 and so she keeps it up through a great part of the night4 ,her greatest ambition seems to be to distribute the few quarts of water you have given her for drink1 evenly all over the pen you have just covered with dry1 finely-chopped straw1 and make it as sloppy as possible1 and it is astonishing in how short a space of time she will succeed in doing it4 ,again1 snow and ice are the aversion of the hen4 ,she cannot be induced to step in either except under pressure of circumstances4 ,not so your duck4 ,she likes nothing better than to be out in a snow bank during a thaw1 and if she can only work it up into the color and consistency of mud it suits her exactly4 ,she does not mind the cold if she can only keep her feet warm4 ,she is clothed with an impenetrable coat of feathers and an equally thick coat of down4 ,she does not take kindly to confinement in a building and will utter her constant protest1 and like the average school boy of ten prefers to suffer from the cold outside to being comfortable in4 ,therefore1 the main point in breeding early ducks and erecting buildings for the same1 next to supplying them with the right kind of food1 is to keep their feet warm4 ,cold feet affect the winter laying of the duck the same as a frozen comb affects the hen4 ,it stops the egg production at once4 ,locate ,near a ,railroad4 ,your plant should be located on a line of railroad1 in direct communication with one or more of our great city markets1 and not too far from the station1 as you will necessarily be in frequent and close communication with that4 ,arrange the ,buildings4 to secure good room in front1 also good drainage1 and especially with a view to reducing the labor to a minimum1 both inside and out4 ,always remember that the labor is the most expensive part of the poultry business4 ,now is the time for forethought and caution--save all the steps1 all the work you can4 ,you will never suffer from want of exercise1 if your fowls do4 ,i never knew a case of gout in a man in the poultry business in my life4 ,it is well1 also1 when arranging a poultry plant1 to make provision for future contingencies1 so that should one in the course of time and experience wish to increase his plant and the size of his buildings longitudinally he will have plenty of room to do it1 by simply moving the end of his building out as far as he wishes and filling in between4 ,i have been obliged to do this several times in the course of my experience1 and have the past ,fall built a double brooding house #bej feet long by #af feet wide4 ,one important point in erecting poultry buildings is the difficulty in building them1 ,warm1 ,cheap1 and ,rat-proof4 ,formerly ,i built stone foundations on which were placed the buildings1 cementing the stone work to the sill carefully inside and out4 ,this proved in the end not only an expensive but a very unsatisfactory arrangement1 for cement it as one would the action of the frost would always part the sill from the foundation and admit the cold air from all around just where it should be kept warm4 ,i have since hit upon a plan which has not only met the case but is comparatively inexpensive4 ,place posts1 with one square side to them1 about four feet apart1 on which place the #bx#d inch sill4 ,set these posts in the ground so that the tops rise but one inch above the surface1 with the flat side exactly horizontal and perpendicular to the inside of the sill4 ,then sink a hemlock board twelve or fourteen inches wide into the ground inside of the building1 and immediately in front of the two-inch sill1 until the upper edge is flush with the upper side of the sill1 nailing it firmly thereto1 filling up inside nearly to a level of the top of the sill4 ,this gives a warm1 cheap foundation on which the frost does not act4 ,hemlock1 too1 seems to have an affinity for moisture and will last in that condition from eight to ten years1 when it can be easily renewed4 ,this arrangement is also comparatively rat-proof1 as a hemlock board is a rat's aversion4 ,it does not agree with their teeth4 ,they cannot possibly dig under during the frozen months of the year1 and as it affords them no concealment they do not care to1 during the warm season4 ,the ,outside ,plan of a ,breeding and ,brooding ,house with the exception of a little more glass in the latter1 should be precisely the same both for ducks and ducklings4 ,the internal arrangements can be made to suit4 ,as ,i shall give a full description with cuts of this building later1 ,i will now merely give the manner in which it should be arranged as a good breeding-house for ducks4 ,this building should be fifteen feet wide and any length required4 ,it should have an uneven double roof1 five-foot posts in the rear and four foot in front4 ,about one-quarter of this front should be glass4 ,there should be a walk the entire length of the building three and one-half feet wide4 ,the main body of the building should be divided into pens twenty feet long1 by either lath or wire two feet high4 ,the walk should be separated from the pens by laths three inches apart1 to allow the birds to feed and water from the walk4 ,this method simplifies the labor very much1 as it enables the operator to load his barrow1 travel the whole length of a #bjj-;foot building and feed and water #ejj ducks in a few minutes4 ,this arrangement has many other advantages besides1 as it permits the birds to feed and water readily from the walk without being able to waste either1 or mix the contents of food and water-dishes with filth4 ,it also prevents the birds from sopping the straw in the bottom of their pens1 or of soiling their white plumage1 both of which they are bound to do if possible1 and as the duck1 especially the ,pekin1 is a very timid bird1 this plan familiarizes her with the appearance of the attendant without bringing her into actual contact with him4 ,use ,half the ,pens for ,feeding ,purposes4 ,one-half or ten feet of the twenty-foot pens should be utilized for feeding purposes4 ,the lower board of this slat partition should not be more than three inches wide and should rest upon the ground so the birds can readily feed over it4 ,as this ten-foot partition is but two feet high1 the attendant can readily step over it to pick up a stray egg occasionally4 ,six feet of this partition should be portable and secured with a groove or button so it can be easily removed to allow the entrance of a barrow in cleaning out the pens2 this should be done when the birds are out1 never when they are in4 ,the remaining ten feet of the pen should be used for nest boxes1 which can be fifteen inches square and one foot high4 ,a board four inches wide may be fastened in front to prevent the nest material from being drawn out4 ,this latter may be composed of finely cut hay or chaff4 ,this must be perfectly dry1 as the duck while laying will work it all over and cover her eggs carefully1 which as they are pure white1 become easily soiled and stained2 this will necessitate washing unless things are kept dry and clean4 ,this is a vital point with us1 as it never did seem as if a filthy egg would hatch as well as a clean one4 ,i abominate a machine filled with filthy eggs2 it actually hurts my feelings to handle them4 ,these nests should be covered closely and the partition above them be correspondingly high1 as the birds will often mount upon the boxes4 ,the back of the nest boxes next the walk should be closed with a board hinged below so that the attendant can let it down readily and secure the eggs from the walk4 ,the ,room for ,mixing ,feed4 ,some twelve feet of this breeding-house may be utilized as a cook and mixing room1 and must necessarily be a little higher posted than the rest of the building1--say1 two feet higher4 ,this cookroom1 with boiler1 is an essential thing in a duck-house4 ,unlike hens1 they do not take kindly to hard food and whole grain4 ,their digestive organs1 in many points1 are different from the hens1 and they do not assimilate hard food readily4 ,they require more vegetable food1 and those vegetables must be cooked1--but more about this hereafter4 ,of course1 this building should be sweet and clean1 and must be well deodorized2 for1 though ducks do not generate vermin like other fowl1 and are not subject to as many diseases1 or as readily affected by thermal changes1--in fact1 a good driving rainstorm is their delight1--yet they will not thrive when confined in filthy quarters4 ,it engenders a morbid appetite1 impairs digestion1 and your bird is poor before you know it4 ,this1 of course1 arrests the egg production at once4 ,i wish here to impress upon the breeder the absolute necessity of the careful handling and feeding of his birds2 and1 when necessary1 handle very gently1 always taking the bird by the neck4 ,this is very essential1 because the bones of a well-bred1 well-fatted duck seem wholly disproportioned to the size and weight of his body1 and we have often seen a wing broken or a leg disjointed by the convulsive efforts of the bird to escape when caught by those members through the carelessness of the attendant4 ,the timidity of the ,pekin is proverbial4 ,you should move quietly among your layers if you would have them thrive1 as constant agitation and disquietude will surely debilitate them and reduce their flesh4 ,i have known a pair of heavy exhibition birds to lose a pound per day during their confinement the first four days of exhibition1 and to be eight pounds lighter than they were ten days before when started for the show4 ,their recuperative powers are equally wonderful4 ,i have often seen ,pekin ducks1 after having produced one hundred eggs in nearly as many days1 on evincing a desire to sit1 and being somewhat reduced in flesh1 when shut up in a yard with drakes and well fed1 in less than a week commence her regular contribution of an egg per day4 ,water ,not ,needed4 ,the majority of people have the impression that water to bathe in is essential to secure fertility in duck eggs1 but it is a great mistake4 ,my ducks never see water1 the year round1 except to drink4 ,they are confined in yards #bdx#ajj feet1 some forty in each yard1 twenty-four feet being the size of the pens inside of the breeding house4 ,they are confined in these yards for nine months1 or till ,august #a1 when they are removed in order that the land may be disinfected4 ,this is done by plowing and growing a crop of barley or rye1 when the land is ready for the ducks again4 ,free ,range ,unnecessary4 ,i am constantly experimenting to see if there are defects in my system4 ,a few years ago ,i had thirty breeding-yards devoted to ducks4 ,i wished to ascertain the difference in egg production and percentage of fertility between ducks yarded close and those with free range1 the feed and other conditions being the same4 ,one lot of fifty ducks were allowed the range of a five-acre lot1 in addition to their own yard4 ,they ranged in common with our cows1 there being plenty of grass4 ,another lot of seventy-five were allowed the range of the whole premises1 with the same feed and care as the eight yards confined4 ,the latter were liberally supplied with all the green and vegetable food needed4 ,the egg production and the fertility of each were carefully noted4 ,i was much surprised to find that the difference was very little1 and that in favor of the birds confined4 ,the ,mode of ,feeding4 differs with the season of the year4 ,during the autumn and early winter months feed twice each day about equal quantities of corn-meal1 wheat-bran1 and boiled turnips and potatoes1 with about ten per cent4 of ground beef scrap thrown in4 ,at noon1 give a small amount of dry food1 composed of equal quantities of cracked corn1 oats1 and wheat4 ,when the birds commence laying1 as they will about ,january #ast1 gradually increase the quantity of meal and animal food1 proportionally decreasing the amount of bran4 ,the ,pekin ,duck4 is my favorite4 ,i have experimented carefully during the last thirty years with all the larger breeds1 crossing them in every conceivable way to obtain the best results1 and am perfectly satisfied with the ,pekins4 ,i am now through experimenting1 and as ,i grow nearly #bj1jjj ducklings yearly1 can hardly afford to guess at it1 as one cent per bird makes a difference of over #bjj4 in my receipts1--one cent per pound1 a difference of over #abjj4 ,it is readily seen that ,i can only afford to use the bird that will grow the greatest number of pounds of flesh in the shortest space of time4 ,nor is this all4 ,it must be the bird that will give you the first eggs of the season1 as this will enable you to get your birds on the market when they will command the highest price1 as there is more clear profit from one early bird than from three later ones4 ,this will be the more readily understood when it is known that the maximum price paid for early birds is thirty cents per pound in ,boston and ,new ,york1 the minimum price for late ones eighteen cents1 the cost of production being the same for both4 ,illustration3 ,,pekin ,,ducks4 ,the ,pekin ,combines the ,best ,points4 ,the ,pekin is the only bird that will cover all these points4 ,it has two slight defects1--its extreme timidity and its heavy1 coarse voice1 which it does not scruple to use when congregated in large numbers4 ,the former can be easily overcome by careful handling4 ,but to off-set these defects the ,pekin will not only produce the first eggs of the season1 but by far the greatest number of any of the breeds1 with one exception1 the ,indian ,runner4 ,they mature earlier1 are more hardy and domestic in their habits1 never wandering far1 and always returning to the coops at night4 ,they are not mischievous1 and require less water than either of the other breeds4 ,my birds have for generations been bred in dry yards1 with simply water to drink1 and all desire for it for other purposes seems to have been bred out of them4 ,when allowed their freedom in the fall1 the flocks never visit the brook1 fifteen or twenty rods distant1 and when driven there occasionally for the purpose of purifying their feathers1 get out again just as soon as possible4 ,indeed1 after a water bath their feathers cling to their bodies1 and they present the same bedraggled appearance that the old hen did many years ago after one had immersed her in a water-barrel to cure her propensity for sitting4 ,a wealthy ,new ,yorker ordered a dozen of my best ducks1 a year or two ago4 ,in a few weeks he wrote that he wished to return them1 as they did not answer his purpose2 for1 said he1 ,i have an artificial lake on my lawn1 near my piazza1 and ,i wanted these ducks to disport in the water for the pleasure of my wife and children1 and they will not go in the water at all unless ,i drive them in with a whip1 and ,i have to stand guard over them all the time1 as they get out the moment my back is turned4 ,i wrote him in return that had ,i known he wanted the ducks for their aquatic performances1 ,i should have recommended the common puddle duck1 when he would have had as much trouble to get them out of the water as he had to get the ,pekins in4 ,feathers are ,pure ,white4 ,another advantage of the ,pekin over the other breeds is their pure white1 elastic feathers which are largely mixed with down4 ,these feathers readily command from forty to fifty cents per pound1 and as the reader can see1 are no mean source of income1 especially when the birds are grown in large numbers4 ,these birds1 as their name indicates1 originated in ,china4 ,they are large1 beautiful birds1 of a proud1 erect carriage1 with pure white plumage outside4 ,the inside feathers are slightly cream colored4 ,the neck is long and gracefully curved2 the head long and finely shaped1 with a full bright eye4 ,the legs and beak are of a very dark orange1 and form a fine contrast to the pure white feathers4 ,the minimum weight of our birds when matured is about fourteen pounds per pair1 while the very heaviest will tip the scales at twenty-two pounds4 ,my first experience with ducks commenced more than forty years ago4 ,we used the common puddle ducks and grew them for the city market4 ,the ducks were very small and so were the profits4 ,they were fed but little and allowed full range1 consequently the home ties were not strong4 ,those ducks followed the little brook in the pasture through swamps and marshes for half a mile in either direction1 wholly regardless of farm limits4 ,if we expected any eggs from those ducks they should have been safely housed at night4 ,this task devolved upon the boys4 ,now our paternal head1 though a kind and indulgent parent 7unfortunately for us71 had the impression that boys were made to work1 and work we did4 ,now1 what boy of ten or twelve years had not rather chase ducks through the mud in the swamp than to wield the hoe among the weeds in the corn field8 ,it was our recreation1 our chief solace and delight through those long1 hot summer days--the anticipation of that duck hunt in the evening4 ,i think our extraordinary love for the duck hailed from this date4 ,later on we used a cross between a ,rouen and ,cayuga4 ,this cross made a much larger and better market bird4 ,the flesh was better flavored4 ,they produced more eggs and began earlier in the spring1 consequently prices and profits slightly improved4 ,these birds did not stray as far1 but were as fond of mud and water as their little predecessors4 ,it was a pleasing and comical sight to see three or four hundred of these ducklings of all ages1 when first let out in the morning1 run down the hill in their eager haste to reach the swamp1 a part of them right side up1 then rolling over and over on their broadsides2 others still reversing themselves end for end down the steep incline1 apparently a matter of supreme indifference how1 so long as they reached the mud first4 ,these ducklings always returned at night with their numbers more or less depleted1 as they were the legitimate prey of skunks1 minks1 weasels and mud turtles2 and if we reached the summer's end with sixty per cent4 of the original number we were well satisfied4 ,all this has been changed4 ,we have learned a number of points on duck culture since then4 ,first1 that all losses by vermin can be easily avoided by yarding your little birds at home and keeping them under your own eye4 ,second1 that mud and water externally applied are not essential to their growth and well-being1 and that in fact they will thrive better without4 ,ready for ,market #c ,months ,earlier4 ,third1 that it is not necessary to keep your birds till they are six months old in the fall and then put them on the market when it is sure to be glutted1 but much better to market them at ten weeks1 when they are nearly as heavy1 and you are sure to get more than double the price1 as well as save three or four months extra feed4 ,there are many other points connected with this thing which the novice must ponder carefully before he begins1 as a slight mistake in the beginning often means a great loss in the end4 ,as pioneers in the business we have for many years been carefully experimenting with the different breeds1 different treatment and variety of food4 ,we have met with many failures1 suffered some loss1 but with a gradual improvement through it all1 which has been very encouraging to us1 and though we do not claim perfection1 yet we are now reaping a rich harvest compared to which our former losses are simply insignificant4 ,it is a source of gratification to know that success has at last crowned our efforts4 ,when we look back forty years--when year after year chronicled failure and our best efforts met with loss--when we were the butt1 ridicule1 and laughing stock of the whole community2 when we were assured again and again that we were fighting against nature and never could succeed1 and repeated failures only seemed to confirm that assertion1--and compare it with the present1 when we can grow our birds by the thousands1 regulate the growth1 control the mortality1 and grow flesh or feathers at will2 have shortened the precocity1 increased fecundity1 and even educated the birds to an aversion for water1 which was formerly their home2 we have completely reversed the order of things and taught our birds to reproduce at a season of the year when all nature is against them1 we can safely feel the victory is won4 ,we hope that our readers will not only benefit by the experience we shall present1 but that many of them will be able to take this and carry it on where1 according to the natural course of things1 we shall be obliged to leave it4 ,we are no longer young1 the infirmities and decrepitude of age are slowly creeping upon us and admonish us that our days of research are nearly over1 and we find that our life is all too short4 ,but there is a satisfaction in knowing that others will take this thing up where we leave off and carry it on to the end4 ,the ,superiority of ,artificial ,poultry ,growing4 ,we predict a great future for artificial poultry growing4 ,it is yet in its infancy4 ,the time will come when it will gradually supersede many of the regular farm crops on the sterile soil of ,new ,england1 when every farmer will have his proper complement of poultry appliances1 and when you can prove to the average farmer that the capital necessary to run a poultry plant 7which will with less labor ensure him a greater income than that from his whole farm7 is less than one-fourth of that required for any other farm investment4 ,you will begin to see him scratch his head to evolve ideas4 ,the beginner in starting1 should recollect that this is a business of detail and that small things must be taken into account4 ,it is not only a very essential thing to choose the best breeding stock that can be had1 but1 all other conditions being the same1 to select the color of their feathers4 ,we have always had a predilection in favor of white birds1 for the feathers 7which are no small item in ducks7 command nearly double the price of colored ones1 and are always more saleable4 ,again1 we must cater for the market with young birds1 and every one knows that young birds are more or less addicted to pinfeathers1 many of which it is very difficult to remove1 as they have secured a lodgment just under the skin1 but have not found their way through4 ,now a dark pinfeather is a blot upon the fair surface of a fine chicken or duck1 and the thrifty housewife in selecting her dinner will always leave the pins behind4 ,she does not like a variety of colors in her duckling1 if she does in her dress4 ,the dealer1 aware of this peculiarity of the ladies 7who1 by the way1 form a large share of his customers7 will1 if he buys at all1 cut you on the price4 ,unfortunately we started in with dark birds1 but it did not matter at that time1 as the ,pekin had not been imported1 and there were very few ,aylesburys in the country4 ,we were surrounded by vermin of all kinds4 ,our young birds disappeared mysteriously1 and in such large numbers that we were nearly discouraged4 ,hawks do not trouble ducks1 but rats1 weasels and minks developed such a fondness for them as to completely atone for any neglect on their part4 ,we made a free use of steel traps1 guns1 and phosphoretic poison4 ,the battle raged for two years2 at the end of that time ,i think it would be difficult to find one of the above-mentioned vermin one-fourth of a mile from the place4 ,it was a great relief2 our ducklings could range at will1 even be left out during the night1 and still the full complement appear at the dough-troughs in the morning4 ,do ,not ,have ,neighbors ,too ,near4 ,another source of discomfort was our neighbors' cats4 ,now1 we are eminently social in our disposition1 and enjoy our neighbors' company very much4 ,we like to spend a social evening with them and have them do the same by us4 ,but not so their cats4 ,we never interchanged civilities with them1 their visits were too ill timed and frequent4 ,our ducklings were carried off in large numbers1 and in pure self-defense we shot the cats4 ,of course1 this made trouble in our neighbors' families1 especially the female portion1 by whom it was promptly resented4 ,the principle of touch my dog1 touch me1 was illustrated here in all its force4 ,no amount of provocation ever justified us in their eyes in killing their cats4 ,with pater familias it was different4 ,his affections were not engaged4 ,he recognized the necessity of the thing1 laughed it off1 and said it was all right4 ,now1 cats breed fast and are very prolific1 and our neighbors were plenty1 and we are unwilling to state the amount of our losses from those sources1 for fear our veracity would be doubted4 ,we endured this sort of annoyance for some twelve years1 but made up our minds that if we ever selected another poultry ranch we would locate our neighbors at a distance4 ,we have done so1 and now have no trouble from this source4 ,we found that the ,cayuga duck was a more precocious bird than the ,rouen1 and were better layers4 ,the eggs were more fertile4 ,they were also much hardier1 and1 as a consequence1 there was less mortality among the young4 ,but they were rather small in size1 dressing only seven to nine pounds per pair4 ,the ,rouens were nearly four pounds heavier1 but had their disadvantages4 ,they were not so productive in eggs1 and those did not give us the same percentage of hatch1 while the mortality among the little ones was much greater4 ,we do not like to condemn any variety of birds on one trial1 as we may be unfortunate in our selection of a strain1 but our subsequent experience with these birds fully confirms the above2 and though they are a large1 attractive bird1 we do not consider them as hardy as either ,pekin1 ,aylesbury or ,cayuga4 ,illustration3 ,,cayuga ,,ducks4 ,we conceived the plan of crossing this bird with the ,cayuga1 with a view of increasing the size1 not knowing whether the good or the negative qualities of the two birds would prevail4 ,we were very much pleased with the results of this cross1 as it gave us all the good qualities of the ,cayuga with the largely increased size of the ,rouen4 ,it gave us also a good table bird1 the flesh of which was far better flavored than that of the puddle duck4 ,we made the duck business then supplementary to that of growing chickens4 ,our chicks were