the amateur must proceed with great caution in
undertaking intensive cultivation under glass. Build at first the
simplest and least expensive kind of hotbeds or greenhouses. It
takes three to five seasons to train even an experienced farmer
along these special lines. Separate crops require special treatment.
Do not experiment, but follow well-tried procedure. It is
comparatively easy to farm an acre under glass, but it should be
worked up to, each step being taken only after a solid foundation is
ready to build on. Learn by your mistakes. Don't get discouraged by
failure. By not making the same mistake twice, you will soon learn
by experience just what is essential to production. The more you
learn about the way nature does things, the more likely you will be
to succeed when you seek to imitate her.

CHAPTER XII

OTHER USES OF LAND

We had intended to write an interesting chapter on the use of a few
acres of land for poultry, and another on raising a vast drove of
rabbits, both from practical men, but a good average man, just such
as this book is written for, sent the following:

"I am very sorry that I cannot comply with your request to write a
chapter on poultry for your new book. It is true that I am
physically and mentally capable of performing that feat, and it
would be possible for me to prepare an essay that might entertain
the reader, and even make him believe that there is money in
commercial poultry. I prefer, however, to leave that sort of
romancing to the poultry journals who, by much practice, are adepts
in the art. The fact is, I did not make poultry raising pay, and had
I remained on my chicken ranch, I would have gone broke. I do not
mean to say, however, that there is no money in poultry, but merely
that I could not get it out. Perhaps others who are better equipped
for the work can make a success of such an undertaking, but I could
not. The numerous poultry journals are filled with instructions how
to do it and with letters from people who assert that they have done
well with poultry; but, really, during the four years that I was in
the business I cannot recall a single case of success, and, on the
other hand, I learned of failures without end. I had the reputation
of having the best planned and most completely equipped in this part
of Washington, and perhaps in the entire state. My stock was
thoroughbred and healthy, and they seemed to attend to business
strictly. I devoted about all my