[That Duck Farm.]
Dear Fanny Field—I have often thought I would write you through our dear old Prairie Farmer, but the old thief, procrastination, stole my time. But reading your description of “A Duck Farm” aroused all the ambition I have, and the editor willing (I not being one of the number knowing your private address) would like to ask a few questions I consider “necessary,” and will promise to abide by the terms given in “Chats with Correspondents” of January 5th, as near as possible.
I don’t wonder the woman owning the “duck farm” wished to withhold her name and whereabouts from the public generally, besides guarding her pen with “well-trained dogs” if she has ducks she can induce to lay 125 or even 100 eggs per season, nine and one third of which will hatch out ducklings that will all live to be grown ducks.
Take an average of 113 and the ducks will lay 1,808 eggs per season, and she sells $100 worth at $3 per doz. making 400; then she sends 24 doz. to New York, then raises “1,100 ducks on the place,” making in all, 1,788, which, taken from the 1,808 leaves 20 eggs for non-hatchers and dead ducklings. This I call pretty close work.
I have had some little experience with ducks, and I can only get them to lay from sixty to seventy eggs per season, and about one eighth of the eggs don’t hatch (from various causes) and about the same amount of ducklings die. Now if you will be kind enough to reveal the woman’s whereabouts to me I would like to invest if she will warrant them to come up to your figures; also, is the said woman a widow?
Now Miss Fanny (if such you are) please excuse my familiarity. As I have perused your writings with such pleasure, I feel well acquainted, so strike me as hard as you please, but remember there is a hereafter. I have several facts in regard to my fowls for another time providing I gain admission.
A. Sucker.
De Witt Co., Ill.