hatched out early in the winter in order to secure the high prices4 ,our ducks during the spring and summer were not marketed until fall4 ,we did not expect those ducks to lay till the first of ,april1 and they did not disappoint us4 ,if anyone had told us that young ducks could be made to lay at four or five months old1 and that we could have our young broods out by the thousands at that time1 we should have called him insane4 ,we then gave our ducklings free range1 and1 as a consequence1 lost large numbers of them from eating injurious insects1 which1 in their haste1 they did not stop to kill1 and paid the penalty with their lives4 ,illustration3 ,,rouen ,,ducks4 ,now1 the genuine duckling is proverbially stupid4 ,he has an immense faculty for getting himself into trouble1 without the first idea as to how he shall get out4 ,as1 for instance1 we had taken up some old fence-posts one day1 and carelessly left the holes 7some two feet deep7 unfilled4 ,when feeding time came at night we missed many of our little ducklings1 and1 at the same time1 heard a great squeaking1 which we could not locate4 ,we finally traced it to the post-holes1 which we found nearly full of young ducklings1 not much the worse for the adventure4 ,when we look back at the difficulties with which we had to contend1 and the losses we sustained in consequence1 ,i often wonder that we were not discouraged4 ,it was blunder after blunder1 repeated always with the same results4 ,we had very little idea of the systematic care and regular food required to ensure against loss and enable the young birds to attain a weight in a few weeks which we supposed required almost as many months4 ,we still had the impression that water was essential to the welfare of the birds1 both old and young1 and that eggs would not be fertile unless copulation took place in the water4 ,so we built a tank for use during the dry season of the year 7which held about a hogshead71 and cemented it thoroughly4 ,this tank we laboriously filled with water for the birds to sport in1 but it did not work1 as it soon became so offensive that we were obliged to renew it at least every three days1 so that we soon became tired of it1 and once more allowed the ducks the liberty of the swamp4 ,we never obtained more than half of the number of eggs that we now get from our ,pekins4 ,about this time the ,aylesbury duck came under our notice1 and we procured a number of them at once1 as they came highly recommended1 but they did not meet our expectations4 ,they were a very pretty bird to look at1 and their feathers were more valuable1 but there the advantage ended1 for the strain we obtained was a trifle smaller than the mongrels we had been breeding1--rather more delicate to rear1 and1 worse than all1 we found it almost impossible to pick them4 ,in all our experience before or since we have never seen anything to equal those birds4 ,the tenacity of those feathers was exasperating4 ,every one was bound to retain its complement of flesh4 ,of course the birds were so disfigured that the most of them were retained for family use4 ,it was no use to think of scalding them1--that would not only seriously injure the feathers1 but would completely spoil the birds for ,boston market1 as scalded birds are rejected at once and classed with cheap ,western fowls4 ,while going the rounds of ,boston market one pleasant ,june day1 shortly after our experience with the ,aylesburys1 we noticed some fine young birds nicely dressed1 that had evidently snow-white plumage4 ,as this was before the advent of iced poultry1 we supposed the birds had come from the regions of the far ,south1 and our curiosity was excited4 ,we interviewed the dealer and was surprised to learn that the birds were grown to the north of us1 and that they were the ,pekin ducks we had heard of for a year or two1 but had taken no stock in4 ,yet here they were in the market1 while ours were toddling about at home less than half grown4 ,here was a revelation4 ,we procured some eggs of this party1 at once1 and in due time hatched out sixty lively young ducklings4 ,they were tended with the utmost care and not one was lost4 ,we were very much interested in these little fellows1 they were so hardy1 and you could fairly see them grow4 ,it occurred to me at this time to try and experiment with these ducklings1 keep a correct account of all food consumed by them1 and ascertain what they cost per pound when ready for market4 ,the average weight was taken from the rejected drakes which we did not need for breeding purposes1 and which were culled out and sent to market at ten weeks old4 ,we were very much surprised to find the cost to us 7exclusive of the cost of eggs7 was about #d-c_/d cents per pound4 ,we could hardly credit our own eyes4 ,the calculation was made again and again with the same result4 ,the same calculation was made a year later on two yards of some three hundred ducklings with a result obtained1 when ready for market1 of #e-a_/d cents per pound1 including cost of eggs4 ,illustration3 ,,aylesbury ,,ducks4 ,as ,i had long since left the paternal abode1 and for years had ceased to superintend the establishments of others1 and as the following experience will be entirely my own1 ,i shall hereafter use the personal ,i4 ,it is needless to say that the figures arrived at from the calculations made of those ducks were startling4 ,what6 can ,i grow ducks in three months as cheaply as ,i can grow pork in a year1 or beef in two years1 and then get six times as much per pound for it after it is grown8 ,yes1 if figures tell the truth4 ,can ,i afford longer to grow large crops of fruit and vegetables1 working early and late1 risking frosts and drouths1 making a bare livelihood1 when with one-tenth part of the labor and capital involved ,i can grow a crop which drouths and frosts do not injure1 and make five times as much8 ,no6 ,i have not had a hog on my farm since ,i kept a ,kemp's spreader to work over the manure1 and simply grow fruit and vegetables enough for feathered thieves and home consumption4 ,another question arose3 ,what shall ,i do with my cows8 some sixteen or eighteen in number1 bull1 young stock1 etc4 ,my ,farm4 ,now1 ,i had become somewhat proud of my farm1 as what man does not who had quadrupled its increase within ten years8 ,i was cutting yearly some two hundred tons of hay on less than half that number of acres1 and ,i knew that if ,i sold my cows ,i should1 in some way1 be obliged to get rid of my hay and that would mean disaster to the farm4 ,there might be no decrease in acres1 but there would be a sad diminution in the tons of hay4 ,the result is1 ,i keep cows for my own use4 ,have built two new barns1 each one hundred feet long1 the basements of which are utilized for box stalls1 accommodating sixty boarding horses4 ,these convert my hay and grain 7for which ,i receive the market price7 into manure4 ,this is all ,i expect and all ,i get4 ,a while ago a gentleman from ,new ,york caught me hoeing in my onion patch4 ,he expressed his astonishment at the size of the onions4 7,i now grow two or three hundred bushels yearly to supply my own and neighbors' wants1 and just to keep my hand in47 ,said he3 ,your land seems well adapted to this crop4 ,yes1 ,i have some twenty or thirty acres that are level1 the soil is easily worked and friable1 not troubled much with maggot1 and1 if properly handled1 is about sure of a crop4 ,why don't you put it all into onions8 ,i cannot afford to4 ,why1 said he1 if our ,new ,york farmers had that land within twenty or thirty miles of ,new ,york city it would be worth #a1jjj an acre1 and they would make it pay twenty-five per cent4 of that1 too1 every year4 ,possibly they could1 but with one-tenth of the labor and capital employed ,i can raise ducks enough on one acre to buy all the onions ,i can raise on ten4 ,if ,i am going to increase my capital and labor in any direction ,i should put it into ducks1 not onions4 ,he acknowledged that perhaps ,i was right1 but at the same time thought it was poor economy to grow nothing but hay on such land as that4 ,the ,muscovy ,duck4 ,the ,muscovy duck as its name implies is a denizen of the ,mediterranean and is a beautiful bird1 quiet and inoffensive in its habits1 but cannot compare with the ,pekin either in fecundity or in market value4 ,it cannot be induced to lay so early in the season as the ,pekin1 thus forfeiting the high ,spring prices4 ,the eggs require about the same time to incubate as the goose egg 7five weeks7 and they do not hatch well in an incubator4 ,it is some three weeks longer in maturing than the ,pekin and does not command as high a price in the market by two cents per pound4 ,i asked a prominent ,boston market man yesterday the reason for it4 ,he said that the flesh was coarser than that of the ,pekin while the disparity in the size of the sexes made them very unpopular1 for instance1 while the drake will dress from eight to ten pounds the duck will rate but four or five pounds4 ,said he1 ,i want none of them4 ,there are two varieties of this bird1 white and colored4 ,the ,indian ,runner ,duck4 ,this bird is of recent introduction1 and while it can never be a first-class market bird on account of its small size and dark pins1 it has many good points4 ,its fecundity is wonderful4 ,there is1 perhaps1 no bird that will excel it as an egg producer for market4 ,its patrons are enthusiastic in its praise and claim an average yield of one hundred and seventy-five to two hundred eggs per year from each of their birds1 but their small size1 four to four and a half pounds1 together with their dark pins1 militates against their value as a market bird4 ,i have always emphasized the point that size as well as fecundity is a necessary adjunct to a profitable market bird4 ,it is no more trouble or risk to grow a large bird than a small one1 while the market returns are often double4 ,the large bird will always command at least two or three cents per pound more than a small one1 as well as a more ready sale4 ,the ,runner is a parti-colored bird4 ,i was very much pleased with the ,pekin ducks4 ,they not only layed some weeks earlier than any other breed ,i had ever kept1 but were precocious1 maturing earlier than either of the other breeds1 excepting the ,cayugas1 there being but little difference between the latter and the ,pekins1 but the ,pekins laying some weeks sooner1 it gave us control of the early spring markets1 which are by far the most profitable of the year4 ,disinfecting4 ,my neighbors had become much interested in the business and often visited me1 and were not backward in giving their opinions4 ,they predicted failure for me1 giving as reasons that the market would soon be glutted with so much of that kind of stuff1 for poultry never could be as good grown in that unnatural way1 and that if ,i kept on growing those ducks in the same yard1 year after year1 the land would eventually get poisoned1 and then disease would clean me out4 ,but ,i had thought this thing all over before laying out my yards4 ,i knew that reversing land and cropping it would disinfect it1 so a crop of ducks is always followed by a crop of something else2 and thus ,i succeed each season in getting two crops of ducks and two crops of either rye1 barley1 or oats1 so that the land has not been poisoned1 and is still growing its complement of large1 fat ducks every year1 and as ,i have set it to plum trees1 it is beginning to yield fine1 luscious plums4 ,neither is the market glutted1 as the demand is far in excess of the supply4 ,the way of growing does not seem to be any objection1 as the marketmen are willing to pay me1 at least1 two to four cents per pound more than they can possibly get for those grown in the natural way4 ,perhaps a word here would not be amiss regarding the merits of artificially and naturally-grown poultry for fancy and market purposes4 ,this is a vital question1 and it is as well for the public to fully understand this thing now1 as well as its origin4 ,there is many a person who has been thoroughly convinced of the great advantages and the economy of the artificial over the natural way of doing it1 and who would gladly have started in the business1 but was deterred by the prevailing opinion that artificially-grown birds were always deficient in plumage1 and could never win at a show1 and that the flesh was inferior for table use and could not find a ready sale4 ,it is as well to explode this thing now1 and expose its utter fallacy4 ,there is not a shadow of doubt but that much poor poultry has been put upon the market by people who have attempted its culture in the artificial way by growing hundreds of ducks and chicks in the same limited space that they formerly used for a dozen with an old hen4 ,these1 of course1 could not be otherwise than poor and the mortality great4 ,another reason3 the fancy business in poultry is fast being overdone4 ,the best breeds are now scattered far and wide over the entire country4 ,there is not the demand for them that there has been1 because good birds can be obtained nearer home4 ,many of our old and well-known fanciers are making frantic but vain efforts to keep their business up to its former standard4 ,they have suffered considerably from competition with artificially-grown birds1 and they roundly assert that it is an unnatural method1 that the conditions are not right1 that it affects the growth and plumage of the bird in such a manner as to preclude its ever taking a first-class premium at our shows4 ,now if they can convince the public that naturally grown birds can capture premiums1 and they grow all their birds in the natural way1 it is easy to see how their trade would be increased4 ,now1 ,i never could see how the old hen could impart vigor to her chicks by imparting lice1 or how the increased contributions of filth from the old hen1 united to that from the chicks1 could ever make the conditions more favorable than that from the chicks alone4 ,it can no longer be denied that the artificially-grown fowls are fast coming to the front1--a place which they already occupy in the market4 ,knapp ,bros41 ,fabius1 ,n4 ,y41 the greatest prize winners on ,white ,leghorns in the country1 grow their birds artificially4 ,we could mention many others who are doing equally well4 ,our own ,pekin ducks have1 for many generations1 been hatched and grown artificially1 and today1 for size1 symmetry1 and beauty of plumage they stand unrivaled in ,north ,america4 ,they have won first from ,canada to the ,gulf1 and have never been defeated4 ,three times during the past ten years we have been obliged to enlarge market boxes to accommodate the increased size of our birds2 and yet we have bred only from our own stock4 ,a number of times ,i have procured winning birds at the ,pennsylvania and ,western ,state ,fairs1 with a view to a change of blood1 only to cast the birds aside on their arrival here1 as ,i could not breed from them without deteriorating my flock in size4 ,if this is the result of artificial growing and of in-breeding1 ,i shall keep right on4 ,in-,breeding4 ,i have always selected the very choicest and best from the many ,i raised for breeding stock1 and the result has been a gradual increase of size4 ,i have seen many persons who1 from a mistaken idea of introducing new blood1 have reduced both the size and quality of their stock4 ,let it be here understood that a man who keeps but one drake and a few ducks is breeding-in fast4 ,but the one who keeps a thousand in different yards can breed many years with impunity1 because the intermingling of blood is exactly in inverse ratio to the numbers kept4 ,i have repeatedly heard prominent marketmen in ,new ,york and ,boston say that my artificially-grown poultry1 both in chicks and ducks1 were the best that they ever handled4444 ,i will endeavor to secure their signatures to that effect1 as convincing proof of this1 as ,i wish the public to know the truth as it is4 ,i was then breeding ,pekins exclusively1 and found the business while growing them was far more profitable than ever before1 and accordingly increased my incubating and brooding capacity1 and instead of growing #a1ejj to #b1jjj ducklings1 grew from #aj1jjj to #bj1jjj4 ,this was done during the early spring and summer1 the machines and brooders being used for early chicks during the winter4 ,i had observed that1 during my experience with chicks1 that crossing with the best breeds always made better layers and better market birds than either of the breeds from which they originated2 also1 that the first cross was always the best1 and that continued breeding from crosses is sure to deteriorate both in size and quality4 ,crossing4 ,i conceived the idea of procuring some of the best stock possible of ,rouens1 ,aylesburys1 ,cayugas1 and crossing them on the ,pekins1 with the object of increasing the size and precocity4 ,i experimented first with ,cayugas1 and crossed both ways1 using both ,pekin and ,cayuga drakes1 and1 in order to test the experiment fairly1 the mongrel eggs were hatched in the same machine1 the young birds grown in the same yards1 subjected to the same care and feed1 with the ,pekins4 ,the ,cayuga cross was very satisfactory1 with two exceptions4 ,they were fine1 plump birds1 took on fat readily1 and matured as early as the ,pekins1 while the mortality was not more than one per cent4 on either1 but we found that the skin was dark1 the dark pins1 when there were any1 showing very plainly beneath4 ,these birds were sent to market in the same boxes with the ,pekins4 ,our dealers to whom we shipped allowed us the same price for them as for the ,pekins1 as there were but few of them1 but had they all been of that color would have been obliged to cut them two cents per pound on the price4 ,this was enough for me1 especially as ,i found that the feathers commanded but little more than half the price of the pure white feathers of the ,pekins4 ,the experiment1 though conducted in the same manner1 with the ,rouens1 was somewhat different in result4 ,there was a great loss from those mongrels4 ,they evidently inherited the same weak constitutions of the ,rouens4 ,they had not the vitality of the ,pekins1 while they required at least three weeks longer to mature4 ,this latter alone was sufficient to condemn them for all market purposes1 especially when subjected to the same discount on dark pins and feathers as the ,cayugas4 ,this was sufficient to discard both breeds for my use as market birds4 ,aylesburys4 ,but ,i expected great things from the ,aylesburys4 ,i procured the best ducks to be had in the country1 while ,i used imported drakes from the best prize-winners in ,england1 and ,i have never yet seen those drakes equaled in size2 and ,i was unusually careful in this experiment1 because ,i knew that the ,english breeders claimed for their birds a superiority in all the points essential for a good market bird1 namely1 delicacy and flavor of flesh1 size1 precocity1 and greater egg production1--laying special stress on their hardiness and vitality4 ,i bred those birds clear and crossed them1 carefully noting the result4 ,our first batch of ,pekins and those crosses numbered about #cjj1 nearly equally divided4 ,these were mixed and confined in two yards4 ,for the first two weeks there was no perceptible difference1 when gradually the young ,pekins began to outgrow the crosses1 the difference increasing with age4 ,the former were very even in size1 the latter irregular1 while the mortality was as six to one in favor of the ,pekins4 ,when we began to kill those birds the ,pekins were all in the market at the end of eleven weeks1 while the crosses remained in the yards fully one week behind4 ,the weight was in favor of the ,pekins about one pound per pair4 ,the same difficulty existed as in former years--the tenacity of the feathers4 ,the pickers grumbled1 while the birds were more or less disfigured4 ,i notified the dealers of the breeds of those ducks1 and of the claim made by the ,english breeders1 and wished them to ascertain if possible if there was any difference in favor of the ,aylesburys4 ,they said their customers found no preference1 for themselves they preferred the ,pekins on account of the larger size and finer appearance of the dressed birds4 ,but ,i found it made a vast deal more difference than that to me4 ,one pound per pair on #b1jjj pairs of ducklings1 at an average price of twenty-five cents per pound1 made a difference of more than #ejj to me2 especially the extra ten days required to mature the ,aylesburys cost more than the feed for extra pound of flesh grown upon the ,pekins4 ,i do not keep ,aylesburys now1 and have not since that experiment2 ,i never shall again4 ,precocity4 ,there is one point which ,i wish to impress1 which is too often overlooked1 and yet is of the most vital importance to the poultry grower1 and that is the early maturity of his market birds4 ,i often hear growers say that as there is very little change in the poultry market during nine months of the year1 and as they do not contend for the early spring prices anyway1 if their birds are three or four weeks longer in maturing it does not matter4 ,does is not8 ,i have always contended that it requires just so much to sustain life in either bird or animal1 and the profit consists in what we can get them to consume and digest over and above that2 and if the time required to do this is protracted longer than is necessary1 it is done at the expense of the grower4 ,if it takes ten weeks to grow five pounds of flesh on one bird and fourteen weeks on another the one must necessarily cost more than the other per pound1 simply because you have to sustain life four weeks longer in one case than in the other1 and that cannot be done for nothing4 ,that is why1 though ,i can easily grow a pound of duck for six cents1 ,i must have eight cents to grow a pound of chicken1 because the ducks will take on six pounds of flesh in ten weeks1 while the chicken requires twenty weeks to obtain the same size4 ,these appear trivial matters when a person grows only a few dozen fowls yearly1 but when he makes a life business of it and grows fowls by the thousands1 it is of the utmost importance4 ,first-,class ,breeding ,stock4 ,the above shows the necessity of first-class breeding stock to start with4 ,i do not mean fancy stock at all1 as many of the points of excellence claimed by the ,american standard militate directly against the market value of the birds4 ,a few years ago several men came here to buy ,pekin ducks for breeding stock4 ,on looking at the birds and getting the price1 one man said3 ,those are the best birds ,i ever saw4 ,i want thirty of the best birds you have4 ,another said3 ,they are fine birds1 but ,i cannot afford to pay two dollars for a duck2 have you no cheaper birds8 ,yes1 ,i have some later birds--culls from which the rest have been selected4 ,they are not as large as these4 ,my late birds never attain the size of the earlier-hatched ones1 and they will not lay quite as early4 ,you can have your choice of these at one dollar each1 which is about their market value4 ,he took those birds1 and ,i consider when he made that choice that he threw away more than #ajj of his first season's work alone1 for1 with a fair share of success he might easily expect to raise #ajj young birds from each of his breeding ducks1 and as the birds he chose were at least one-third lighter than those he rejected1 their progeny would not be as heavy at a marketable age by at least one pound per bird4 ,the excess in cost to him1 had he bought the better birds1 would have been but one cent on each of the young birds he raised4 ,he lost1 on making the choice he did1 more than twenty cents on each bird1 and this is not all2 those birds will be small for generations to come4 ,he never can get them up to the standard of the others4 ,they will go upon the market as small birds1 and as such1 command at least two cents per pound less than the larger ones2 in fact1 his losses in this transaction will represent a large share of the profits4 ,how to ,begin4 ,i will now suppose that the breeder has secured his stock1 erected his building1 and is ready for business4 ,the next thing is to feed them well1 keep them warm and comfortable1 giving them as great a variety of green food as is obtainable during the winter months1 in order to induce winter laying and insure fertility of the eggs4 ,this matter requires close attention1 because the profits in one week of the early market will always equal the profits in four or five of the late4 ,the proportion of the sexes in the early spring should be about one drake to five or six ducks4 ,one point here ,i wish to emphasize particularly and that is in the selection of drakes4 ,the drakes should be1 at least1 two months older than the ducks1 as the latter will mature some two or three months earlier and begin their egg production two or three months before the drakes are ready for breeding4 ,as a consequence1 we always select our ,february hatched drakes for breeding purposes4 ,this comes a little hard1 as these birds will average to dress seven to nine pounds at ten weeks old and will always bring1 at least1 #cj;c per pound at that time in the market1 making them worth about #b4ej each4 ,would-be purchasers think we are crazy when we charge #c each for these birds at eight months old1 expecting us to keep them for six months and coop them for less than fifty cents4 ,now this selection of early hatched birds is absolutely necessary for good profits1 as early hatched1 means early reproduction and these great profits can hardly be ignored4 ,we sold thousands of birds the past spring for #cj;c per pound1 having almost complete control of ,boston and ,new ,york markets for at least six weeks4 ,later in the season1 when many of the ducks are off duty from a desire to incubate1 the proportion should be about one drake to ten ducks4 ,be particular about this1 as the eggs will be much more fertile if a part of the drakes are removed4 ,the feeding boxes should be long and roomy2 mine are #fx#g feet long1 eight inches wide and three inches high4 ,this is essential1 as the birds are rapid eaters1 and if there is not room1 some will gorge themselves to repletion1 while others will get but little4 ,do not keep food by