Squab Business Overdone.

The business of producing pigeon squabs resembles the duck business in the sense that it has been reduced to a successful system.  The production of squabs has grown until the demand is satisfied and the price has fallen to just that figure that will continue to bring in a sufficient number of squabs from the plants which are already established, or which continue to be established by those who do not stop to investigate the relation between the cost of production and the prevailing prices.

Turkeys Not a Commercial Success.

In the case of turkeys, we find exactly opposite conditions.  The price of turkeys has risen with the price of chickens and eggs, until one would think that there would be great money in the business, and there is, for the motherly farm wife who has the knack of bringing the little turks through the danger of delicate babyhood.  But just as the duck is more domesticated than the chicken, so the turkey, which yet closely resembles its wild ancestor, is less domestic and has as yet failed to surrender to the ways of commercial reasoning, the chief factor of which is artificial brooding.

The presence of a disease called blackhead has done vast injury to the turkey industry in the northeastern section of the country.  In the South the industry has been booming.  Especially in Tennessee and Texas, I found great local pride in the turkey crop.  I certainly would advise any farm wife, in sections where blackhead does not prevail, to try her hand at turkey raising.  As to her advisability of continuance in the business, the number of turkeys at the end of the season will be the best judge.

Guinea Growing a New Venture.

The guinea growing business is the newest of the poultry industries.  In fact, it may be said of guineas, as of our grandmother’s tomatoes, “Folks had them around without knowing they were of any use.”  The new use for guineas is as a substitute for game.  Guinea broilers make quail-on-toast and older ones are good for grouse, prairie chicken or pheasant.  The retail price in the large cities runs as high as $1.50 to $2.00 a pair.  It will probably not pay to raise them unless one is sure of receiving as much as 50 cents each.  As for the rearing of guineas, they may be considered on a parallel case with turkeys, if anything they are even more difficult to raise in large quantities.  I would also advise this additional precaution:  Look up the market in the locality before attempting guinea rearing.

Geese—­the Fame of Watertown.

As for the goose business, the writer must admit that he doesn’t know much about it.  In fact, the most of my knowledge concerning this business was acquired by a visit to Watertown, Wis., which is the center of the noodled goose industry

The Watertown geese are fed by hand every two hours day and night.  They sell to the Hebrew trade at as much per pound as the goose weighs, and have brought as high as $14.00 apiece.  All of this is interesting, but I hold that the reader who is willing to take instruction will do better to be guided toward those branches of the poultry industry for the products of which there is a great and increasing demand.  So we will leave the goose and guinea business to the venturesome spirits and consider the various branches of the chicken industry.