them1 as that will clog their appetites1 and always effects the egg production1 as well as the condition of the birds4 ,keep the ,feed ,clean4 ,i have often visited poultry establishments where the food was lying around in all conditions1--in troughs1 on the ground1 trodden upon1 mixed with excrement and filth2 had become sour and offensive1 so that the birds would not eat it4 ,the attendant would go his rounds periodically and throw more food upon the already offensive mass2 the owner looking on1 passively complaining that his ducks did not lay and his ducklings would not fat4 ,i require my men to go the rounds after feeding1 and if there is any food left1 to take it up clean4 ,if this is insisted on they will soon learn to feed just what is required and no more4 ,clean feeding is of the utmost importance1 both for young and old birds1 as neither will thrive from overfeeding1 as it destroys the appetite completely4 ,another essential thing is that ducks will not produce their proper quota of fertile eggs on hard food alone4 ,the natural food of the duck is principally vegetable and animal1 and is obtained in brooks1 puddles1 swales1 and consists of flag1 grass roots1 small fish1 pollywogs1 etc4 ,unlike the hen1 the duck has no crop1--the passage or duct leading from the throat to gizzard direct1 is very small compared to the size of the bird4 ,consequently it does not assimilate or thrive on hard food4 ,i am continually receiving letters from amateurs during the months of ,march and ,april1 complaining that their ducks do not lay1 at the same time saying that they give them all the corn they will eat4 ,i write back suggesting soft food1 giving ingredients and proportions4 ,in an incredibly short space of time a postal will come to hand saying1 ,thanks1 my ducks are all laying4 ,success or failure in the poultry business often date their origin from just such trivial things as the above4 ,so insignificant in themselves as to be entirely overlooked by the novice who1 if he is persevering1 will eventually discover both cause and remedy2 but only through years of costly experiment and a loss of valuable time which he can never recall4 ,how to ,feed ,breeding ,ducks for ,eggs4 ,there should be quite a distinction between feeding ducks to obtain a supply of eggs and feeding them for market1 as in one case the object is to lay on fat and the other is to furnish the most available supply of egg material4 ,as before hinted1 soft food is much more readily utilized in a duck's organization than a hen's4 ,we make a habit of turning out our breeding ducks to pasture during the moulting season1 housing them in the fall according to the nature of the season1 say1 from the middle of ,november to the first of ,december4 ,we feed soft food morning and evening composed largely of bran with a little meal1 keeping them purposely short to induce them to forage for themselves1 but when the birds are housed this is all changed4 ,they are then fed on equal parts of corn meal1 wheat-bran and low-grade flour1 with about twelve or fifteen per cent4 of animal food4 ,one fourth of this food should be composed of vegetables cooked--say1 small potatoes1 turnips1 etc41 with all the green rye and refuse cabbage they will eat4 ,we feed this compound morning and evening with a little corn1 wheat and oats at noon4 ,feed all the birds will eat clean and no more4 ,the birds1 young and old1 may be expected to lay in three weeks from the time they are housed4 ,this part of the thing seems to be under perfect control4 ,you turn in the proper variety of food and they cannot help turning out a generous supply of eggs4 ,the fertility however1 cannot1 at this season of the year be so perfectly controlled1 as the standard of fertility in the first eggs is apt to be very low1 but soon comes to a high point4 ,the fecundity of these birds is wonderful4 ,as a general thing each bird can be depended upon for #adj eggs each season1 and as the eggs always command from #e to #aj cents per dozen more than those from hens it makes the ,pekin ducks more profitable for eggs alone than any other fowl4 ,incubators4 ,with the necessary buildings constructed and the stock selected1 the next thing required is the incubator1 for ,i do not suppose the modern poultry grower is going to do his incubating with hens1 for the simple reason that he cannot afford to4 ,hens show no desire to incubate when you want them to the most1 or in time to command the high prices for ducks and chicks in the early spring1 and this is attended with a loss of at least one-half of the season's profits4 ,i often have letters filled with questions concerning incubators4 ,which is the best incubator8 ,can a person of ordinary intelligence run one successfully8 ,do they require watching during the night8 ,is there an incubator in the market today that will hatch as well as the average hen8 and many more of like import4 ,to the first ,i would say that modesty forbids a candid answer4 ,there are objections to many machines1 though the same do not apply to all4 ,it does not become me to mention their failings4 ,but first of all do not buy a cheap incubator1 as the conditions to which the material of an incubator is exposed are of the severest kind4 ,it must be exposed constantly to a temperature of #ajc degrees1 and that in an atmosphere surcharged with moisture2 and unless the material of which the machine is constructed is of the choicest kind1 well kiln-dried and put together1 the chances are that it will warp out of shape1 admit drafts of air and injure1 if not destroy1 the regulation4 ,i do not think an incubator can ever be complete unless it is a double-cased machine4 ,it requires that to effectually resist thermal changes4 ,years of careful experiment1 and of experience in the competitive show room have convinced me of the truth of this4 ,extreme cold will affect the uniformity of heat in the egg-chamber of single-cased machines4 ,imagine if you can a single-cased machine constructed of five-eighth inch stuff1 with a temperature of #ajc degrees inside1 and that of freezing outside4 ,how can the eggs at the extreme corners and the thin cold sides of that machine be as warm as those in the centre8 ,of course that difference does not exist in warm weather1 but that is the time when incubators are usually let alone and the business is given up to the old hen4 ,now1 ,i say this frankly1 as much for the benefit of incubator manufacturers as for their customers4 ,i have letters every day from parties ordering circulars and saying that they have used from one to three machines of different makes1 denouncing the machines and their makers in the most emphatic terms as frauds4 ,now1 this is all wrong2 one-half of the time you will find that it is the purchasers1 not the makers1 who are at fault4 ,there are probably just as many honest incubator makers as there are in any other branch of business4 ,but there is such a thing as a man being honest and yet ignorant4 ,many of the manufacturers of incubators know very little about the first principles of artificial incubation4 ,they have the idea that a simple heat regulator is all that is necessary to insure the success of an incubator1 when in reality it is only one of the many requirements4 ,i will enumerate some of the most essential points1 viz43 heat regulation2 uniformity of heat in egg-chamber2 absolute control of heat by the operator on any given egg-tray2 automatic moisture supply2 accurate thermometers2 thorough construction and good material to avoid warping and shrinkage1 together with a safe lamp adjustment4 ,there are many other minor points which will come up with care of machines4 ,i am often asked1 ,why do so many fail to hatch with incubators8 ,i will answer by saying3 ,not because it is difficult2 for ,i have always found it a far more difficult thing to grow ducks and chicks successfully after they are hatched1 than it is to hatch them4 ,doubtless everyone knows that an incubator1 different from other machines1 must run three weeks continually night and day1 7and when filled with duck eggs1 four weeks17 and preserve an even temperature all the while4 ,some machines as described above1 are not adapted to this business1 and some men are not adapted to the use of machines even when they are good ones4 ,they are not willing to bestow the little but intelligent and regular care required1 and many times during the four weeks they will forget some of the most essential points1 such as replenishing their lamps1 or forget to attach the extinguishers1 thus depriving the machine of all self-control1 or they neglect to trim the lamps for days1 and perhaps a week1 allowing the wick to crust and the heat to decrease4 ,others of nervous temperament will open their machines every fifteen minutes during the day and get up many times during the night to do the same thing1 necessarily creating a great variation in the temperature of the machine4 ,now1 all these1 when repeated often enough1 mean disaster and grief4 ,one man who had been very successful1 said he liked the hatching very well1 but there was too much confinement growing chicks and ducks1 and he was not going to make a slave of himself any longer4 ,another very young man who has been uniformly successful1 and is running four large machines1 said that the hatching and care of incubators was nothing1 as he simply looked at his machines twice per day1 but that the care of chicks and ducks was hard work2 but there was more money in it than anything else he could do1 and he should stick to it4 ,another man1 because his machine did not run to suit him1 threw his boot at it1 knocking the regulation all off1 which he called upon me to duplicate4 7,this man has done better since and increased the number of his machines74 ,so the reader will see that there are cranks even among the poultry men1 and that many of them enter the poultry business simply because they are looking for an easy job1--a sad mistake on their part4 ,i have always noticed that the man who knows the least1 but is willing to acquire knowledge and follow instructions implicitly1 is the man who generally succeeds4 ,best ,place for ,incubators4 ,having secured a good machine1 the next thing is to locate it where it will give you the least trouble to run it1 and at the same time do you the most good4 ,the best place for this is either in a barn or house cellar or in some building partly under ground1 for obvious reasons4 ,though a good machine can be regulated to run in any temperature 7provided it can generate heat enough71 yet constant thermal changes of #cj or #dj degrees between night and day will necessitate regulating to meet them1--as the amount of flame required to run a machine in a temperature of #dj degrees1 will be far in excess of that needed to run it in one of #gj degrees1 for1 though the change will be very slow in a nicely packed double cased machine1 yet in time even that change will affect4 ,this1 of course1 could be easily overcome with a little care1 yet it is just as well to avoid all unnecessary care and trouble in the beginning2 there will be still enough left to keep you thinking4 ,in a common building above ground during the winter months it will often freeze around your machine1 and in turning eggs in a freezing atmosphere do it as quickly as you can1 as it will always cool your eggs perceptibly1 and more or less derange the temperature of your machine4 ,this is of course decidedly injurious and will more or less impair the hatch4 ,now1 this is a very important matter1 and people do not give it sufficient consideration4 ,it is even advocated by some incubator manufacturers1 that eggs should be cooled every day to #gj degrees1 for the simple reason that the old hen does4 ,they do not take into consideration that it is a necessity for the old hen1 but may not be for the embryo chick4 ,when the hen leaves her eggs to feed1 and they become partially cold1 when she recovers them and brings those eggs in immediate contact with the rapidly-pulsating arteries of her body1 in fifteen minutes they have acquired their normal heat4 ,with the machine it will require an hour or two4 ,to meet this difficulty1 suitable instructions should be given with and to suit different machines4 ,where the eggs are turned automatically inside the machine1 it is necessary that they should be cooled at least once a day during the last two weeks of the hatch4 ,taking the eggs out to turn twice each day1 as in the ,monarch1 cools them sufficiently during the winter months2 in warm weather1 leaving the outside and inside doors open while turning cools them sufficiently4 ,some incubator manufacturers will tell you that thermal changes1 however great1 will not affect their machines4 ,their patrons tell a different story4 ,no machine was ever made1 or ever will be1 that will run as well or give as good results amid constant thermal changes as in an even temperature4 ,it is true that they reduce the heat1 but it is by admitting large draughts of air1 running off the moisture and completely destroying the humidity of atmosphere in their machines4 ,then1 how about those little ducklings which have been pipped forty-eight hours8 ,they can never get out unless you help them4 ,suitable ,buildings4 ,many insurance companies object to incubators being run in buildings covered by their policies1 and will often cancel them4 ,this originated from the fact that so many fire-traps1 which were thrust upon the public in the shape of incubators1 had consumed the buildings in which they were operated4 ,the insurance companies were obliged in self-defence to prohibit their use in insured buildings4 ,but the interdiction is usually removed upon the representation that the machine is safe4 ,sometimes a slight premium is exacted4 ,in the event of insurance companies being obdurate1 it is very easy to excavate a place in a side hill1 or on level ground4 ,stone it up five feet high at the sides4 ,it is not necessary to dig more than two or three feet deep1 as the excavated dirt can be used to bank up with on the outside4 ,upon this stone-work put a simple roof4 ,i use a building of this description4 ,the original cost1 exclusive of labor1 was #ae4 ,it was large enough for two machines4 ,my new incubator room is ten times as large1 but the cost was in proportion4 ,this building never freezes in winter1 and is always some ten or fifteen degrees colder than the outside temperature in summer1 making a very handy place to keep eggs for incubating purposes4 ,it is well to run your machine a few days and get the control of it4 ,the next thing is to fill it with fresh fertile eggs4 ,in the winter time1 if one does not have eggs himself1 this is sometimes a very difficult thing to do1 for the eggs must not only be fresh1 but fertile4 ,the young beginner is often obliged to depend upon others for his eggs when first starting in the business1 but the poulterer1 as a rule1 cannot afford to do this1 because he can grow them a good deal cheaper than he can buy2 and not only this1 and what is more to the point1 he1 by proper care and feed during the winter months1 can make his own eggs a great deal more fertile than any he can buy of others4 ,usually about one-third of our novices go right to the stores and purchase eggs to fill their machines with4 ,illustration3 ,,our ,,incubator ,,house4 ,this is running a great risk1 especially during the winter months1 but will give the reader an idea of the amount of knowledge that many of our would-be poultry men have acquired to begin with1 and when he knows that the incubator has to shoulder all these mistakes1 he will naturally have a little sympathy for the maker4 ,several years ago ,i sold a six hundred-egg machine to a lady1 who1 on receiving it1 filled it promptly with eggs obtained from the grocers4 ,now1 as this was in the month of ,december1 it was1 to say the least1 an exceedingly doubtful operation4 ,as she only got about forty chicks she was naturally very much dissatisfied1 and strongly denounced both the machine and the maker4 ,her husband suggested that possibly the machine was not to blame1 and that the eggs might have something to do with it4 ,they went to the grocer to enquire about it4 ,he told them that he had had some of those eggs on hand for several weeks1 and that they had been exposed to the cold and freezing weather1 and that probably the farmers from whom he had obtained them had held them for high prices4 ,they found on enquiry that this was the case1 and one party especially1 who kept a large number of hens1 and from whom he had collected the largest share of his eggs1 kept no crowers with his hens4 ,this threw some light on the subject1 and stock on that incubator went up at once4 ,the next time she had parties save their eggs for her1 taking them in several times each day4 ,she then obtained a hatch of ninety per cent1 and was uniformly successful afterwards1 getting out some #c1jjj chicks and ducks during the season with her machine4 ,how to ,keep ,eggs for ,incubation4 ,the above is only one case out of many that are constantly taking place4 ,in nine cases out of ten1 failure with good machines may be traced directly to the operator or the eggs4 ,occasionally there is a defect in a machine overlooked by the maker1 which he is in honor bound to make good4 ,the best way to secure good eggs is to engage them beforehand from reliable parties1 who will gather them carefully several times each day in cold weather to prevent them chilling1 and turn them at least every other day4 ,if these eggs are kept on end it is not necessary to turn them as often4 ,i have egg boxes for the purpose1 in which the eggs are set on end1 like the common market box4 ,these boxes and contents can be turned as readily with a dozen as when full4 ,eggs intended for incubation should always be kept in a cool place1--duck eggs especially1--as the fertile eggs will change at a temperature of eighty-five to ninety degrees1 and spoil within three or four days4 ,one may safely calculate on one-half of them being spoiled in a week at a temperature of #hj degrees4 ,all kinds of eggs can be safely kept three weeks for purposes of incubation1 say1 at forty-five to fifty degrees1 though ,i always like to have them as fresh as possible4 ,in filling orders for eggs at a distance ,i make it a point never to send eggs more than four days old1 or with less than seventy-five per cent of fertility4 ,transportation1 even over rough roads1 does not affect their hatching1 except in extreme warm weather1 when the contents1 becoming thin and slightly evaporated through the heat1 are apt to mix1 when they will surely cloud and rot4 ,i have often sent eggs #b1jjj miles1 with the report that every egg produced a duckling4 ,with machine ready and running steadily the eggs may be introduced at once4 ,they need no moisture now1 and it is not necessary to disturb them for the first forty-eight hours4 ,how to ,choose and ,use ,thermometers4 ,place your thermometer on the eggs in middle of egg-tray4 ,be sure1 in the first place1 that you get a good glass1 as all depends upon its accuracy4 ,do not use one with the mercury bulb lying upon a solid metal plate1 as the refraction of heat upon the plate from the tank above will always run that glass one or two degrees higher than the heat in the egg-chamber1 but get one1 if possible1 with a hole in the plate opposite the bulb1 so that the heat can play around the bulb and through the plate1 giving the correct heat of eggs and chamber4 ,do not hang your glass up over the eggs1 or put it down between the eggs1 but lay it on them1 for the reason that1 though either of these positions may be all right during the first twelve days of the hatch 7if your eggs are fertile71 they will surely be all wrong during the last part4 ,i will endeavor to explain this thing1 so that the novice will understand how important it is4 ,before circulation begins in the embryo chick or duck1 and there is no animal heat in the egg1 the temperature of the egg chamber regulates that of the eggs4 ,but after circulation begins1 and especially during the latter part of the hatch1 when the rapidly-developing young bird throws out a great deal of heat1 the thing is often completely reversed4 ,for instance1 a glass may be hung one inch above the eggs and another placed immediately on the eggs beneath4 ,the one above may register #ajb degrees2 the one below1 on the eggs1 will register #aje degrees1--conclusively showing that the eggs are now1 by their own caloric1 heating the egg-chamber4 ,i have often1 during the last part of a hatch1 when the thermometer was ranging from #gj to #hj degrees outside of machine1 placed a glass on the hottest part of the boiler1 where but one lamp was dimly burning1 carefully covering the glass4 ,in that position it would register perhaps #if to #ih degrees1 while a glass inside the machine1 and on the eggs1 would register #ajc degrees1 proving beyond a doubt that the eggs1 by their own caloric1 were not only heating the egg-chamber1 but contributing their quota towards heating the water in the tank4 ,now1 who will pretend to say that a glass hanging above the eggs will give the correct heat of the egg after circulation begins4 ,so that1 even in cold weather1 the amount of oil consumed during the last week of the hatch is less than half the amount required during the first part4 ,the operator must not expect the eggs to heat up at once4 ,on the contrary1 they will cool the air in the egg-chamber very sensibly1 though they will not affect the heat of the water in the tank4 ,it will be from five to eight hours before they arrive at their normal heat4 ,how to ,turn ,eggs4 ,at the end of forty-eight hours they may be turned4 ,this should be done by gathering up the eggs at the end of egg-tray and placing them upon the eggs in centre of the tray1 rolling the centre ones back to the end of the tray4 ,the tray should be reversed1 and the same thing done to the other end4 ,it is not necessary that the eggs should be completely reversed1--simply change the position1 rolling over one-half or one-third4 ,the egg-trays should always be turned end for end1 and changed from end to centre of machine4 ,this is necessary in case there should not be a uniform heat in egg-chamber1 as it will equalize matters1 and1 in a measure1 obviate the difficulty4 ,now1 all this1 though it takes some time to describe it1 can be done very quickly1 requiring only a few moments for each machine4 ,i usually allow about ten minutes for each #a1jjj eggs1 though it can be done much quicker if one is in a hurry4 ,i am often requested by people to put in patent automatic egg-turning trays in my machines1 it would so simplify matters4 ,i reply3 ,so it would2 and when you can produce a machine with a perfect uniformity of heat in the egg-chamber1 ,i should be most happy to use an automatic tray1 but ,i have never yet seen that machine4 ,in our own double-cased ,monarch1 in cold weather1 there is at least one degree difference between the end and centre of egg-tray4 ,in single-cased machines this difference must be largely increased1 and in automatic trays the eggs must necessarily remain where they are placed through the entire hatch4 ,now1 under these conditions1 if the heat is right in the centre of trays it must be all wrong in the ends4 ,the hatch will be protracted long after the proper time1 and if those on the ends of trays come out at all it will be forty-eight hours behind time and with weakened constitutions1 keeping one in constant stir with their sickly plaints4 ,it is needless to say that there is a great mortality among birds of that description1 and at the end of ten days they are usually among the things that were4 ,hatching the ,eggs4 ,the next thing is testing the eggs4 ,this matter is essential as well as economical1 with both hens and incubators4 ,i once knew a man who ran a six hundred-egg machine for three weeks on one fertile egg4 ,the other #eii proved infertile1 and he did not know it until they refused to hatch at the end of three weeks--a great waste of oil1 but a greater waste of time1--three whole weeks in the best part of the season4 ,another man kept forty hens sitting three weeks with an average of one fertile egg to each bird1 when three of them could have done all the hatching just as well1 and then1 at the end of four days1 could have had the rest put upon better eggs4 ,a great waste of hen power1 you will say1 with time lost1 together with forty dozen eggs1 which would have been just as good for table use had they been tested out in four days4 ,it often happens in the winter1 when eggs are apt to be infertile1 that1 after testing the contents of four trays1 they can be contained in three1 when the other can be filled with fresh eggs4 ,here is where the advantage of adjustable trays comes in4 ,often the operator running a large machine has not eggs enough to fill it without a part of the eggs becoming very old1 and also losing ten or twelve days of valuable time2 with the adjustable tray1 eggs can be introduced at any time1 and the same heat preserved on all4 ,i usually test duck eggs at the end of the third day4 ,the fertile germ is then plainly visible1 and the eggs can be passed before the light1 several at a time4 ,the novice had better postpone the operation till the fourth day1 when he1 too1 will have no trouble in detecting the germ4 ,the same rule will hold good with all white eggs1 but dark-brown eggs should not be tested till the sixth or seventh day4 ,this can be done much sooner1 but a large machine full cannot be tested in a minute1 and the eggs should be far enough advanced so that the operator can take two or three in his hand at once1 and passing them before the flame1 readily detect the germ4 ,i never use a tester for duck eggs1 as a simple flame is sufficient1 the egg being translucent4 ,during the first stages of incubation the germ is very distinct1 even at the third day4 ,the clear eggs are reserved for family use or disposed of to bakers4 ,an expert cannot distinguish them from a fresh-laid egg1 either in taste or appearance4 ,there is usually a small percentage of the eggs that are slightly fertilized1 in which the germ will die during the second or third day4 ,these can be readily detected at the end of the fifth day1 and should be taken from the machine1 and reserved as food for the young ducklings4 ,another and potent reason why all infertile eggs1 and those with dead chicks in them1 should be taken out of the machine1 is that after the circulation begins in the egg1 especially during the last part of the hatch1 the temperature of a live egg is several degrees higher than that of a dead one4 ,the one radiates heat1 the other absorbs it2 so that if the operator is running his machine #ajb degrees1 with his glass on a dead egg1 he may be all unconsciously running it at #ajd or #aje degrees on a live one4 ,i had a letter from a man some time ago stating that his thermometers were developing strange freaks1--that though they registered the same while in water1 at #ajc degrees1 when lying on the eggs a few inches from each other in the machine1 they were several degrees apart1 and wishing to know by which he should run1 the higher or lower4 ,i wrote him that his glasses were all right1 and that he was the one at fault1 and had he followed instructions and tested his eggs he would have had no such trouble4 ,he wrote that as his machine was not quite full1 and as he had plenty of room1 he neglected to test them1 thinking it would make no difference4 ,i do not propose here to give my experience1 together with the many experiments made during the last twenty years1 but shall aim to give the reader simple instructions for hatching and growing ducks for market and selection of breeding stock4 ,i would say here that the first thing for the operator to learn in turning the eggs is to do it carefully and well1 without breaking or unnecessarily jarring them2 and then1 to do it as quickly as possible1 especially if done in a cold atmosphere1 so as not to derange the heat in the egg-chamber4 ,the next thing is to maintain as even a temperature as possible during the hatch4 ,i do not think that a variation of one degree is at all detrimental4 ,but different people have different ideas of regularity4 ,a man who did not have a first-class hatch1 wrote me that he had kept the machine right to business1 as it had run between #ij and #aaj degrees during the entire hatch4 ,another man wrote that his machine had been as low as #ajj degrees1 and once up to #ajc degrees1 and wishing to know if ,i thought it would be fatal to his hatch4 ,there is no such thing as accuracy in the composition of some men1 things are run hap-hazard1 failure and misfortune are always attributed to conditions1 circumstances1 or hard luck1--never to themselves1--and in case of a poor hatch1 always the incubator4 ,instructions go for nothing with them4 ,an enterprising incubator maker told me one day that he believed that the world was composed of cranks and fools 7at least the poultry part of it74 ,the one-half did not know anything1 while the other half had all that was worth knowing and despised all instructions and common-sense4 ,in running your machine1 the first step is to set it level and see that the glasses register alike in both ends of the machine4 ,next1 procure good oil1 #aej test 7as poor oil will necessitate frequent trimming1 besides crusting the wick74 ,do not use more flame than is necessary1 as it will only be a waste of oil1 and with some machines will increase the ventilation1 and at the same time decrease the moisture4 ,be regular in both filling lamps and trimming them1 as irregularity frequently involves forgetfulness1 and that sometimes means disaster to the hatch4 ,in trimming1 it is well to turn on the same amount of flame in relighting your lamp as it had previously4 ,in the ,monarch ,incubator this required amount can readily be seen at once by the action of the regulating bar4 ,it informs the operator just when he has enough1--when too much and when too little4 ,keep both lamps and chimneys clean1 and have stated periods for turning your eggs1 which should be done twice each day4 ,as ,i said before1 an egg-tester is not required with duck eggs1 as they are so transparent that the whole process can be plainly seen without in the flame of a common kerosene lamp4 ,if a duck egg is carefully examined1 after being subjected to a heat of #ajb degrees for twenty-four hours1 a small dark spot will be seen about the size of a large pin-head4 ,this little spot1 if the egg is gradually turned1 will always float over the upper surface of the egg4 ,this is the life germ1 and the first indication of fertility in the egg1 and is represented in ,figure #a4 ,illustration3 ,,figure #a4--,,showing ,,first ,,indication ,,of ,,fertility4 ,at the end of forty-eight hours this dark spot will have nearly doubled its size1 and a faint haze will appear around its edges a shade darker than the surrounding contents of the egg4 ,this haze is the first appearance of the blood veins radiating out from the germ4 ,figure #b shows how the egg appears at this stage with the air-cell slightly enlarged4 ,illustration3 ,,figure #b4--;,,egg ,,at ,,end ,,of #dh ,,hours4 ,at the end of the third day the dark spot1 which is the heart of the embryo duck1 can still be seen2 but not so distinctly1 because a dark circle some three-quarters of an inch in diameter will now appear in the upper surface of the egg1 in the centre of which the dark spot is visible4 ,this circle is several shades darker than the rest of the egg1 and no matter how the egg is turned will always float in its upper surface4 ,figure #c represents the egg at this stage1 with its enlarged air-cell4 ,figure #d represents the egg as it appears at the end of the fourth day4 ,the circle surrounding and inclosing the germ will have nearly doubled in size1 and is of a still darker hue2 indeed1 the whole contents of the egg is perceptibly darkened4 ,if the egg is broken carefully at this date a delicate tracery of veins will be found to have enveloped the entire yolk of the egg1 all originating from the centre or heart of the embryo2 the pulsations of which 7if the shell is removed7 can now be plainly seen with the naked eye4 ,this net work of veins cannot be plainly seen with a common lamp1 but with a powerful glass are very distinct4 ,this latter is not at all necessary in testing the egg4 ,illustration3 ,,figure #c4--;,,egg ,,at ,,end ,,of #gb ,,hours4 ,illustration3 ,,figure #d4--;,,egg ,,at ,,end ,,of #if ,,hours4 ,the discovery and locations of the minute organisms may be interesting to the scientist1 but not at all necessary to the operator1 who simply wants to be assured of the life and health of the germ4 ,this he can readily determine from the increased size and gradual development of the circle2 it1 and the contents of the egg1 now assume a darker shade4 ,up to this time ,i use no moisture1 and the contents of the eggs have gradually evaporated and the air-cell proportionately enlarged4 ,this air-cell is slightly enlarged till the tenth day1 when no further evaporation should take place4 ,about three days before hatching the rapidly developing duck will gradually diminish the size of the air-cell1 leaving himself just room enough to work out4 ,nature1 in the case of the old hen1 provides for her own contingencies1 while we must resort to art to obtain the same conditions4 ,while incubating under the hen during the first few days1 the egg evaporates rapidly4 ,then the pores gradually become coated with an oily secretion from the feathers of the hen until evaporation ceases4 ,now1 we cannot successfully fill the pores of the eggs1 it is too delicate an operation to attempt2 but we can easily obtain the same conditions in another way1 and that is to prevent the further evaporation of the egg by vaporizing water in the egg-chamber1 so that evaporation will not take place4 ,exactly when this should be done is already known1 but exactly how much is quite another thing1 and depends largely upon the conditions of the atmosphere outside4 ,the point is this3 the humidity inside the egg-chamber must be the same1 whatever the conditions are outside4 ,if your machine is in a warm1 dry room1 heated by a fire1 far more evaporating surface will be required than in a cool1 dry cellar1 for the reason that water vaporizes just in proportion to its heat2 and as the circulating pipes upon which the water-pans rest must necessarily be much warmer in a cold room than in a warm one1 of course more surface must be exposed in a warm than in a cold one4 ,the operator will always have to use his judgment more or less in that4 ,it may perplex the novice somewhat1 but it is easily understood when one becomes accustomed to it4 ,as a rule1 in our machines1 we introduce one moisture pan about the #ahth day for both duck's and hen's eggs4 ,it makes some difference whether a machine is run in a humid atmosphere near the seashore or in a dry1 rarified atmosphere at an altitude in the country4 ,figure #e represents the egg at the end of the fifth day1 the circle enlarged1 shaded darker in color2 the whole egg being slightly darker in hue4 ,illustration3 ,,figure #e4--;,,egg ,,at ,,end ,,of #abj ,,hours4 ,figure #f1 at the end of the sixth day1 shows still more plainly the germ undergoing a gradual change in the egg1 enlarging and assuming a darker hue4 ,the outline of the circle is now gradually acquiring the form of an ellipse1 and in a live embryo the line of demarkation should be distinct4 ,if it is at all wavy and irregular in its outline1 and instead1 remaining intact1 the contents of this ellipse show a disposition to assimilate with the surrounding liquids when the egg is revolved1 it can be safely removed as a dead duck4 ,illustration3 ,,figure #f4--;,,egg ,,at ,,end ,,of #add ,,hours4 ,figure #g represents a dead embryo1 as it will appear from the seventh to the twelfth day4 ,the germ being separated and appearing in dark irregular blotches over the entire surface of the egg2 the egg having become nearly opaque over its entire surface4 ,at this stage the egg1 if it has not already become so1 will soon be very offensive4 ,these should be removed at once and handled carefully the while1 as they are apt to explode and unpleasant consequences ensue4 ,the operator should run no risks1 as discoloration on the outside shell of a duck egg is a sure sign of decay1 and they can safely be taken from the machine4 ,there are always a certain number of duck eggs 7especially during the month of ,august and the latter part of ,july7 that have the appearance of fertility during the first three or four days of the hatch1 but do not possess vitality enough to carry them through4 ,these die at all stages of the hatch2 neither operator nor machine is responsible for them4 ,this is caused by the condition of the mother bird4 ,illustration3 ,,figure #g4--;,a ,,dead ,,embryo4 ,in order to economize the room thus made by the removal of the fertile eggs1 ,i run a small #aej-;egg machine1 in connection with twenty-one of the largest size1 using it1 as it were1 as a tender4 ,when filling one of the larger machines1 ,i always fill one tray in the smaller one so that when the eggs in the large one are tested1 after the third day1 there will usually be eggs enough in the small tray to replace those removed as infertile1 so that the large machines are kept full during the entire hatch by the little one4 ,thus the small machine is made to accomplish far more than it would were it run through the hatch4 ,i am thus enabled to have a hatch come off nearly every day1 consequently our eggs are never older than that when introduced into the machine4 ,always date each day's quota of eggs--keep them by themselves1 then there will be no mistakes made4 ,i have known parties to keep one general receptacle for their eggs1 and when filling their machine take them from the top1 while the bottom ones were never disturbed1 not even turned1 and of course soon became worthless for any purpose4 ,figure #h denotes the appearance of the egg during the eighth day of incubation4 ,if portions of the shell are carefully removed at this stage1 the rudimentary intestines may be plainly seen1 together with the gradual development of the beak and eyes1 as well as the trembling of the pulsating arteries through the whole embryo4 ,illustration3 ,,figure #h4--;,,egg ,,after #aib ,,hours4 ,at this stage the operator should mark all doubtful eggs and return them to the machine1 as he will find plenty of room there4 ,he will soon become expert1 and can detect life and death in the germ at a glance4 ,experience alone will give the operator an insight into this business4 ,the incipient stages of decay1 though easily detected by the expert1 cannot be intelligently described by him4 ,the application of a little heat for the short space of twenty days to an inert mass1 developing it into active1 intelligent life1 is simply wonderful4 ,the process and effect he can easily describe1 but the procreative power behind it all is beyond his ken4 ,should a little duckling be taken from the shell on the thirteenth or fourteenth day it will resemble ,figure #i4 ,it will kick and struggle several moments after its removal4 ,the yolk is not yet absorbed1 but the process is just beginning and will continue until the twenty-fourth day1 when it will be nearly absorbed4 ,the egg1 from the fourteenth day rapidly assumes a darker hue4 ,illustration3 ,,figure #i4 ,the extremities of the little bird gradually develop1 the feathers grow1 and at the twentieth day the egg is opaque4 ,at this stage the embryo will endure greater extremes of heat or cold than at the earlier stage of the hatch4 ,i should not advise the operator to presume upon this1 however1 but just make the conditions as favorable as he can1 so that the little bird will have the strength to free himself from the shell4 ,i need not say that this is the most critical time during the whole process1 and matters should be made as favorable for the little duckling as possible4 ,about the twenty-fourth day he will be already to break the shell1 but1 unlike the chick1 who will make his way out of the shell a few hours after he has pipped1 the duckling will lay for forty-eight hours before he is ready to come out4 ,at this time there should be plenty of moisture in the egg-chamber1 for should the orifice or broken parts become dry1 and the little duckling1 in consequence1 be attached to the inside lining so that he cannot turn1 he can never get out without help4 ,illustration3 ,,figure #aj4 ,when the hatch is well underway a little more air should be allowed to circulate in the egg-chamber1 and a part of the evaporating surface can be removed1 for as each duckling makes its appearance he becomes a little sponge1 until dried off1 and furnishes plenty of moisture for the machine4 ,when nearly dried off the duckling should be dropped into the nursery below the egg-trays4 ,while hatching1 the eggs should be kept pipped side up in the trays1 as the birds sometimes get smothered when the orifice is underneath4 ,the dry birds should be dropped below about once in four hours1 for1 if allowed to accumulate1 they will roll the egg upside down1 crowd the egg-shells over the pipped eggs1 or pile themselves over the egg1 smothering the young birds4 ,this work should be done very quickly1 so as not to derange the temperature of the machine4 ,be sure to keep the heat up in your machine1 for its tendency is always to go down during hatching1 for the reason that the egg radiates a great deal of heat1 while the little duckling1 with its woolly covering 7which is a non-conductor71 retains it4 ,many people advocate allowing the little fledglings to remain with the eggs until all are hatched1 but this is all wrong1 not only for the above reasons1 but for one which is far more important than either4 ,the amount of heat requisite to hatch the eggs is too much for the young birds already hatched and dried off4 ,with chamber at #ajb degrees1 they will be seen crowding around the sides of machine with their little bills wide open1 gasping for breath1 when1 had they been placed below1 the proper temperature can be maintained in both1 as the bottom of machine runs at least five degrees lower than the egg-trays4 ,be sure and ,follow ,instructions4 ,another fertile source of trouble is removing ducklings from machine1 putting them behind the stove1 or somewhere else to dry off4 ,for every fifteen birds removed1 the heat in egg-chamber is reduced at least one degree1 as you are removing so many little stoves1 and if the machine is not gauged higher1 to correspond with the number of ducklings taken out1 the result will be fatal to the unhatched eggs4 ,i corresponded a whole summer with one man on this very point before ,i found out what he was doing4 ,he said he had never been able to get out more than fifty per cent4 of fertile eggs4 ,his machine ran splendidly until his chicks were about half hatched1 when it would drop down to #ij degrees1 and the rest would die in the shell1 after they were nearly all pipped4 ,at last a letter came from him stating that he had just had a worse experience than ever4 ,he had a most promising hatch of three hundred fertile eggs1 nearly all of which were pipped1 and that1 after a little more than half were hatched1 he took them out as usual1 about one hundred and fifty in number1 and put them behind the stove to dry off1 and his machine dropped to #ij degrees at once1 and not another chick came out4 ,the cat was out of the bag4 ,i wrote him at once that for every fifteen chicks he had taken out he had taken one degree of heat from his machine1 and had he followed instructions he would not have suffered loss4 ,he wrote back that he had shut up his machine for the season1 but that he should run it one more hatch just to prove that ,i was wrong4 ,at the end of three weeks a letter was received saying1 ,i tender you my hat4 ,i got a splendid hatch of #hh-a_/b per cent4 ,proving that occasionally there is danger of the operator knowing too much4 ,after the ducklings are all out1 the egg-trays should be removed1 the valves opened1 and the machine cooled down to #ij degrees1 and the birds allowed to remain in the machine for at least twenty-four hours4 ,i always cover the bottom of machine with an inch of fine wheat-bran1 otherwise the ducklings would soon make it filthy and offensive4 ,this acts both as absorbent and disinfectant4 ,after each hatch there will be more or less fertile eggs left in the trays with dead ducklings in them4 ,there will be1 comparatively1 but few of these in the spring of the year1 but during the latter part of the summer there will be more of them1 and many of the eggs will have but little vitality in them4 ,forcing the ,bird ,reduces the ,vitality of the ,egg4 ,the reason is this3 the bird in its natural condition does not produce her eggs in our climate until ,april4 ,she will lay twenty-five to thirty eggs1 then show a desire to incubate1 then will recuperate1 and set a second time1 perhaps giving a total of thirty-five or forty eggs4 ,now1 we have completely reversed nature in this respect4 ,by judicious feeding1 good care1 warm quarters1 and careful breeding1 we have induced the bird to produce her eggs in winter instead of summer1 and1 not only that1 we compel her to lay three or four times as many of them2 and when the poor bird shows a desire to incubate and recuperate her exhausted frame1 we induce a change of mind1 as soon as possible1 and set her at it again4 ,as a natural consequence1 as the warm season advances many of the birds are off duty1 as it were1 and the eggs not only decrease in numbers but in size as well1 and during the extreme heat of summer1 the later part of ,july and ,august especially1 the eggs show a decided want of vitality4 ,i never expect1 at this season1 to realize more than one duckling from two eggs4 ,the same machine full of eggs that would give a hatch of #cej ducklings in the early spring1 at this season will not give more than #age to #bjj4 ,the eggs appear to be as well fertilized during the first two or three days as in the early spring but evidently there is not vitality enough to carry them through1 as the germs soon begin to die1 and before the hatch is out you have taken nearly one-half of the eggs away as worthless4 ,nor is this all4 ,there is always a far greater mortality among the later hatched birds than in those got out earlier4 ,they are more uneven in appearance1 and never attain the size of those hatched earlier in the season1--convincing evidence that the old birds have transmitted their enfeebled1 debilitated constitutions through the egg to the young ones4 ,the natural laws of cause and effect are plainly represented here4 ,i have tried repeatedly to overcome this difficulty by changing the feed and quarters of the old birds1 dividing their numbers1 but without effect4 ,this shows the absolute necessity of selecting large1 vigorous breeding stock4 ,this principle applies equally to both land and water fowl4 ,the ,absolute ,necessity of ,good ,breeding ,stock4 ,debilitated1 degenerate stock will not produce healthy and vigorous young4 ,this is a prime cause of failure with many of our poultry breeders4 ,they say that they cannot afford to breed from their early-hatched stock4 ,they are worth too much in the market1 so they are sent to the shambles1 and their owners breed from the later-hatched1 inferior birds4 ,a few years practice of this kind soon degenerates the stock so that you will hardly recognize the original in it1 and both birds and eggs are not only thus1 but a very small per cent4 of those eggs can be induced to hatch1 and no amount of petting and coaxing can induce those that are hatched to live4 ,every young breeder of poultry should inform himself of these facts before he starts in1 for no living man can afford to breed from inferior stock4 ,i passed through experiences of this kind many years ago1 and always found that the laws of primogeniture cannot be lightly set aside4 ,i invariably select the choicest of my early hatched birds for breeding stock1 and no matter how high the price in market1 ,i cannot afford to sell them4 ,a gentleman1 who is a large breeder1 said to me the past spring3 ,how is it that your ducks are so much larger than mine8 ,i bought stock from you four years ago1 and have been breeding from it ever since1 and now your birds are six or eight pounds per pair heavier than mine4 ,true1 but you bought my latest-hatched birds1 because they were cheap1 and have been breeding from your latest-hatched birds ever since1 while ,i have been breeding only from the choicest of my early birds4 ,you have been steadily breeding your stock down1 while ,i have been breeding mine up4 ,there is now a wide gap between them4 ,caring for the ,ducklings when ,hatched4 ,the little ducklings should be left in the machine for at least twenty-four hours longer4 ,be sure and open the air-valves and give them plenty of air1 so that they may be well dried off4 ,a uniform heat of #ij degrees should be held in the egg-chamber4 ,the outer doors of the machine should be closed and the little fellows kept in darkness the first twelve hours4 ,after that the outer doors should be let down4 ,then you will see some fun1 for the little ducklings are far more active than chicks1 and will begin to play at once4 ,in the meantime the brooding-house should be prepared for the reception of the young brood4 ,the heat should be started some twenty-four hours previous to use4 ,the brooding-house should be the same whether you are growing on a small scale or a large one1 with simply the length proportioned to your needs4 ,but always recollect that heat should radiate from above on your ducklings1 as bottom heat will soon cripple them in the legs and render them helpless4 ,in fact1 ,i do not consider bottom heat as essential even for chicks4 ,the most successful grower ,i know of1 who grows #c1jjj chicks each spring1 getting them all out between ,january #ast and ,march #ast1 and closes up the whole business by ,july #ast1 uses top heat exclusively4 ,he has experimented fairly with both1 and says he wants no more bottom heat4 ,if the breeder is growing on a small scale it will be economy for him to use brooders instead of a heater4 ,figure #aa represents the best duck brooder ,i know of4 ,as there is no patent on it anyone can make it who has the conveniences4 ,this brooder is six and a half feet long by three feet wide1 and will accommodate #aej ducklings4 ,these brooders are of the most improved construction1 are intended for both indoor and outdoor work1 keeping the young ducks dry and warm in cold1 stormy weather1 even when located out of doors4 ,the heat is generated in copper boilers1 the water flowing through a galvanized iron tank1 under which the young ducklings hover4 ,this tank is five feet long1 twelve inches wide1 and about an inch thick1 and is hung about eight inches from ends and back of brooder1 leaving nearly eighteen inches in front the entire length of brooder1 in which to feed the first day or two4 ,the case of this brooder is made of matched boards and thoroughly ventilated and furnished with glass doors to admit light4 ,this brooder should be used in the brooding-house during winter and early spring1 after which it can be used to better advantage out of doors4 ,illustration3 ,,figure #aa4--;,,brooder4 ,let it be understood that a good brooder is1 next to the incubator1 the most important thing in the business4 ,it is worse than useless to get out large hatches of strong1 healthy birds1 only to have them smothered or chilled in worthless brooders4 ,numbers of the patent brooders now on the market are made by men who never raised a chick or duck in their lives1 and are regular fire and death traps4 ,many instances have come under my personal notice where not only ducks1 chicks1 and brooders1 but the buildings themselves have been entirely consumed by these fire traps4 ,again1 those brooders are always rated for higher than their actual capacity4 ,ignorant parties buy them1 fill them up according to instructions1 when a sad mortality is sure to follow from overcrowding and consequent overheating4 ,this is especially the case with chicks4 ,ducklings never smother each other from overcrowding1 but1 of course1 will not thrive when too closely packed4 ,these #aej-;duck brooders can be run at an expense of two cents per day for oil4 ,in extreme cold weather artificial heat should be kept up in these brooders for three weeks2 in warm weather1 a week is sufficient4 ,the same brooders can be used over and over as fast as the new hatches come out4 ,when brooders are removed1 closed boxes can be used instead4 ,when the operator does business large enough to require the use of five or six brooders1 it would be cheaper for him to put in a heater at once1 as the original cost of the heater would be less than that of the brooders4 ,years ago1 when the question of heaters was first agitated1 the cost was enormous1 and the consumption of coal in proportion4 ,large hot-house boilers were used1 often at a cost of several hundred dollars before the thing was ready for use4 ,now a good heating system can be arranged for a building one hundred feet long at an expense not exceeding #ajj4 ,this1 of course1 would be much less than a complement of brooders for the same building4 ,advantages of the ,heating ,system4 ,the heating system has several marked advantages over the brooders4 ,one is1 that during the extreme cold of winter the building is always warm enough for the little birds1 while with nothing but brooders it would often freeze around them1 necessitating feeding inside the brooders1 which would not be as healthy for the ducklings4 ,again there would be a great saving of labor1 as a self-regulating heater would require no more care than a single brooder1 while the oil consumed in the brooders would fully equal the cost of coal required for the heater4 ,there is one point here which the beginner should always take into consideration in the selection of a heater1 and that is1 be sure and get one that will give you the greatest amount of heat for the fuel consumed4 ,the patent steam and water heaters now upon the market are too numerous to mention4 ,but there is a vast difference in the economy of these heaters4 ,when contemplating the purchase of a heater1 several years ago1 ,i called upon a party who was running a newly-purchased heater4 ,he seemed very much pleased with it1 and said it ran admirably1--warmed his buildings nicely1 and only cost about one dollar per day for coal4 ,i made up my mind then and there that ,i should run my brooders a while longer4 ,but on interrogating another party using one of a different pattern1 he assured me that his heaters warmed both brooders and buildings in good shape at a cost of fifteen cents per day4 ,this was presenting the matter in a new phase4 ,the difference in cost of running these heaters one year would purchase two4 ,i am now running three heaters called the ,bramhall-,deane ,heater and am heating two brooding houses 7one #bej feet long1 the other #age feet long71 at half the cost per day4 ,either steam or water may be used4 ,i prefer water for both safety and economy4 ,for instance1 should the fire go out accidentally the heat would cease at once where steam was used1 while water would hold its heat for hours1 and would continue to circulate just so long as the water in the boiler was hotter than that in the pipes4 ,i do not know but there are other heaters in the market just as economical as the ,bramhall-,deane1 but ,i know of several prominent poultry men who are changing their heating principle1 not because they are dissatisfied with the work done by that now in use1 but solely on account of the expense attending it4 ,figure #ab represents our brooding-house as it appears outside4 ,its dimensions have already been given4 ,it is boarded in with closely-fitting hemlock boards1 the whole being covered on the outside with the heaviest quality of ,paroid ,roofing4 ,illustration3 ,,brooding ,,house4 7,,fig4 #ab47 ,this roofing is manufactured by ,f4 ,w4 ,bird ,son1 ,east ,walpole1 ,mass4 ,we have more than an acre under roofing1 a large proportion of which is covered with ,paroid4 ,we find it strong1 pliable1 insusceptible to either heat or cold and to all appearances will be more durable than anything we have ever used4 ,i have many buildings covered with this roofing4 ,in applying it1 begin at the eaves1 lapping it #a-a_/b inches4 ,it is so heavy that it does not require wooden strips to hold it down1 simply nails and tin caps1 which should be about an inch apart4 ,a coat of the liquid1 which goes with it1 will glaze it over in good shape4 ,for a flat roof1 it is far better than shingles at less than half the cost4 ,interior ,arrangement of ,brooding-,house4 ,as the construction of this building has been already noticed1 ,i will proceed to describe its interior arrangement for a brooding-house4 ,in the first place1 as in the breeding-house1 there should be a walk three feet wide the entire length of the building on the back side4 ,next to the walk1 and parallel with it1 the brooder box should run4 ,this box will be thirty inches wide1 and like the walk1 the entire length of the building4 ,in my building the brooding arrangement is very simple1 being a box with two sides resting on the ground1 eight inches high in the clear1 the ground being utilized as the bottom of brooder4 ,this brooding-box consists of two parts4 ,the sides1 seven inches wide1 are nailed securely1 and constitute the sides of the pipe-stand4 ,the cover is portable1 with cleats nailed across the top to strengthen it1 and with strips an inch wide nailed underneath1 in front and in back1 to keep it in position4 ,these strips are supposed to rest on the seven-inch strips in the sides1 and1 when the cover is on1 make a tight brooder4 ,figure #ac represents the interior of brooding-house1 with these covers on the brooders and ready for use4 ,also1 with two of the covers removed showing the heating pipes4 ,these consist of a two-inch flow and return1 running parallel with each other the entire length of the building1 and lying ten inches apart from centre to centre4 ,these pipes rest upon cross boards1 whose length corresponds with the width of the brooder1 and to which the sides are nailed2 two-inch holes are cut out in the top of these boards into which the pipes are laid1 the upper surface of which comes flush with the top of the boards1 so that when the cover of brooders is in position it rests equally on pipes and boards4 ,illustration3 ,,plan ,,of ,,brooding ,,house4 7,,fig4 #ac47 ,the distance between these boards corresponds with the width of pens outside of brooder1 and constitute partitions for the same4 ,the partitions are simply inch boards1 twelve or fourteen inches wide1 fitting into ground in front of building to keep them upright and in position4 ,the front of the brooder leading into the pens is cut out in centre of brooder four feet long and four inches deep to allow the free passage of the ducklings4 ,these openings in the first four pens are fringed with woolen cloth1 cut up every four inches1 to keep the brooder warmer in cold weather4 ,the remaining brooders are not fringed1 for reasons which will appear hereafter4 ,the heater can be located in the end of building most convenient to the operator4 ,the bottom of the pens should consist of sand which1 when it becomes wet1 and before it becomes offensive1 should be covered with fine sawdust4 ,this is a good absorbent and disinfectant as well4 ,the inside of the four brooders next the heater should be filled up with hay chaff to within four inches of the pipes1 the distance being gradually increased as you near the other end of the building1 until the whole eight inches in height will be required1 using simply sawdust enough to disinfect the bottom of brooder4 ,this is my present brooding arrangement1 with the exception of a common door handle screwed on each brooder cover to facilitate handling4 ,it may not suit every one2 some may want it more ornamental1 more expensive2 others may wish to simplify it still more4 ,but such as it is1 it is now all ready for use1 with heat applied4 ,but those little ducklings1 who have been waiting all this time in the machine1 are getting both hungry and impatient1 and require immediate attention4 ,the food which has already been prepared consists of a formula composed of four parts wheat-bran1 one part corn-meal with enough of low grade flour to connect the mass without making it sticky or pasty1 in fact1 it should be crumbly so that the little birds can eat it readily4 ,about five per cent4 of fine1 sharp grit should be mixed into their first feed1 after that1 one or two per cent4 is all sufficient4 ,this grit should be increased in size as the birds grow older4 ,about the third day1 a little fine beef-scrap should be introduced1 soaking it a little before mixing4 ,when a few days old1 a little green rye1 if obtainable1 should be given them1 or as a substitute1 finely chopped cabbage or lettuce4 ,when the birds are two weeks old1 one part corn-meal to three parts bran should be used4 ,this food should be scattered upon the feeding-troughs1 which are simply one-half inch boards1 nine or ten inches wide1 by three or four feet long1 with laths nailed on the sides and ends4 ,small water-cans1 inverted in tin saucers1 so that the ducklings can drink readily without getting wet1 should stand convenient to the food4 ,how to ,remove the ,ducklings ,without ,injury4 ,to facilitate the removal of ducklings from the machine1 ,i have a square basket some two and one-half feet long1 by fifteen inches wide and one foot high1 with close covers1 hinged in the centre4 ,in order to secure the ducklings1 usually all that is necessary is to open one door of machine1 hold this basket under it and make a little chuckling noise1 and strange to say1 the little fellows will run out over the pipes1 over the glass door1 down into the basket in dozens as fast as their little legs and wings can carry them4 ,this basket will hold #ajj ducklings conveniently4 ,when full1 it should be carried to the brooding-house and carefully inverted over the feeding-boards4 ,the little birds will begin eating at once4 ,this process can be repeated until the machine is emptied4 ,there will be some of the later-hatched ones that should be allowed to remain in the machine ten or twelve hours longer1 as they can be cared for better there4 ,these can be readily detected1 as they are not as active as the others1 and perhaps not completely dried off4 ,the ducklings should be put out1 if possible1 during the middle of the day1 and while the sun shines through the windows1 as they can be fed in the sun and put under the brooder later in the day4 ,in event of there being no sun1 it will not do to feed under the brooding-box1 as it is too dark4 ,i then take a one-half inch board1 four feet long 7to correspond with the length of opening in front of brooder7 and six inches wide4 ,i nail two pieces of the same width and height1 one foot long1 on to each end of this board1 forming a parallelogram four feet long and one foot wide1 minus one side4 ,this is set up in front of the opening in brooder1 and being of the same length1 forms a little pen in front of brooder one foot wide1 in which the feeding-trough can be placed with drinking fount4 ,the ducklings can then run out and in and feed when they wish4 ,this board will only be needed for a day or two1 when it can be taken up and reserved for the next brood4 ,the ducklings should be fed once in two hours1 scattering a little food on the troughs4 ,be sure that they eat clean before more is given4 ,at the end of a week the regular feed should be four meals each day4 ,how to ,feed4 ,when ,i can get stale baker's bread ,i use that in connection with1 and instead of1 bran4 ,it can be profitably mixed with milk1 not too sour1 when it can be had for a cent a quart4 ,but do not give milk as drink1--the young birds will smear themselves all over with it1 their beaks and eyes will be stuck up1 the down will come off their little bodies in large patches1 and they will be a constant aggravation4 ,i was once called upon to visit an establishment1 the owner of which complained that his ducklings did not grow1 and he was very anxious for me to locate the trouble4 ,i found six to eight hundred ducklings there of all ages1 and1 strange to say1 nearly of one size2 and one lot of nearly three hundred ducklings eight weeks old would not average one pound each1 when they should have weighed four pounds4 ,illustration ,such a sight ,i never saw before1 and hope never to see again4 ,of all the miserable1 squalid1 contemptible looking objects1 those ducklings took the lead4 ,this man had not only mixed their food with milk1 but had kept it by them in open troughs1 and the birds had bathed in it and spattered it over each other until there was hardly a feather left on their emaciated bodies2 and yet this man did not know what ailed his ducks4 ,is it strange that some people fail in the poultry business8 ,when in full operation1 we run twenty-one large machines1 and as it requires twenty-seven days to close up each hatch1 of course we have a hatch come off nearly every day4 ,now as each hatch is supposed to occupy two brooder-pens with the corresponding yards1 in the course of five or six weeks that brooding-house will be filled with its complement of #c1jjj ducklings4 ,these will be of all ages1 from the little puff-balls just from the machine1 to the half-grown bird of six weeks old4 ,the brooding pipes are supposed to radiate the same amount of heat at the extreme end of the building as they do next the heater1 consequently the brooders are of the same temperature in all their parts4 ,not so the building4 ,as the heater radiates a great deal of heat1 the end in which this is located is always #ab or #ae degrees warmer than the other and is thus better adapted to the comfort of the newly hatched ducklings than the other1 so ,i always put the birds fresh from the machine next the heater1 while the older ones are passed down the building4 ,this is a very simple process4 ,one end of the partition board is lifted up a little1 food scattered in a trough in the empty pen adjoining1 the ducklings will rush under in a moment1 then the board is dropped4 ,the same process is continued until all are moved and the building filled4 ,illustration3 ,,inside ,,plan ,,of ,,double ,,brooding ,,house4 ,the building just described we term our nursery1 and has a capacity of about #b1ejj birds4 ,when full1 the older birds are probably about two weeks old1 and of course these older ones must be removed to make room for successive hatches of younger birds4 ,for this purpose1 we constructed a building #abe feet long1 #cb feet wide1 which we style our double brooding house4 ,it runs east and west with a walk four feet wide through the centre1 with brooding-pens on each side4 ,this building has the same capacity of a single building #bej feet long1 and accommodates about #e1jjj birds4 ,on the south side of this walk our brooder boxes are arranged4 ,at one end of the building is a heater1 from which an inch-and-a-half flow and return pipe runs under the brooder boxes the entire length of the building and furnishes heat for the little birds4 ,the brooder-boxes are located twenty inches from the side of the walk4 ,the ducklings are fed and watered in this space1 and are not allowed in it except for that purpose4 ,to effect this1 the covers of the brooding-boxes1 which are six feet long by two feet wide1 are cut in the centre the entire length1 and hinged with a perpendicular lip1 which when closed1 meets an upright board below1 some two inches high1 shutting brooders tight1 excluding ducklings from feeding apartment1 so that it is always sweet and clean4 ,by this arrangement1 the ducklings are all fed and watered from the walk1 thus reducing the labor to a minimum1 while there is no danger of crushing the little birds under foot or under the troughs4 ,the attendant is not hampered in his movements1 but can work as quickly as he likes4 ,all he has to do is to distribute the food and water1 throwing the covers back as he goes1 when the ducklings1 which are always waiting1 rush in and soon fill themselves4 ,twenty minutes is all that is required for them to eat and drink4 ,a person of good judgment can easily determine about how much the birds will consume1 though it is well for him to pass along the walk1 giving a little more food where their wants are not satisfied1 or taking up what is left over1 shutting the covers down when the birds are through4 ,as this building is well piped1 distributing water at both ends1 as well as at the mixing-box and heater1 it makes the feeding almost a pastime1 the work is done so easily4 ,this building is just what we have been looking for4 ,there are none on the place that pleases us so well4 ,its many advantages over a single building must be evident to all4 ,the increased facility for doing the work1 as well as its economy in housing many more birds for the money invested1 are not the least4 ,when planning this building1 we had some misgiving about running it east and west as the lay of the land required1 thinking that the exposure on the north side during the inclement weather of the early spring1 would confine the young birds to the building and they would suffer for want of exercise1 but we were agreeably disappointed as we found that they thrived equally as well1 if not better1 on the north side as on the south1 proving what ,i have always known in duck culture1 that the extreme heat of summer is more debilitating to young birds than the cold of winter1 and that early hatched birds will always be of larger size and more robust physique than late ones4 ,that is why ,i have always made it a point to select my early hatched birds for breeding purposes4 ,i have never known any too good for that4 ,i insert cuts of this double building1 with the older ducklings on the north side and the younger ones on the south4 ,were ,i to build another1 ,i should duplicate it in every respect4 ,illustration ,regulation of ,heat in ,brooders4 ,now1 as the birds grow larger1 they naturally need less heat1 and we must contrive to fix it so they do not get so much4 ,as stated before1 no fringe is used beyond the first four brooders1--the space in front being left open2 and not only that1 but we gradually raise the back of the cover next the walk until it opens an inch or more the entire length of the pen4 ,those ducklings1 before they reach the other end of this brooding-house1 will weigh 7if well cared for7 over a pound each4 ,the brooder will not then be large enough to hold them1 neither do they require the heat1 in fact it would be injurious at this age2 so before the birds reach the extreme end of the building ,i shut them off from the brooders entirely by placing a board in front of the opening4 ,the young birds will always thrive better out of doors than in2 and when two weeks old ,i always let them out during the sunny days of ,april1 by opening the slides in front4 ,at this stage of growth when the birds are from two to four weeks old1 especially with the early hatches when confined as they usually are during the inclement weather in winter1 unless extreme care is taken1 a sad mortality is sure to follow4 ,there is a great tendency at this stage of growth1 when the birds are confined1 to overfeed as well as to overheat in the brooders4 ,this1 coupled with too little exercise is sure to cripple the birds1 weaken their legs and render them helpless4 ,even experienced growers sometimes get a little careless and lose whole hatches4 ,we have numerous letters from all parts of the country in which people write ,my ducklings are all crippled1 cannot walk and are dying off fast4 ,what shall ,i do8 ,there is only one thing2 feed sparingly1 and give all the exercise possible4 ,often1 the want of grit will cause the same trouble4 7,our yards have been prepared for this the previous autumn1 and are now covered with a thick coat of green rye five or six inches high47 ,to accomplish this1 ,i make pens outside the building in front1 ten feet long1 and of a width to correspond with the pens inside4 ,i simply use old boards a foot wide1 tacking them together with wire nails1 as it is only a temporary arrangement4 ,when snow falls it must be shoveled out at once4 ,just as soon as the weather and the condition of the ground will allow1 ,i set up the partition wire outside to correspond with the width of pens inside4 ,this wire partition runs the whole length of the yard2 and as the yards are #ajj feet deep1 it gives the ducklings a yard #fx#ajj feet4 ,i always feed outside whenever the weather will permit4 ,it is needless to say that the sanitary arrangements in this building are of the utmost importance4 ,indeed1 it will require constant watchfulness and care on the part of the attendant4 ,the ,sanitary ,arrangements4 ,with several thousand ducklings confined in one building1 the tendency is decidedly filthy4 ,the capacity of the duckling for filth is wonderful1 and he comes honestly by it4 ,it is simply astonishing how soon he will manage to mix the contents of his water-tank with that of his yard and make both sloppy and offensive4 ,the chick is nowhere in comparison4 ,it is true1 the duck is not so easily affected by it as the chick1 but it will not do to presume too much upon that4 ,at this stage the attendant will be kept busy every moment from daylight to dark4 ,not only the regular feeding four times a day requires his attention1 but the simple mixing of seventy-five to one hundred bushels of feed each day is quite a little job of itself1 especially when the different ingredients should be exact4 ,the water tanks also must be regularly cleaned and filled4 ,the troughs should be carefully cleaned before feeding1 as the ducks will readily eat all foreign matter together with the food4 ,in short1 the whole business must be systematized all the way through1 and the attendant should understand that it is never safe to neglect a single detail4 ,illustration3 ,,our ,,double ,,brooding ,,house4 7,south side47 ,i had always made a point of doing this duty myself4 ,a few years ago1 not feeling well and having other business requiring my attention1 ,i engaged a man whom ,i considered competent to do this business for me4 ,i took him over the yards1 showed and told him just how the thing must be done2 watched him to see that he did the work faithfully and complied with all its details4 ,things went on apparently well for a week or two1 when1 going home one day1 ,i noticed a number of dead ducklings lying around1 and looking under the brooder ,i found quite a number more4 ,i at once interviewed the man and cautioned him4 ,he insisted that he had followed the instructions to the letter4 ,but the mortality did not abate1 on the contrary it increased to an alarming extent2 and ,i had lost more ducklings in one month than ,i had lost for ten years previous4 ,i watched him and found that the feeding-troughs were not cleaned at all1 and when the birds scattered the sawdust in them the food was thrown on that1 the ducklings consuming both4 ,the food was thrown partly in the trough and partly on the ground2 apparently a matter of perfect indifference to him4 ,the water-tanks were not rinsed out4 ,instead of stepping over the eighteen-inch partition wires he stepped on them1 breaking down the standards and flattening down the wire1 so that the birds were all mixed together promiscuously1--ducklings two weeks old with those of six weeks4 ,the little ones were trodden down by the older ones and almost denuded of their feathers1 and there was no thrift to be seen anywhere4 ,to say that ,i was indignant does not express it4 ,i had often seen such a condition of things elsewhere1 but not before on my own ranch2 ,i was absolutely ashamed to show visitors around the yards as long as this state of things existed4 ,illustration3 ,,our ,,double ,,brooding ,,house4 7,north side47 ,that man was promptly discharged1 and ,i undertook the feeding myself4 ,the birds were sorted out and returned to their own yards1 the wire replaced1 the feeding-troughs cleaned1 the pens carefully disinfected4 ,in four days double the amount of food was consumed and things were decidedly improved4 ,but those birds never acquired that uniformity of size and appearance which had always characterized my market birds4 ,the best material to use in the pens inside the brooding-house is dry1 fine sawdust1 if it can be obtained4 ,it is by far the best thing ,i know of for the purpose4 ,the next best is finely chopped straw or hay1 tanbark1 etc4 ,the brooders1 like the pens1 require close attention4 ,the top should be scraped off before it becomes offensive1 and new material applied4 ,this can be easily done by simply lifting the edge of the cover next the walk and drawing it over into the walk1 when it can be taken in a barrow or basket4 ,the ,necessity of ,green ,food4 ,it must be remembered that as the broods grow older the cleaning process must be repeated oftener1 as their capacity for generating filth will always be in proportion to their size4 ,those unacquainted with duck-culture have little idea how fast these birds will grow2 how soon they will successively outgrow brooders1 pens and yards1 and how soon every vestige of green will disappear from yards that were thickly covered with rye4 ,but the ducklings must be kept growing at all hazards1 and a vegetable supply must be procured from outside4 ,illustration3 ,,west ,,side ,,of ,,lane4 ,rye comes first in the season 7,i always cultivate it for the purpose1 and when coarse1 it must be cut so that it can be readily eaten72 then grass2 and next corn fodder1 which is best of all4 ,it is astonishing how much of the latter these birds will consume--hundreds of pounds each day4 ,it should be cut very fine1 not more than one-third of an inch in length4 ,unlike the hen1 the birds prefer the stalk to the leaf4 ,give them all they will eat1 once each day4 ,but we have forgotten that empty machine4 ,after the ducklings are taken out it will be found running at #he to #ij degrees4 ,i gauge it up to #ajb and fill it with fresh eggs at once1 not forgetting to fill one tray in the little tender4 ,there is one bad habit to which ducklings of four or five weeks old are addicted1 and that is feather eating4 ,first the down will begin to disappear from their backs2 next1 as the birds grow older1 the quills which grow out from the end of the wings will disappear1 and they are all exposed for tempting morsels4 ,these quills bleed profusely when disturbed1 which1 of course1 seriously retards the growth and progress of the birds4 ,this vice should be checked at once1 for vice it is1--superinduced by idleness and close confinement4 ,when the first indications of these troubles appear1 the attendant should watch the birds closely for a few moments1 when the aggressors can soon be detected4 ,they should be removed at once and confined by themselves1 or placed in yards with older birds already feathered out1 which affords them no temptation to practice their newly acquired art4 ,if this is not done at once the vice becomes general1 and disastrous consequences are sure to follow4 ,if it has already attained headway1 before the novice detects it1 he must change them to new quarters2 a grassy area is best1 where they usually forget all about it4 ,this can be readily done1 as the operator should always have a spare roll of eighteen-inch wire netting on hand with which he can enclose a given area in a few moments4 ,too much cannot be said in favor of this wire1 it is so cheap1 portable and convenient4 ,it can be taken up and removed in an incredibly short time to facilitate plowing and disinfecting the yards4 ,while it effectually separates the birds1 it affords little or no impediment to the attendant during the process of watering and feeding4 ,i fasten this wire up to short stakes driven in the ground1 using small staples for the purpose4 ,when removed it can be rolled up1 stakes and all1 without disturbing the staples4 ,illustration3 ,,our ,,twenty-,,five ,,hundred ,,breeding ,,ducks4 ,kodak standing in centre of yard4 ,illustration ,illustration ,it is then ready for resetting or stowing away for next season's work4 ,this wire is now the cheapest of all fencing for poultry work1--much more so1 even1 than lath-fencing2 and has the great advantage of being portable and far more durable than any other material4 ,two-inch mesh1 ,no4 #ai wire1 can be had now for three-quarters cent a square foot by the single roll1 and proportionately cheaper by the quantity4 ,never purchase ,no4 #bj wire1 as it will prove unsatisfactory in the end4 ,it is not self-supporting and can only be kept in position by boards1 both above and below4 ,there is great difference in the quality of this wire2 that made by some firms being of so soft material that it will not stand alone4 ,the squares soon become ellipses1 and your eighteen-inch wire settles to a foot4 ,the best ,i have ever used is that made by the ,gilbert ,bennett ,manufacturing ,company1 ,georgetown1 ,conn4 ,previous to this our oldest ducklings will have reached the extreme end of the brooding-house1 and it will be filled to its utmost capacity4 ,in order to make room for the successive hatches ,i drive the older hatches out and round to my cold buildings1 two in number4 ,these buildings are each seventy-five feet long1 with contiguous yards one hundred feet deep4 ,the slides in the buildings are left open1 and the ducklings are at liberty to go out or in as they see fit1--a privilege of which they avail themselves as the state of the atmosphere inclines4 ,these yards always have a thick mat of rye growing on them4 ,the partition wires have been set up and the young birds are quietly driven to their respective quarters4 ,after ducklings reach the age of six weeks1 it is not necessary to confine them in buildings during the night4 ,indeed1 they are far better not1 unless it is extremely cold1 or there is danger from vermin4 ,even severe rainstorms will not injure them4 ,they should be watched carefully1 however1 as they are apt1 during their antics1 to fall over on their backs1 when1 through suction from the wet and muddy ground1 they are seldom able to turn back again4 ,prompt assistance should be rendered1 or it will surely be too late1 as the back of a duckling is his most susceptible part4 ,after the birds are six weeks old it will not be necessary to feed more than three times per day1 gradually substituting meal for bran1 until the birds are eight weeks old1 when their food should be1 at least1 three-quarters meal4 ,there should also be a steady increase of animal food after the seventh week4 ,careful ,watering ,even ,more ,essential ,than ,food4 ,particular care should be taken at this time to give the birds all they need to drink1 or your food will be thrown away1 as they require more water during the warm weather4 ,they will consume and waste vast quantities1 and the water supply should be made as convenient as possible1 to facilitate the business4 ,our water is forced by a windmill into a two hundred-barrel tank1 and leads from there through pipes into brooding and breeding houses1 into the yards and mixing room1--all with a view to saving labor and time4 ,the water-pans in the buildings are raised six or eight inches from the ground to prevent the birds getting in or wasting the water4 ,at this stage1 during warm1 dry spells1 the dried excrement of the birds will accumulate on the surface of the ground4 ,this1 as a matter of economy1 as well as a sanitary necessity1 should be carefully swept up before a rain1 as the birds will sometimes drink water from the puddles standing around1 and it will often seriously affect their appetites1 as both yards and droppings are very offensive when wet4 ,shade is absolutely necessary at this age during warm weather1 as ducklings can never be made in good condition when exposed to the sun during the extreme heat of summer4 ,it affects their appetites at once1 reducing the consumption of food by one-half4 ,it is always well1 if possible1 to locate your yards so that the birds can have access to shade4 ,if not1 artificial shade must be constructed to meet the ends4 ,my plan is to set up four stakes1 about #fx#aj feet1 forming a parallelogram4 ,sideboards should be nailed on these stakes about two feet high4 ,these can be covered with old boards1 pine boughs1 bushes1 or thatched over with meadow hay1--whatever is most convenient to the grower4 ,great care should be taken in feeding by giving all the concentrated food the birds can be made to eat1 and no more1 as the largest of them will be ready for market when nine weeks old4 ,frighten and excite the birds as little as possible while sorting them4 ,the best way to do this is to use a wide board some ten feet long1 with two holes cut in the upper side near the middle4 ,these holes should be two feet apart1 and large enough to admit the hands for convenient handling4 ,fifteen or twenty of the birds should be driven in a corner and confined with this board4 ,the birds should now be taken by the neck1 one at a time1 the largest and choicest selected for market1 the rejected ones put in a temporary yard by themselves4 ,illustration ,this process should be repeated until the whole hatch is sorted1 when the culls can be returned to their old quarters4 ,they will have a better chance than before1 and in a few days will be as good as the others4 ,the oldest hatches1 which usually come out in ,february and ,march1 are all sent to market4 ,the price is too high to save for breeders1 but from subsequent hatches1 those that come out in ,april and ,may1 we select our breeding stock4 ,how to ,select ,breeding ,stock4 ,even these birds will command a high price1 but ,i cannot afford to wait longer4 ,i am very particular in this selection4 ,the birds must not only be of the largest size1 but of the most perfect form4 ,the contour of head and neck1 size and shape of bill1 length and width of body1 all are taken into consideration4 ,as a consequence1 not more than one in ten will be found to fill the bill1 and my #b1ejj breeding birds will be selected from many thousands4 ,the result of all this care and solicitude on my part has been extremely gratifying1 as it has not only given me the control of the fancy market1 but the birds have always commanded a higher price in the general market on account of their large size and fattening properties4 ,as the ducklings are now ready for market1 it is necessary that the grower should make some arrangements for disposing of them4 ,he cannot afford to sell them alive to the carts1 for though this may be a great convenience to persons who grow a few fowls1 the profits which enable these parties to run their collecting carts all over the country1 and hire men to pick and dress their fowls1 will be quite an item in the pocket of the one who grows on a large scale4 ,the best plan for him is to hire an expert to do his picking for him1 and if he cannot get one1 to take lessons of one so that he can do it himself4 ,this is a very particular business1 as there is a great knack in it4 ,years ago ,i thought ,i knew something about picking ducks1 but after watching an expert for thirty minutes ,i was enabled to double my day's work4 ,illustration ,this usually has the same effect upon others4 ,for though it may be weeks before the tyro will be able to do what would be called a fair day's work1 yet if he keeps his wits about him1 and is endowed with a fair share of energy1 there will be constant improvement4 ,i received a letter a short time since from a lady in ,ohio1 saying that she was very much interested in growing ducklings1 and was satisfied that there was money in it1 but that her greatest trouble was in getting them picked1 as it cancelled a large share of the profits1 and that she hired a woman for the purpose and paid her twenty-five cents apiece for picking2 at the same time saying that she could not bear to pay the woman less1 as it took her a half day to pick one duck4 ,method of ,dressing ,ducklings4 ,a fair day's work for an expert is forty ducks per day1 though ,i have had men who could pick seventy-five and do it well4 ,the process is very simple4 ,all that is necessary is a chair1 a box #bx#c feet and #b feet high for the feathers1 a few knives1 and a smart man to handle them4 ,one knife should be double-edged and sharp-pointed1 for bleeding4 ,the bird should be held between the knees1 the bill held open with the left hand1 and a cut made across the roof of the mouth just below the eyes4 ,the bird should then be stunned by striking its head against a post1 or some hard substance4 ,illustration ,the picker seats himself in the chair1 with the bird in his lap1 its head held firmly between one knee and the box4 ,the sooner he gets at it the better1 and if he is smart he will have the bird well plucked by the time life is extinct4 ,the feathers should be carefully sorted while picking2 the wing and tail-feathers and pins thrown away and the body feathers1 with the down1 thrown into the box4 ,care should be taken about this1 as the feathers are no mean source of income1 and will always pay for the picking4 ,a dull knife should be used in connection with the thumb in removing the long pins1 and1 in fact1 all that can be removed without tearing the skin4 ,the down can usually be rubbed off by slightly moistening the hand and holding the skin tight4 ,as there are often some pins which cannot be taken out without tearing and disfiguring the skin1 and some down that will not rub off1 they must be shaved off4 ,a knife should be kept for the purpose4 ,this knife should be made of the finest oil-tempered steel1 and must be sharper than the best razor4 ,the tops of the wings should be left on1 and the bird picked half way down the neck4 ,the bird should not be drawn nor the head removed4 ,all this is in reality done in much shorter time than is required to describe it4 ,the expert performs his duties mechanically4 ,the feathers actually seem to stick to his fingers1 and he will in seven minutes pick a duck in far better shape than a novice would in an hour4 ,the bird on being picked1 should1 after the blood is washed carefully from the head1 be thrown into a barrel or tank of floating ice4 ,it will harden up so that its rotundity of outline will be preserved4 ,this method is far better than that practiced by some parties1 who pack their birds in ice at once1 where the bodies are compressed into all manner of shapes and harden up in that position1 and never again can acquire that attractive appearance and rounded outline which a well-fattened duckling should present4 ,after the birds are hardened they should be packed close in light boxes1 back down1 with the head under the wing1 and if your market is within twelve hours ride1 can be safely shipped without ice1 and they will always arrive in good condition4 ,dealers like to have them come in this way1 they look so much nicer and are far more saleable4 ,i have boxes for the purpose1 of different sizes1 holding1 when closely packed1 twelve1 eighteen and thirty-six pairs of birds4 ,these boxes are light1 made of five-eighth inch pine1 are strongly cleated at the corners and ends1 and are fitted with hinged covers1 fastened down with clasps and screws4 ,i find this much the best way1 as the birds always preserve their shape and arrive in good condition1 while express companies return the empty boxes free1 and when they get the hang of it soon learn to deliver promptly and handle carefully4 ,how to ,ship ,poultry4 ,in shipping poultry the first thing the young poulterer should do is to establish a reputation among the first-class dealers in his vicinity4 ,this can only be done by shipping first-class stock4 ,never kill a bird unless it is in good condition4 ,pick and dress them neatly1 box them carefully1 and they will always command a good price and a ready sale2 while equally as good stock1 slovenly and carelessly thrown together1 will go begging4 ,i have often seen good stock cut several cents per pound1 owing to the shipper's carelessness4 ,a prominent dealer in ,boston said to me one day1 pointing to a barrel of poultry1 ,the man who shipped that stuff is a fool6 ,look here6 ,he opened the barrel1--it was half full of ducks fairly well fatted and picked4 ,but how those ducks looked4 ,the shipper had evidently thrown those birds in head first1 or any way to suit1 and then had thrown a lot of ice on the top4 ,the barrel not being very clean1 he had introduced blue paper between the ducks and barrel4 ,the ice had melted1 the barrel had been capsized repeatedly during transit1 and the paper had been completely disintegrated4 ,it was stuck all over the ducks in little patches and rubbed in1 while the birds had acquired a fine tint of blue that would have done credit to a laundryman4 ,there1 said the dealer1 ,i shall have to cut that man four cents per pound4 ,if occasionally you should have poor stock always ship it by itself1 and notify your dealer of its quality4 ,he will know it soon enough without you telling him1 but1 at the same time1 he will know that you are not trying to put a poor article on him for a good one4 ,one or two pairs of poor birds in a box of good ones will often affect the price of the whole4 ,never pack a bird till after the animal heat is out4 ,by a close observance of the above1 the time will soon come when you will have no trouble in selling your stock4 ,you will have more orders than you will be able to fill4 ,the past season has been a very satisfactory one to us1 as we have not only largely increased our business1 but the prices obtained have been better than ever before1 while we have been overwhelmed with orders from dealers in ,new ,york and ,boston which we have been wholly unable to fill4 ,but to return to the feathers4 ,they should be taken up every day and spread out thinly on a dry floor1 turned occasionally1 and1 in a few days1 when thoroughly dry1 can be thrown in a heap4 ,do not neglect this1 for if allowed to accumulate they soon become offensive1 and nothing but superheated steam will ever deordize them1 and be sure that the feather firms will always take advantage of this and charge you roundly for doing it4 ,disinfecting the ,ground a ,necessity4 ,when we first begin shipping for market1 our yards are usually filled to their utmost capacity1 and we are often crowded for room4 ,as fast as the yards are emptied1 they should be disinfected by turning them and sowing a crop of oats at once4 ,by the time these oats are two or three inches high they can be reoccupied by young birds1 so that two crops can be grown upon the same ground each season4 ,my plan is this3 ,i do not heat my brooding-house artificially after the first of ,june1 as the building will always be warm enough at that date for ducklings ten days old1 without artificial heat4 ,i locate some of my large duck-brooders a short distance apart out-of-doors1 building a square pen in front of them1 #hx#ab feet1 with boards a foot wide4 ,into these brooders ,i put the newly-hatched ducklings as they come out4 ,they need artificial heat the first few days4 ,of course it would be poor policy to run the heater for the benefit of a few when it would be a decided injury to thousands4 ,when the ducklings no longer require heat1 which will be in a very few days1 ,i remove them at once1 either to the brooding-house or to the vacated yards above mentioned1 when by this time the oats will be high enough to furnish them with green food4 ,the business is managed in this way as long as there are eggs to hatch4 ,i use the eggs for incubating long after ,i cease putting them out2 for1 if there is but one-third fertile1 it is more profitable to hatch them than to market them1 as the prices on young ducklings after the middle of ,october usually rule some three or four cents higher per pound than during ,august and ,september4 ,during the spring and summer months1 when things are under full headway1 there is naturally great care and responsibility4 ,it will not do to make too many mistakes or neglect necessary duties4 ,the young birds must be fed regularly and given the differently prepared foods according to age1--water supplied1 grass and corn fodder cut and distributed according to need4 ,lamps to trim and replenish1 eight thousand eggs to turn twice each day2 a new hatch of ducklings coming off nearly every day2 the machine to be filled with nicely washed eggs2 one to two thousand pounds of ducklings dressed and packed for market daily2 cleaning and disinfecting yards2 entertaining visitors1 who flock here by dozens1--furnish all the occupation we need4 ,indeed1 were it not for the immense profits attending the business1 we might consider it rather more than we ought to do4 ,i disinfect my duck yards with rye about ,sept4 #a4 ,when1 in this climate1 frost has destroyed all green vegetable life1 then rye is in its prime4 ,if sowed ,september #a1 in duck yards1 it will attain a height of eighteen inches1 and if sowed thickly will crop many tons to the acre4 ,when corn-fodder is gone1 we use green clover1 then turnip1 cabbage and green rye in turn and then just before a snow storm we cut a large quantity of the frozen rye and pile it up in the shade1 where1 of course1 it will neither heat or thaw4 ,should we get out before the snow is gone1 we always have surplus of clover-rowen cured for the purpose4 ,this1 together with refuse cabbage and boiled turnips1 small potatoes1 etc41 makes a fine winter diet on which breeding ducks will always thrive if the other ingredients are properly mixed1--a diet upon which1 combined with housing and plenty of exercise1 the birds are bound to contribute a good quota of strong fertile eggs4 ,i mention this particularly here1 because the mortality among young birds will depend largely upon the strength and vitality of the eggs from which they come4 ,natural ,duck-,culture4 ,doubtless some of my readers are getting impatient and saying to themselves1 ,why do you not give us some ideas how to do this business in the natural way8 ,many of us wish to begin small4 ,every one has not the conveniences to use or the means to command incubators4 ,i am coming to that4 ,i have a vivid recollection of using hens to incubate with some twenty years ago2 and the persistent obstinacy of the perverse birds1 the large proportion of valuable eggs spoiled and broken1 as well as the time consumed in caring for them1 are still fresh in my memory4 ,it was wholesome discipline for me4 ,it will be the same to the reader1 and enable him to appreciate a good incubator later on4 ,a good1 quiet hen1 who attends closely to her business1 will always hatch as large a proportion of her eggs as a good incubator2 but there are so many with dispositions quite the opposite of this that it leaves the odds largely in favor of the machine4 ,success with hens depends quite as much with the operator as with machines4 ,he must begin right and hold out to the end4 ,as ducks seldom make good incubators1 he will have to rely upon hens to do that business for him4 ,the best breeds for that purpose ,i have found to be the ,brahma or ,plymouth ,rock4 ,a cross of these birds makes a good quiet sitter4 ,the birds must be got out early so that they will begin laying in the fall and be ready to incubate by the time you want them4 ,it is well to have a room for the purpose and have the sitters by themselves4 ,the nests should be in rows around the room1 the feeding and water-troughs in the centre1 with the dust-bath at one end4 ,the nest boxes should be some fourteen inches square and about a foot high4 ,each one should be furnished with a slide so that the bird can be confined when necessary4 ,if the slide is planed1 all the better1 as the date of the sitter can then be marked on it4 ,the first thing is to prepare the nests4 ,there is quite a knack in this2 indeed1 success largely depends upon this one thing4 ,the best material for this is soft hay or straw1 cut six or eight inches long1 placed upon a soil bottom4 ,the sides of this nest should be packed hard1 the bottom smooth and slightly concaved1 not too much1 as the tendency then would be to break the eggs if they crowded towards the centre4 ,there should be plenty of room in the nest for the bird's feet and legs and the eggs too1 so that she can turn at will without danger of breaking them4 ,a piece of tarred paper five or six inches square1 should be placed on the soil in the bottom of the nest2 the whole covered with a half inch of finely cut straw4 ,a few porcelain eggs should be placed in the nest1 and when a hen shows a strong desire to incubate she should be placed upon the nest and the slide closed1 giving the bird all the air she needs4 ,this removal should be made after dark as the birds are always more gentle then4 ,it is well to set a number of hens at once1 if they can be had1 for reasons that will shortly appear4 ,if the birds take kindly to the porcelain eggs they can be removed the next evening and replaced with ducks' eggs4 ,as they are much larger than hen's eggs1 nine or ten will be enough in cold weather and eleven or twelve in warm2 proportioned1 of course1 something to the size of the bird4 ,i always take the birds from their nests at a certain time every day2 they will learn to expect it4 ,this should be done during the warmest part of the day4 ,handle ,your ,hens ,carefully4 ,now is the time to exercise caution4 ,take your birds off carefully several at a time4 ,if one should fly in your face1 break her eggs and spatter the contents over your person1 and you should feel like wringing her neck1 don't do it2 you would only be so much out4 ,take things easy1 don't get mad2 she may do better next time1 if not1 replace her with one that will4 ,when taking your birds off in cold weather cover the eggs at once with a circular piece of heavy paper previously prepared1 and they will not cool perceptibly during the fifteen minutes the birds are off4 ,be sure and return each bird to her own nest1 for if you have an uneasy sitter1 though she may spoil her own eggs1 she should have no opportunity to spoil those of others4 ,besides1 if you do not1 hens that have been sitting but a day or two may be placed upon eggs just ready to hatch when she will not take kindly to the young birds as they hatch1 and a great mortality is sure to follow4 ,if you should be running #ajj sitters1 the more you can take off at a time the sooner you will get through4 ,have a sponge and warm water handy as you will have more or less broken eggs4 ,the rest should be washed clean at once and returned to the nest4 ,when hatching out be sure and remove the little ducklings1 as fast as they come out1 to a warm place to dry off1 as owing to their long necks and peculiar shape the mother hen will unconsciously crush many more of them than she would of chicks4 ,in fact1 they should never see the hen after being taken away1 as they can be grown to much better advantage1 and with far less mortality1 in brooders4 ,and just here is the great economy of setting six or eight hens at the same time2 the young ducklings can be all put together in one brooder and cared for with less trouble and with less mortality than that resulting from one hen with her brood4 ,the ducklings should be confined in yards1 the same care and feed given them as already recommended for artificially hatched birds4 ,allusion has already been made to the proverbial timidity of the ,pekin duck4 ,this sometimes causes trouble to the grower when the birds are confined together in large numbers4 ,when six or eight weeks old1 and even after they are full grown1 they often get frightened1 or gallied as it were1 in dark nights4 ,being unable to see1 one bird will touch another1 he will spring away and come in contact with several more4 ,in an instant the whole are in the most violent commotion1 whirling and treading each other down4 ,it will be a perfect stampede and will sometimes be kept up the entire night4 ,after a night of such dissipation many of the birds will appear completely jaded out1 and some of them unable to rise4 ,of course1 this must be stopped at once or the grower may bid farewell to all fattening or laying on the part of the birds4 ,hanging lanterns in the yards at stated distances will usually restore order4 ,it will not be needed when there is a moon4 ,see that there are no sharp projections in either yards or breeding-pens1 as both old and young birds are often lamed for life by simply coming in contact with them in the night4 ,too much care cannot be exercised on this point1 as the bones of the birds are so small and their bodies so frail4 ,as has been intimated before1 ducks are not subject to so many diseases as hens1--while they are entirely free from lice or body parasites of any kind4 ,indeed1 ,i never saw a louse on a duck in all my experience4 ,still1 it cannot be denied that good sanitary conditions1 together with plenty of pure air and water1 will not only greatly increase the egg-production1 but facilitate the growth and improve the properties of the duckling4 ,ducklings when confined to yards are sometimes troubled with sore eyes4 ,the adjacent parts become inflamed1 the head slightly swelled4 ,this is caused by feeding sloppy food1 and from filthy quarters4 ,the feathers around the eyes become filled with the food1 the dust adheres to them4 ,the eye is naturally inflamed4 ,washing out thoroughly and bathing the eye with a little sweet oil will usually effect a cure4 ,diarrhoea4 ,young ducklings are sometimes afflicted with diarrhoea4 ,this disease is caused more by overheating brooders and the exhausted condition of the mother bird than from improper food4 ,do not overfeed or overheat the ducklings4 ,feed bread or cracker crumbs1 moistened with boiled milk1 into which a little powdered chalk has been dusted4 ,abnormal ,livers4 ,this disease is the most dangerous to which young ducks are subject4 ,it is seldom prevalent except during the warm weather1 and usually in young birds of from two to six weeks of age4 ,the livers of the young birds enlarge to such an extent as to force up their backs1--a deformity which will cling to them through life4 ,it is caused by a complete stagnation of the digestive organs1 and often makes its appearance after a heavy rain1 or long wet spell1 when the yards are invariably wet1 sloppy and offensive4 ,the young birds will1 while in constant contact with this mud1 absorb more or less of it1 clogging the digestive organs1 and deranging their appetites4 ,remove the birds to some dry1 shady place1 feed sparingly1 and give a little of the ,douglas mixture in the drinking water4 ,ducklings must be ,carefully ,yarded ,while ,young4 ,a great mortality often occurs to young ducklings when allowed free range during warm weather1 from devouring injurious insects4 ,bees1 wasps1 hornets1 bugs of all descriptions1 are eagerly swallowed alive but not always with impunity1 and the birds often pay the penalty with their lives4 ,always confine them1 even when designed for breeding purposes1 until they are six weeks old1 when they can be allowed their liberty4 ,the most of the diseases to which ducks and fowls are subject can usually be traced to some infraction of conditions1 and of course are always more or less under the control of the careful operator4 ,two young men called here a short time ago wishing to know what was the trouble with their fowls4 ,hitherto they had occupied a cold building1 so open that the snow sifted through on them1 and they had never to their recollection had a diseased fowl4 ,within a year they had put up a nice1 warm building with a glass front1 and their fowls had been diseased ever since4 ,they had shut their birds in a building that would run up to #ajj degrees during the day and that would go down nearly to zero at night1 subjecting their fowls to thermal changes1 under which neither animal or vegetable life could possibly live1 and then expect them to thrive4 ,the amateur poulterer should understand in the beginning that it is far easier to anticipate disease in poultry than to cure it4 ,where fowls are kept in large numbers1 their health and well-being can only be insured by extreme care and cleanliness1 together with a free use of disinfectants4 ,buildings should be kept dry1 clean and sweet1 and not too warm4 ,the greater the variety of food the better1 so long as it is healthy and nutritious2 while gravel1 sand1 shell and granulated charcoal should be kept by them during confinement in winter4 ,i am often asked by parties1 ,why do so many would-be poulterers fail if it is a legitimate business and fairly profitable8 ,i reply1 ,i am not prepared to concede the point that the proportional number of failures in the poultry business is greater than among other vocations in life4 ,hundreds of men fail every year in mercantile1 manufacturing and brokerage pursuits4 ,people do not decry any legitimate business from this cause1 because they know there are hundreds who are not only getting a livelihood1 but are amassing fortunes at them4 ,there are hundreds1 yes thousands1 of farms on the market in ,new ,england today1 for less than the value of the buildings1 because their owners have made failures of them4 ,do men denounce agriculture8 ,no6 ,because they know that from time immemorial men have not only secured an honest living1 but have gained a competence from tilling the soil4 ,you simply say that it is the men4 ,why not be equally frank with the poultry business8 ,they say the whole thing is contrary to nature1 and you can't improve upon nature4 ,can't we8 ,that is just what man is placed upon this sublunary sphere for1 and he must begin by improving himself4 ,with the present opportunities for obtaining information1 no one has a right to remain ignorant because he begins by making a failure of himself2 and when a man has failed in the poultry business or elsewhere1 it is simply want of that indomitable pluck1 energy1 and perseverence1 which are the requisites of success everywhere1 coupled with a disinclination to sacrifice his comfort and ease1 or conform his life to his business requirements4 ,again1 we hear that artificially grown fowls are stunted and small1 the flesh tasteless and insipid1 and many other things which have no shadow of truth in them4 ,i append the testimonials of some of the largest poultry dealers both in ,boston and ,new ,york cities1 who cheerfully and voluntarily testify to the superiority of our artificially-grown birds4 ,these firms are square and honest dealers1 and we heartily recommend them to any who stand in need of their services4 ,i have endeavored in this little book to impart what little knowledge ,i possess on this important subject to the reader4 ,if he can learn wisdom by my experience and avoid the errors into which ,i fell1 it is all ,i ask4 ,the business1 as ,i have learned its details1 has become more profitable each year2 while the experience of the past season has been highly satisfactory1 as the demand has been greater than ever before4 ,,formulas ,,for ,,feeding ,,ducks4 ,for ,breeding ,birds4 7,old and young1 during the ,fall47 ,we turn them out to pasture1 when we can1 in lots of #bjj4 ,feed three parts wheat-bran2 one part low grade flour2 one part corn meal2 five per cent4 of beef-scrap2 three per cent4 of grit1 and all the green feed they will eat1 in the shape of corn-fodder1 cut fine1 clover or oat-fodder4 ,feed this mixture twice a day1 all they will eat4 ,for ,laying ,birds4 ,equal parts of wheat-bran and corn meal2 ten per cent4 beef-scrap2 twenty per cent4 of low grade flour2 ten per cent4 of boiled turnips or potatoes2 fifteen per cent4 of clover-rowen1 green rye or refuse cabbage1 chopped fine2 three per cent4 of grit4 ,feed twice a day1 all they will eat1 with a lunch of corn and oats at noon4 ,keep grit and ground oyster shells constantly by them4 ,we never cook the food for our ducks1 but mix it with cold water4 ,for ,feeding at ,different ,stages of ,growth4 ,the first four days1 feed four parts wheat-bran2 one part corn-meal2 one part low grade flour2 five per cent4 fine grit4 ,feed four times a day1 what they will eat clean4 ,when from four days to four weeks old1 feed four parts wheat-bran2 one part corn-meal2 one part low-grade flour2 three per cent4 fine grit2 five per cent4 of fine ground beef-scrap1 soaked4 ,finely cut green clover1 rye or cabbage4 ,feed four times a day4 ,when from four to eight weeks old1 feed three parts wheat-bran2 one part corn-meal2 one part low-grade flour2 five per cent4 of fine grit2 five per cent4 of beef-scrap4 ,mix in green food4 ,one per cent4 fine oyster shells4 ,feed four times a day4 ,when from six to eight weeks old1 feed equal parts corn-meal2 wheat-bran and fifteen per cent4 low grade flour2 ten per cent4 of beef-scrap2 ten per cent4 of green food2 three per cent4 of grit4 ,feed three times a day4 ,when from eight to ten weeks old1 feed one half corn-meal2 equal parts of wheat-bran and low grade flour2 ten per cent4 of beef-scrap2 three per cent4 of grit4 ,oyster shells and less green food4 ,feed three times a day4 ,they should now be ready for market4 ,note4--,the above ingredients should be made into a mash1 and should be crumbly1 not pasty4 ,proportions by measure1 not weight4 ,,question ,,bureau4 ,,question #a4--,why do my ducks not lay8 ,i feed them all the corn they will eat4 ,,answer4--,ducks will not lay on hard grain alone4 ,they should have a mash composed of equal parts wheat-bran1 corn-meal1 and twenty per cent4 low grade flour1 with about one-quarter green food and vegetables2 ten per cent4 of beef-scrap1 with grit and oyster shells4 ,,question #b4--,my ducklings are weak in the legs1 cannot stand1 and soon die4 ,what is the matter8 ,,answer4--,your trouble is too highly concentrated food and too much of it4 ,feed on mash composed largely of wheat-bran1 low-grade flour and about fifteen per cent4 of corn-meal4 ,mix in plenty of green food1 as green rye1 clover1 corn-fodder1 etc4 ,ten per cent4 of ground beef-scrap1 or other animal food2 five per cent4 of coarse sand4 ,this diet is absolutely necessary to properly develop the bird and form flesh1 bone and feathers4 ,feed sparingly4 ,this is essential1 as it invites exercise1 which is much needed during close confinement in inclement weather4 ,,question #c4--,my ducklings are troubled with sore eyes and do not seem to thrive1 what can ,i do for them8 ,,answer4--,this disease savors of filthy quarters1 and yet it is not always attributed to that4 ,improper assimilation of food through want of grit and other ingredients will have a tendency in the same direction4 ,a gummy secretion exudes from the eyes1 hardening up among the feathers around them1 seriously retarding the growth and development of the bird4 ,feed sparingly of light food with plenty of grit1 and sprinkle a little ginger in their food4 ,remove the bird to clean quarters and a few days will usually effect a cure4 ,,question #d4--;,i am losing my ducklings from diarrhoea4 ,have but twenty left out of eighty1 and they are not ten days old4 ,please counsel me8 ,,answer4--,this disease may have several causes1 though ,i am convinced that the food has but little to do with it4 ,it may originate through the degenerate condition of the parent bird1 and consequent want of vitality in the egg from which the little bird comes out in no shape to live2 or from the extremes of heat and cold to which the eggs have been subjected during the process of incubation2 or from the same cause after the little duckling has been placed in the brooder4 ,i am convinced that with a careful selection of the proper ingredients in feeding the old bird1 and a reasonable control of the heat in the incubator and brooder 7if they are good ones71 there need be but little apprehension from this disease4 ,,question #e4--,my breeding birds have the gapes4 ,they stretch their necks and gape1 eat nothing1 and die in a few days4 ,can you diagnose the case and help me8 ,,answer4--,this is undoubtedly a lung trouble1 for on dissecting the birds1 ,i have always found the lungs not only highly inflamed but nearly gone4 ,for years ,i had supposed this disease incurable1 and incidental to bird and clime1 but later experience has convinced me that it is not only largely under control but easily anticipated4 ,first1 ,i never knew a case in summer or early spring1 when the birds were not confined to buildings but had free and open range1 and only when confined during inclement weather1 so that it is more or less a denizen of foul air and filthy quarters4 ,i would much rather have my breeding houses freeze a little than to have them filled with foetid air1 and the birds breathe over and over again the ammonia arising from their own excrements4 ,it is one thing for the birds to be confined over their own ordure1 their nostrils but a few inches from it1 but quite another with the attendant in the walk with his nose six feet away4 ,he may think his buildings quite clean and free from noxious gases1 but could his ducks speak they would tell him a different story4 ,this disease1 if taken in the early stages1 can usually be cured4 ,isolate the bird with the first appearance of trouble1 in a warm1 dry place4 ,feed on food formula for little ducklings4 ,mix a little cayenne pepper in the food1 a little ,douglas ,mixture in the drinking water1 and a large proportion of the affected birds may be saved4 ,keep your breeding birds dry and clean when confined4 ,,question #f4--;,i turned my ducklings out in a grass plot today and have lost nearly one-third of them4 ,what is the cause8 ,,answer4--,this may result from two causes4 ,ducklings from two to four weeks old are ravenous birds and will devour all manner of insects within their reach1 which they do not stop to kill4 ,bees1 wasps1 hornets and beetles of all descriptions are acceptable1 and the little birds1 themselves1 often pay the penalty with their lives4 ,again1 at that age1 they are extremely sensitive to the heat of the sun1 and they must have shade4 ,years ago1 we sometimes lost twenty birds out of a hundred in thirty minutes1 before we knew the cause4 ,,question #g4--;,how many birds should constitute a breeding-yard8 ,,answer4--,twenty-five is enough unless the birds have free range1 then fifty may run together with safety4 ,,question #h4--;,how shall ,i proportion the sexes for the best results8 ,,answer4--,five ducks to one drake4 ,later in the season1 six or eight ducks to one drake4 ,,question #i4--;,how can ,i distinguish the sexes8 ,,answer4--,it is easy for the expert to detect the sex of the bird when very young4 ,the drake has a longer bill1 neck and body1 with a more upright carriage4 ,at two months old the duck may be distinguished by her coarse quack1 the drake by a fine1 rasping noise1 and later on by the curled feathers in his tail4 ,,question #aj4--;,how soon will a young duck begin laying8 ,,answer4--,at about five months old1 often at four and a half months old4 ,at present1 ,september #ast1 we are getting some three dozen eggs per day from our young birds1 and we are trying to hold them back all we can by light feeding4 ,,question #aa4--,which will lay first1 old or young birds8 ,,answer4--,young birds will usually lay from two to three weeks before the old ones1 but as the first eggs of the old birds are usually more fertile than eggs from the young ones1 there is very little discrepancy in the result4 ,,question #ab4--;,how many eggs will a ,pekin duck lay in a season8 ,,answer4--,about one hundred and forty4 ,their fecundity is wonderful1 excelling that of any other duck4 ,we have birds in some yards with a record of one hundred and sixty-five eggs to each bird4 ,,question #ac4--,to what age is it profitable to keep a duck8 ,,answer4--,we have kept them till four years old with good results4 ,if not forced they may be kept longer to advantage4 ,,question #ad4--;,is there a market for their eggs1 and at what price8 ,,answer4--,pekin duck eggs sell readily in market1 as they are much larger than the other duck eggs4 ,they command from five to ten cents per dozen more than hen's eggs4 ,,question #ae4--;,how much does it cost to keep a duck each season8 ,,answer4--,from #a4ge to #b4jj4 ,they are gross feeders1 of bulky food1 but the greater number and value of the eggs in market over the average hen1 makes the duck more profitable as an egg-producer than the hen4 ,,question #af4--;,at what season are the eggs of a duck most fertile8 ,,answer4--,during the months of ,february1 ,march1 ,april and ,may1 though they are usually fertile with us during ,january1 ,june1 and even ,july4 ,,question #ag4--,what per cent4 of the eggs will usually hatch8 ,,answer4--,that depends entirely upon how the mother-bird is cared for and fed4 ,see formula for laying birds4 ,,question #ah4--,what is the average loss sustained in growing ducklings8 ,,answer4--,not more than two per cent4 with us1 but it depends largely upon how the old birds are fed2 how the eggs are incubated1 and the young birds cared for4 ,,question #ai4--;,how many birds can be safely kept in one brooder and one yard8 ,,answer4--,about one hundred1 and as they grow older1 unless the yards are of good size1 a less number would grow and fat better4 ,,question #bj4--;,at what age should the young birds be put upon the market8 ,,answer4--,when the prices are very high in the early spring we market them at about nine weeks old1 when they will dress from ten to eleven pounds per pair4 ,later on1 when prices are lower1 we market them at ten to eleven weeks old1 when they will dress from twelve to thirteen pounds per pair4 ,,question #ba4--,when and how do you select your breeding birds8 ,,answer4--,as soon as we can distinguish the quality and merits of the bird1 and from our earliest hatches1 as they always develop into larger and better birds4 ,,question #bb4--;,how do you treat the young birds for breeding purposes8 ,,answer4--,turn them out to pasture1 and feed lightly on food calculated to develop bone1 muscle and feathers4 ,,question #bc4--,what shall ,i do to keep my ducks still in the night1 when they make a great noise and commotion8 ,some of them are broken down and cannot stand4 ,,answer4--,hang a lantern in their yard4 ,you must keep them still4 ,,question #bd4--;,can ducks be shipped safely any distance8 ,,answer4--,we ship ducks safely all over the ,united ,states1 ,canada and ,europe4 ,,question #be4--,would you recommend incubator or hens for hatching duck's eggs8 ,,answer4--,incubator1 by all means1 if hatched in large quantities4 ,,question #bf4--,would you use brooders1 if hatched under hens8 ,,answer4--,brooders are better than hens1 for two reasons4 ,it is less trouble to care for them4 ,hens crush large numbers of them when small4 ,,question #bg4--;,how long can the eggs be kept for hatching8 ,,answer4--,they can be kept three weeks1 safely1 if kept on end1 in a cool place1 but should prefer them fresher4 ,,question #bh4--;,can ,pekin ducks be crossed with other breeds profitably8 ,,answer4--,from our experience1 we can say no4 ,in every case it has required longer time to mature the mongrels1 and as the prices decline in the early spring1 this is quite an item1 besides the introduction of colored feathers injures the appearance of the dressed bird1 as well as the quality of the feathers1 which is also quite an item4 ,,question #bi4--,what is the price of duck's feathers in the market8 ,,answer4--,formerly1 white duck feathers commanded fifty cents per pound1 but since white feathers have been imported from ,russia in such quantities1 ours average about forty-five cents per pound4 ,,question #cj4--,what makes their wings turn out from their bodies8 ,,answer4--,this is often caused by the rapid development of the bird4 ,the resting feathers on the sides under the wings1 do not keep pace with the rapid growth of the bird1 and the constant efforts of the bird to keep the wings in place1 tends to turn the wings outward4 ,we have always noticed that these are invariably the best birds4 ,,question #ca4--,which are the most profitable1 ducks or chickens8 ,,answer4--,this will depend upon whether the grower is a care-taker1 or whether he is careless1 lazy or untidy4 ,we think that ducks will bear more neglect than chicks1 but it will not do to presume upon that1 as ducks will not thrive in filth more than chicks4 ,we think that the average price of chicks in market is rather higher than that of ducks1 but as it costs at least two cents less per pound to produce duck flesh1 than that of the chick1 there is very little difference4 ,,question #cb4--,where are the best markets for ducks8 ,,answer4--,good markets may be found in all of our large cities1 though we think ,new ,york and ,boston the best4 ,sometimes1 when large shipments produce a glut in the ,new ,york markets1 the surplus is shipped to ,boston1 where it may be a cent or two higher4 ,then in a few days things may be reversed and the exodus be the other way1 and as the freight is only one-half cent per pound between the two cities1 ,i have known tons to be shipped at a time4 ,,question #cc4--,what would a plant cost1 with a capacity of #e1jjj ducklings1 per year8 ,,answer4--,with good machines1 and buildings barely practical1 #a1ejj 7if economically expended7 would cover cost1 independent of land4 ,,question #cd4--,what effect does extremes of heat and cold have upon young ducklings8 ,,answer4--,after they are a week old they will stand much more of either than chicks4 ,,question #ce4--;,is the flesh of birds artificially grown1 as good as that grown in the natural manner8 ,,answer4--,just as good4 ,the quality of the flesh depends entirely upon the care and feed given the birds4 ,,question #cf4--;,how large should the yards be in which the breeding birds are kept8 ,,answer4--,at least one hundred feet long1 where the buildings are long1 and the width of the pens in which the birds are housed4 ,,question #cg4--;,do you think it will pay to grow celery to flavor the flesh of the birds8 ,,answer4--,we have never done so1 and parties who have grown celery for that purpose1 have discontinued it as being unprofitable in the end1 as they were not able to obtain increased prices for their product4 ,,question #ch4--,what is the best green food for ducks1 old and young8 ,,answer4--,green clover1 green corn-fodder1 rye1 oats and clover-rowen cured nicely1 with green rye1 in winter when ground is bare4 ,,question #ci4--,should ,pekin duck eggs be pure white8 ,,answer4--,yes4 ,,question #dj4--,should a pure bred ,pekin have any black feathers8 ,,answer4--,no4 ,the feathers should be a creamy white4 ,dark feathers are a sign of mongrel stock4 ,,question #da4--,will rain injure young ducklings8 ,,answer4--,they are as susceptible to rain as chicks up to three weeks of age1 but after that1 will endure more1 and at eight or ten weeks old1 will really enjoy a good rain storm4 ,,question #db4--;,how large do ,pekin ducks grow8 ,,answer4--,we have had drakes to tip the scales at #ac pounds each1 though this is somewhat rare4 ,the past season1 one of our drakes weighed #i-a_/b pounds1 dressed1 at #aj weeks old4 ,,question #dc4--,what is the weight of ,pekin duck eggs8 ,,answer4--,in the height of the season1 ours weigh about #c pounds to the dozen4 ,,question #dd4--;,is wet1 marshy land suitable for ducks8 ,,answer4--,should prefer dry land contiguous to a stream or pond4 ,,question #de4--;,how many duck eggs should be placed under one hen8 ,,answer4--,from nine to eleven1 depending upon the size of the hen4 ,,question #df4--;,how long does it require to incubate duck eggs8 ,,answer4--,pekin eggs twenty-seven days4 ,muscovy eggs thirty-two days1 same as geese4 ,,question #dg4--;,do ,pekin ducks sit well on eggs8 ,,answer4--,no4 ,they are unreliable4 ,hens are better4 ,a good incubator still better4 ,,question #dh4--;,if you were a young man1 with the same experience you have now1 would you enter the poultry business8 ,,answer4--,i certainly would1 for two reasons4 ,first1 because it is a congenial occupation to me2 second1 it is by far the most profitable of any branch of farm industry4 ,,question #di4--,who is the best commission dealer in ,boston market to whom ,i could consign my product8 ,,answer4--,we consider ,adams and ,chapman1 ,north ,market ,st41 safe and reliable1 and a first-class firm in every respect4 ,,question #ej4--,who is the best retail dealer8 ,,answer4--,we consider ,nathan ,robbins ,co41 ,quincy ,market1 as ,a-#a4 ,they have handled a large part of our product for many years1 and we would heartily recommend them4 ,our ,imperial ,pekin ,ducks4 ,we run one of the largest duck farms in ,america2 and the birds in our breeding pens are the very choicest1 carefully selected1 from the thousands we raise1 and are all bred from our premium yards4 ,we feel justly proud of our birds2 for not only have they won all the premiums at ,new ,england ,state ,fairs1 but throughout the ,west1 ,south and ,canada4 ,our birds cannot be duplicated in ,north ,america4 ,we confidently challenge competition2 and1 strange to say1 the birds in our yards are now far superior to our best imported birds4 ,they thrive better on our feed and in our climate than in that in which they originated4 ,the ,boston and ,new ,york marketmen have repeatedly assured us that our ducks are the best that come into the market1 and as a natural consequence we have not been able to fill our orders for market ducks4 ,our birds have dressed1 on an average1 the past season1 twelve pounds per pair1 at nine and ten weeks old4 ,we have now #b1ejj of these mammoth birds in our breeding pens1 and we are prepared to fill all orders for both birds and eggs at reasonable prices4 ,our young birds commence laying at five months old1 lay through the fall months1 moult slightly during the first of ,december1 and about the middle of ,december begin again4 ,the average number of eggs laid by our ducks we find1 after careful computation1 to be about #adj each year--more than our best hens4 ,our birds and eggs have given universal satisfaction wherever they have gone2 and we have numerous letters from our patrons1 expressing themselves as more than satisfied with their bargains4 ,our prices range as follows3 ,per pair1 according to size and quality1 from #d4jj to #f4jj ,per trio1 according to size and quality1 from #f4jj to #i4jj ,exhibition birds1 each #e4jj1 or #aj4jj per pair ,eggs from our choice yards1 per setting of #ae #b4jj ,eggs from our per two settings #c4ej ,eggs from our per fifty #e4jj ,eggs from our per hundred #h4jj ,eggs from our per thousand #gj4jj ,the above prices may seem large to some1 but when it is known that many of the birds we now offer for sale were worth ,june #ast1 #a4ej each in the market1 and that we have kept them for the last six months at a cost of not less than fifty cents each1 it is easy to see that the profits are not large4 ,our maximum price for market birds the present season was thirty cents per pound2 the minimum1 eighteen cents4 ,our ducks are all hatched and raised artificially1 and are put upon the market at a cost not exceeding six cents per pound4 ,,testimonials4 ,,pekin ,,ducks4 ,,niles1 ,ohio1 ,oct4 #bh1 #aije4 ,,mr4 ,,james ,,rankin1 ,south ,easton1 ,mass43 ,dear ,sir-- ,the ducks arrived safely and prompt1 and ,i thank you very much for sending such fine large ducks--why they are more like geese as far as size4 ,i also thank you for the prompt attention given my order4 ,the poor little duck ,i kept of the ones raised by me this year looks very small--only about one-third the size of those received from you1 and ,i thought her quite a respectable size before4 ,i've long wanted some of your ducks1 and ,i'm very much pleased with them4 ,wishing you greater success1 ,i remain1 ,respectfully yours1 ,,clara ,g4 ,,caratu4 ,r4 ,f4 ,d4 #a1 ,niles1 ,ohio4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,ruslerstown1 ,md41 ,sept4 #ba1 #aije4 ,,mr4 ,,jas4 ,,rankin1 ,south ,easton1 ,mass43 ,dear ,sir-- ,i beg to advise that the ducks have been received1 and with them ,i am very much pleased4 ,am building a home for them in accordance with your plans1 and when it is completed ,i shall want more ducks4 ,yours very truly1 ,h4 ,d4 ,,owen4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,cambridge ,,springs1 ,pa41 ,sept4 #ah1 #aije4 ,dear ,sir-- ,received the ducks all right4 ,am well pleased with them4 ,yours truly1 ,m4 ,f4 ,,trainer4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,mt4 ,,holly1 ,sept4 #bh1 #aije4 ,dear ,sir-- ,i received the ducks today1 and ,i am well satisfied with them4 ,thanking you for your promptness1 ,i remain ,,jeremiah ,,donovan4 ,r4 ,f4 ,d4 ,no4 #a4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,tradesmen',s ,,national ,,bank4 ,the ,united ,states ,depository of ,pittsburgh4 ,may #bj1 #aije4 ,,mr4 ,,james ,,rankin1 ,south ,easton1 ,mass43 ,dear ,sir-- ,the four 7#d7 ducks you sent me arrived on the #afth1 and ,i want to thank you for so promptly and satisfactorily filling my order4 ,i am very highly pleased with them4 ,sincerely yours1 ,t4 ,b4 ,,barnes4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,white ,,plains1 ,md41 ,mar4 #bg1 #aije4 ,,mr4 ,,james ,,rankin3 ,dear ,sir-- ,we are pleased to say that duck eggs arrived safe1 only four broken4 ,we tested them and got #if per cent4 fertile4 ,very good4 ,thanks for promptness4 ,may send for another #ajj soon4 ,yours very respectfully1 ,,gough ,,bros4 ,,co4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,baltimore1 ,md41 ,saturday1 ,jan4 #aije4 ,,mr4 ,,rankin3 ,the duck arrived safely yesterday4 ,very many thanks4 ,she is a lovely large bird4 ,,mrs4 ,e4 ,c4 ,,robinson4 ,elgin4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,brooklyn1 ,n4 ,y41 ,may #c1 #aijd4 ,,mr4 ,,james ,,rankin3 ,dear ,sir-- ,the ,pekin duck eggs you shipped me arrived safely1 not one broken4 ,would have written sooner1 but waited to see result of the hatch4 ,i have ten little beauties4 ,should have had thirteen1 but the chicken crushed three1 two were unfertile4 ,but ,i am very well pleased4 ,thank you for such fair treatment4 ,wishing you every success1 yours sincerely1 ,b4 ,,nicklaus4 ,vienna ,ave4 and ,barby ,st4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,arlington ,,heights1 ,mass41 ,jan4 #ag1 #aije4 ,,mr4 ,,james ,,rankin3 ,dear ,sir-- ,received the drake and ducks all right1 and ,i must in candor tell you how pleased my wife and daughter were with them4 ,i have two ducks ,i was told were your strain1 but they are eclipsed by those you sent me4 ,i hope later on1 ,i may send for more1 as ,i am highly pleased with them4 ,yours respectfully1 ,r4 ,,park4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,common ,,pleas ,,court1 #ajth ,district4 ,,bucyrus1 ,ohio1 ,may #g1 #aijd4 ,,mr4 ,,james ,,rankin1 ,south ,easton1 ,mass43 ,dear ,sir-- ,we received the ducks and they are good in every respect1 and beside ,mr4 ----1 make his look like culls4 ,if he sends the same kind to every person1 he is certainly a detriment to the business4 ,he excused himself by saying that he was away from home2 then he retains incompetent help4 ,no criticism whatever can be made of your selection1 and the ducks you sent us are as good as your reputation1 and the latter is the best in this part of the country4 ,we shall probably want a few show birds this fall1 and will write you later4 ,yours truly1 ,,james ,c4 ,,tobias4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,owosso1 ,mich41 ,oct4 #ba1 #aijd4 ,,james ,,rankin1 ,so4 ,easton1 ,mass43 ,dear ,sir-- ,i overlooked writing you in regard to the drakes4 ,the first lot arrived nicely1 except two4 ,one seemed to be quite badly lamed1 and the other a little4 ,we took them out immediately on arrival1 and the one that was slightly lamed has come out all right4 ,the other fellow died4 ,probably got hard usage somewhere on the road4 ,the lot right through was a very nice lot4 ,the second lot arrived in fine condition1 and the two lots together are entirely satisfactory every way4 ,do not see how any one could ask for anything nicer4 ,the hundred we had from you last year were equally as good1 however1 in fact1 can see no difference4 ,either the drakes or the ducks ought to be satisfactory to any reasonable person4 ,yours truly1 ,e4 ,f4 ,,dudley4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,glen ,,wild ,p4 ,o41 ,sullivan ,co41 #aijd4 ,,mr4 ,,james ,,rankin3 ,dear ,sir-- ,the trio of ,pekin ,ducks arrived safe on ,monday1 ,oct4 #c;d4 ,they are exactly as represented4 ,i like them very much4 ,they seem to be very tame and easy to get along with4 ,very truly1 7,mrs47 ,,edgar ,,ketcham4 99 99 99 99 99 ,u4 ,s4 ,s4 ,forward41 ,,key ,,west1 ,fla41 ,may #bc1 #aijd4 ,,mr4 ,j4 ,,rankin1 ,south ,easton1 ,mass43 ,dear ,sir-- ,sitting of eggs duly received last month4 ,got now ten lively ducklings1 had eleven1 but one got killed4 ,thanking you for prompt attention1 ,i remain1 ,very truly yours1 ,,geo4 ,,schopfer4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,hill ,,city1 ,south ,dakota1 ,june #aa1 #aijd4 ,,mr4 ,,rankin3 ,i received ducks ,o4 ,k4 ,my other ducks are laying fine4 ,they are all fine ones2 although they cost me #d4ib #a-b apiece ,i would not take the money back for them4 ,g4 ,w4 ,,wallace4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,portage ,,la ,,prairie1 ,manitoba1 ,nov4 #c1 #aijd4 ,,mr4 ,,james ,,rankin1 ,south ,easton1 ,mass43 ,dear ,sir-- ,i am very much pleased with the ducks you sent me1 they are the finest pair ,i ever saw4 ,the people here say they are like geese4 ,thank you for the splendid selection you made for me4 ,,geo4 ,e4 ,,stacey4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,north ,,detroit1 ,mich41 ,r4 ,f4 ,d4 ,no4 #b1 ,jan4 #i1 #aije4 ,,mr4 ,,james ,,rankin3 ,dear ,sir-- ,the ducks arrived safe ,saturday evening1 ,jan4 #g1 in good condition4 ,i am very much pleased with your selection4 ,they are certainly two fine birds4 ,i remain1 ,yours truly1 ,,chas4 ,,glarbon4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,morris1 ,ill41 ,jan4 #bd1 #aije4 ,,mr4 ,,james ,,rankin3 ,dear ,sir-- ,the ducks arrived in good condition1 and they are the largest ducks ,i have ever seen4 ,thank you for your satisfactory shipment4 ,yours truly1 ,l4 ,l4 ,,ness4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,east ,,berlin1 ,conn41 ,march #bi1 #aije4 ,,mr4 ,,rankin3 ,i received the duck eggs this afternoon in fine order1 and ,i am delighted with them4 ,they are beautiful eggs1 and ,i feel sure of a good hatching4 ,i only expected nine1 as my friends all told me that nine was a sitting4 ,i am more than pleased to receive #ae4 ,i will let you know how many birds ,i get later4 ,yours with many thanks1 ,mrs4 ,s4 ,mc,c,r,u,m4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,monroe1 ,n4 ,y41 ,june #f1 #aijd4 ,,mr4 ,,rankin3 ,dear ,sir-- ,excuse me for not writing to you sooner4 ,i have been so busy that ,i have not taken the time1 but ,i received the duck eggs in due time1 also the little book1 for which ,i thank you very much4 ,received #ae eggs1 more than ,i expected for a sitting4 ,two were cracked1 as the basket looked as if it had been handled roughly by the ,express ,co4 ,out of the thirteen 7#ac7 remainder1 were hatched eleven ducks1 but the hen killed two of them on the nest4 ,that left nine 7#i7 fine little ducks1 which are all alive at present and doing nicely--the largest ,i ever saw for their age4 ,they are now but ten days old1 but ,i would not take five dollars for them1 as they look as if they were going to make fine big fellows4 ,i don't mind buying eggs from a man like you1 as you are sure to get your money's worth4 ,wishing you a prosperous season1 ,,chas4 ,g4 ,,reinhardt4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,elwood1 ,ind41 ,jan4 #ac1 #aije4 ,,mr4 ,,james ,,rankin3 ,dear ,sir-- ,the trio of ,pekin ducks received in good condition4 ,am well pleased4 ,also the book on ,duck ,culture received and read1 which was much enjoyed4 ,learned many new points in duck raising4 ,thanking you1 ,i am ,yours respectfully1 ,mrs4 ,a4 ,t4 ,,cox4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,elkton1 ,md41 ,jan4 #i1 #aije4 ,,mr4 ,,james ,,rankin3 ,dear ,sir-- ,received ducks yesterday in good condition1 and ,i am pleased with them4 ,can you let me have two more ducks at same price and as nice as these8 ,if so1 let me hear from you1 and oblige1 ,yours respectfully1 ,mrs4 ,j4 ,b4 ,,conner4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,east ,,berlin1 ,ct41 ,may #d1 #aije4 ,,mr4 ,,rankin3 ,dear ,sir-- ,i want to tell you how delighted ,i am with my little ducks4 ,i had #ac out of #ae eggs4 ,only one egg that was bad1 as there was one duckling in the egg1 but was not strong enough to come out4 ,but ,i am more than pleased with my #ac4 ,i feel sure they will grow to be fine1 large ducks4 ,yours respectfully1 ,mrs4 ,s4 ,mc,c,r,u,m4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,rockaway1 ,n4 ,j41 ,jan4 #i1 #aije4 ,,mr4 ,,james ,,rankin3 ,dear ,sir-- ,the two ducks and a drake you shipped me arrived in good condition4 ,they are the finest birds of their class ,i ever saw4 ,different people who have examined them say they are the biggest and best ducks they ever looked at4 ,yours resptfully ,,george ,s4 ,,stone4 ,morris ,county4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,lynbrook1 ,long ,island1 ,oct4 #af1 #aije4 ,,mr4 ,j4 ,,rankin3 ,sir-- ,the drake and duck arrived on ,friday1 ,p4,m4 in the very finest of shape4 ,thanking you for the selection you made for me1 ,i remain1 ,respectfully1 ,w4 ,h4 ,,young4 99 99 99 99 99 #cj ,bernard ,st41 ,,east ,,orange1 ,n4 ,j41 ,oct4 #ah1 #aije4 ,,james ,,rankin1 ,esq41 ,south ,easton1 ,mass43 ,dear ,sir-- ,your shipment of one duck and one drake came to hand today1 and they are a fine pair of birds4 ,thanks for your promptness in this matter4 ,yours truly1 ,,chas4 ,h4 ,,waring4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,suffolk1 ,va41 ,june #b;d1 #aije4 ,,mr4 ,,jas4 ,,rankin1 ,south ,easton1 ,mass43 ,dear ,sir-- ,just as the ducks came to hand ,i was called away from home1 hence the delay in acknowledging receipt of them4 ,they arrived safe and well1 and it is but due to you to say1 in size and beauty they exceeded my most sanguine expectations4 ,they are indeed handsome birds4 ,many persons who saw them took them to be geese4 ,i thank you for your promptness in filling my order1 etc4 ,yours truly1 ,v4 ,s4 ,,kilby4 ,i4 ,w4 ,morgan1 ,sr41 ,sec'y-,treas4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,the ,,board ,,of ,,education of the ,town of ,port ,arthur4 ,,port ,,arthur1 ,,ont41 ,aug4 #cj1 #aije4 ,,james ,,rankin1 ,esq41 ,south ,easton1 ,mass43 ,dear ,sir-- ,the drake and two ducks you shipped to me on the #bfth inst4 arrived this evening1 and are apparently in very good trim after their four days' journey4 ,they are the finest looking ducks ,i ever saw and ,i have seen many thousands4 ,i am more than pleased with them4 ,thanking you for your prompt and fair dealing with me ,i am sincerely yours1 ,j4 ,w4 ,,morgan1 ,sr41 ,port ,arthur1 ,ont41 ,canada4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,commission ,,house ,,of ,w4 ,h4 ,,rudd ,,son1 ,no4 #aj ,merchants' ,row1 ,boston4 ,friend ,rankin--,with the exception of yourself1 we doubtless hatch and raise more poultry1 by actual count1 than any one on this continent4 ,we do it entirely by artificial means1 and shall never employ any other so long as we raise poultry at all and retain our senses4 ,at our headquarters1 in ,boston1 we receive and handle1 to say the very least1 as many market ducks as any firm in the city1 and unless we are dull scholars1 we ought to form a pretty accurate opinion of the relative merits of natural and artificial methods of incubation2 or perhaps better expressed1 the comparative quality of poultry raised by each1 whether designed for market or other purposes4 ,we were looking over our breeding stock the other day1 and certainly never saw so handsome a lot for so large numbers1 and we should have to travel as far as ,south ,easton to find as fine a flock of ducks4 ,the best market ducks that reach ,boston 7present company excepted1 of course71 are sent there by yourself and your brother1 ,william ,rankin of ,brockton2 not only are they two or three weeks in advance of others1 but being grown with so great rapidity gives them that fineness and firmness of flesh1 a superior flavor1 and excellence in general appearance which cannot be found--or at least never is found--in ducks raised in the natural way1 and which must necessarily be kept much longer to attain the same height4 ,we could refer you to the proprietors of five of the leading hotels in the city1 who state that the artificially-hatched ducks furnished by us during the last few years are by far the best they ever used1 and that since the raising of ducks had thus been reduced to a science1 fully twice as many as formerly are now daily called for by the guests1 and consequently the demand is correspondingly increased1 and we predict it will continue to increase indefinitely4 ,your ducks sell quicker and bring more per pound than any we get4 ,next come those raised and sent by ,mr4 ,carpenter and ,mr4 ,otis1 both1 like ourselves1 using your machines4 ,by the way1 we have now secured ,mr4 ,otis for our superintendent at the ,brighton farm1 and his well-known skill and experience1 combined with our own1 will render it necessary for you to keep your eye peeled and look to your laurels1 lest you find yourself playing second fiddle4 ,fraternally and very truly1 ,w4 ,h4 ,,rudd ,,son4 99 99 99 99 99 ,what the ,boston ,marketmen ,say ,about ,our ,ducks4 ,,boston1 ,aug4 #h1 #ahih4 ,the ducks we received from ,maple ,farm ,duck ,yards are the largest and best we find in the market4 ,,nathan ,,robbins ,,co4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,boston1 ,aug4 #f1 #ahih4 ,we give the preference to ducks shipped us from ,maple ,farm ,duck ,yards over all others1 as we consider them the largest and fattest on the market4 ,we readily pay a higher price for them4 ,b4 ,s4 ,,cole4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,boston1 ,aug4 #i1 #ahih4 ,we have handled ducks from ,mr4 ,rankin's duck yards for many years1 and find them superior in size and condition to all others1 and readily command a higher price4 ,,nathan ,a4 ,,fitch4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,boston1 ,aug4 #h1 #ahih4 ,we willingly pay a higher price for ducks shipped to us from ,maple ,farm ,duck ,yards1 as we consider them the best on the market4 ,,geo4 ,w4 ,,kimball ,,co4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,boston1 ,aug4 #e1 #ahih4 ,we willingly acknowledge that the ducks received from ,j4 ,rankin's duck yards not only command the highest price1 but are largest and finest that come into ,boston market1 and handle no others when we can get those4 ,,william ,h4 ,,jones ,,co4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,boston1 ,aug4 #f1 #ahih4 ,we certify that the ducks shipped us from ,maple ,farm ,duck ,yards are the largest and best we have handled4 ,h4 ,l4 ,,lawrence ,,co4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,columbia ,,sta41 ,o41 ,sept4 #ae1 #ahig4 ,,mr4 ,,james ,,rankin3 ,dear ,sir-- ,i received the pair of ,pekin ,ducks you sent me in good condition4 ,people at the station thought they were geese4 ,am well pleased with them2 will write you later4 ,yours very truly1 ,,theron ,d4 ,,goodwin4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,laceyville1 ,pa41 ,sept4 #a1 #ahig4 ,,mr4 ,,james ,,rankin3 ,dear ,sir-- ,the ducks arrived here safely ,saturday morning4 ,i was more than pleased with them4 ,i have about one hundred ducks which ,i thought were large and were the admiration of all who saw them1 but the ones from you beat anything ,i ever saw4 ,quite a number asked me what ,i was going to do with the geese1 and could hardly believe they were ducks4 ,when in want of any more ducks will send direct to you4 ,yours truly1 ,w4 ,e4 ,,shoemaker4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,burlington1 ,vt41 ,aug4 #bd1 #ahig4 ,,mr4 ,,james ,,rankin3 ,dear ,sir-- ,drake came today1 and is very satisfactory4 ,hastily1 ,,robert ,h4 ,,wilson4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,bay ,,city1 ,mich41 ,july #g1 #ahig4 ,,mr4 ,,james ,,rankin3 ,dear ,sir-- ,the eggs received in good order4 ,had a nice hatch of ten strong ducks2 one dead in shell1 have not lost one of the ten2 am well pleased and satisfied4 ,truly yours1 ,w4 ,p4 ,,latlin4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,alexandria1 ,va41 ,may #bg1 #ahig4 ,,mr4 ,,james ,,rankin3 ,dear ,sir-- ,i am so pleased with the good hatch ,i had from the two sittings ,i bought of you this spring ,i wanted to let you know4 ,from fifteen hen eggs ,i have fifteen nice1 large1 strong chicks1 and from fifteen duck eggs hatched ten lovely ducklings4 ,they are so large they are almost like goslings4 ,thanking you for your kindness and the feather1 ,i am1 ,very respectfully1 ,mrs4 ,,lena ,,carter4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,casawood1 ,station ,r1 ,n4 ,y4 ,city1 ,jan4 #i1 #ahig4 ,,mr4 ,,james ,,rankin3 ,dear ,sir-- ,the trio of handsome ,pekin ,ducks you sent me were promptly received4 ,they seemed to me to be equal in size and beauty to those ducks which received prizes at the late ,poultry ,show in ,madison ,square ,garden1 and ,i regret now that ,i had not entered them4 ,yours truly1 ,,grace ,mc,v,a,y4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,nantucket1 ,jan4 #h1 #ahig4 ,,mr4 ,,james ,,rankin3 ,dear ,sir-- ,ducks received in fine shape4 ,they weighed just twenty pounds for the pair the day they arrived4 ,a number of people thought they were geese4 ,please send me your catalogue and oblige1 ,yours truly1 ,h4 ,g4 ,,worth4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,rockford1 ,ill41 ,jan4 #b1 #ahig4 ,,mr4 ,,james ,,rankin3 ,dear ,sir-- ,the drakes ordered of you a few days ago arrived in fine shape1 and give perfect satisfaction in every way4 ,yours respectfully1 ,j4 ,a4 ,,breckenbridge4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,georgetown1 ,dec4 #cj1 #ahif4 ,,mr4 ,,james ,,rankin3 ,dear ,sir-- ,the ducks arrived safe and in good condition4 ,i am very well pleased with your selection1 and to show you ,i appreciate it1 ,i add my testimonial4 ,respectfully yours1 ,,leon ,s4 ,,gifford4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,fall ,,river1 ,may #a1 #ahif4 ,,mr4 ,,james ,,rankin3 ,dear ,sir-- ,for that setting of duck eggs ,i received from you ,april #ast1 ,i want to thank you now for giving me sixteen eggs when ,i did not expect but twelve4 ,i should have written before1 but ,i wanted to tell you how many ,i hatched out4 ,they started to hatch out two days before ,i looked for them1 so that now1 ,may #ast1 ,i have twelve little beauties4 ,i am well satisfied with my dealings with you4 ,i remain yours truly1 ,mrs4 ,f4 ,e4 ,,palmer4 99 99 99 99 99 ,riverview ,poultry ,yards1 ,,woodsville1 ,n4 ,h41 ,jan4 #be1 #ahif4 ,,mr4 ,,james ,,rankin3 ,dear ,sir-- ,the ducks arrived all right this ,a4 ,m41 and they are beauties4 ,we are very much pleased with them and thank you for the selection4 ,yours respectfully1 ,s4 ,s4 ,,evans ,,son4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,pocomoke ,,city1 ,md41 ,mar4 #bc1 #ahif4 ,,mr4 ,,james ,,rankin3 ,dear ,sir-- ,i am much indebted to you for the prompt and satisfactory way in which you filled my recent order for duck eggs4 ,they arrived safe1 and are the largest duck eggs that ,i have ever seen4 ,i enclose here fifty cents1 for which please send me your book on ,duck ,culture1 ,yours truly1 ,j4 ,,phillis ,,crockett4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,springfield1 ,ill41 ,oct4 #bh1 #ahif4 ,,mr4 ,,james ,,rankin3 ,dear ,sir-- ,ducks arrived ,monday evening 7#bfth71 in good shape4 ,am well satisfied with my bargain4 ,also received your book1 ,duck ,culture1 for same ,i am very thankful4 ,respectfully yours1 ,,john ,h4 ,,rockford4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,new ,,haven1 ,conn41 ,april #aj1 #ahif4 ,,mr4 ,,james ,,rankin3 ,dear ,sir-- ,i received the eggs yesterday1 and am more than pleased with their size and appearance4 ,i also appreciate your method of doing business4 ,you sent me forty-five eggs1 when ,i ordered three dozen1 a surplus for breakage1 etc41 of nine eggs1 five of which were broken in shipping4 ,this alone shows your business capacity4 ,hoping that we shall be able to do more business in the near future1 ,i remain1 ,yours very truly1 ,j4 ,j4 ,,tomkins4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,sterling1 ,,luedown ,,co41 ,va41 ,oct4 #ca1 #ahif4 ,,mr4 ,,james ,,rankin3 ,dear ,sir-- ,ducks arrived ,o4 ,k4 and am very much pleased with them1 as is everyone else4 ,i shall let you hear from me very soon in regard to incubator4 ,yours truly1 ,r4 ,s4 ,,van ,,deventor4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,hull1 ,p4 ,q41 ,can41 ,dec4 #d1 #ahif4 ,,mr4 ,,james ,,rankin3 ,dear ,sir-- ,the trio of ,imperial ,pekin ,ducks that you sent me arrived ,dec4 #b;d at ,ottawa all right1 and ,i must say they are beautiful birds of large size4 ,the gentleman in charge of the ,customs ,examining ,warehouse at ,ottawa1 says he never saw one like them before4 ,he took your name and address4 ,i had a number of visitors and they all admired them4 ,i think ,i will send for one more drake4 ,i thank you for your selection4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,no4 ,,duxbury1 ,mass41 ,april #aj1 #ahig4 ,,mr4 ,,james ,,rankin3 ,dear ,sir-- ,inclosed find #aj4jj4 ,please forward more ,pekin duck eggs4 ,yours are the most fertile and produce the strongest ducks that ,i ever saw4 ,bill eggs--,a4 ,m4 ,fletcher1 ,mansfield1 and oblige1 ,yours1 ,a4 ,m4 ,,fletcher4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,the ,,incubator ,,and ,,its ,,use ,by ,,james ,,rankin ,a work compiled from over #cj years' experience by the author1 telling the novice just how to manage his incubator1 hatch his eggs and grow his chicks successfuly4 ,,price1 ,,by ,,mail #be ,,cents ,we obtain the most of our cereals from the ,washburn ,crosby ,co41 ,,chamber ,,of ,,commerce ,,building1 ,,boston1 ,,mass4 ,we find them a reliable firm always having a first-class article on hand1 at reasonable rates4 99 99 99 99 99 ,what is ,worth ,crowing ,over ,,mico-,,spar ,,cubical ,,grit8 ,mico-,spar ,cubical ,grit is a hard mineral product containing sodium1 aluminum1 magnesium1 lime and iron1 natural chemical properties which every poultry raiser knows are necessary to produce paying hens4 ,paying hens lay their share of eggs regularly and willingly1 never needing to be forced because they are well and strong4 ,these are the slow but sure kind1 the kind that helps raise the mortgage4 ,illustration ,mico-,spar ,cubical ,grit produces this kind of paying hens because it makes and keeps hens healthy4 ,it creates perfect digestion because it keeps things in the crop on the move1 owing to the fact that the corners of the cube always remain sharp4 ,honest1 practical tests have shown that ,mico ,spar ,cubical ,grit is the hen's choice1 and that the minutest cube left in the crop retains its sharp corners4 ,mico-,spar ,cubical ,grit is not a hen food or powder4 ,its use is to tone naturally the entire system4 ,it is an economical ,grit because it does not crush in handling1 because its bright shining surface in the scratching pen attracts the hen1 thereby preventing loss1 and because no oyster shells are needed4 ,if you are a hen raiser put ,mico-,spar ,cubical ,grit on the hen yard menu and you will prove that ,mico ,spar ,cubical ,grit is worth crowing over4 ,,international ,,mineral ,,co4 - - #abj ,,tremont ,,st41 ,,boston ,,mica ,,crystal ,,grit ,we buy this ,grit by the carload and find it the best we have ever used4 ,it is clean1 sharp and economical1 and we heartily recommend it to all4 ,,james ,,rankin1 ,,south ,,easton1 ,,mass4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,paroid ,,roofing ,,it ,,lasts ,illustration3 ,,paroid ,,roofing ,,it ,,lasts ,don't cover your barn with a mortgage4 ,use ,paroid ,roofing the unexcelled permanent roofing for buildings of all kinds4 ,economical1 durable and easy to apply4 ,any one can put it on and it stays where you put it4 ,complete roofing kit with each roll4 ,our book1 ,building ,economy1 tells all about inexpensive buildings4 ,it's free to you4 ,paroid contains no tar4 ,it is made of strong felt1 thoroughly saturated and coated4 ,it is proof against climatic changes--can be applied by anyone and does not require painting when first laid4 ,paroid1 used as a siding1 makes a neater job1 keeps buildings warmer1 and is less expensive than shingles and clapboards4 ,,made ,,in #a1 #b1 ,,and #c ,,ply ,put up in rolls #cf inches wide1 containing #baf and #ajh square feet4 ,complete kit for applying1 inside of each roll4 ,we have nearly one-half acre of roof covered with ,paroid4 ,it appears to be elastic and very strong1 and unaffected by heat or cold1 and we believe it will be very durable1 and the cheapest thing on the market4 ,we have one stable #ajj feet long1 #cb feet wide1 covered with it4 ,,james ,,rankin ,,south ,,easton1 ,,mass4 ,,send ,,for ,,price ,,list