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SIGN OF EVIL

DI SARA RAMSEY 11
M A COMLEY
JEAMEL PUBLISHING LIMITED
 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author M A Comley
Published by Jeamel Publishing limited
Copyright © 2021 M A Comley
Digital Edition, License Notes

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system, transmitted in any form or by any means electronic or
mechanical, including photocopying, or used in any manner whatsoever without
the express written permission of the author, except for the use of brief
quotations in a book review or scholarly journal.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are a product of
the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual
persons living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely
coincidental.

Created with Vellum

 CONTENTS

Acknowledgments
Also by M A Comley

Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Epilogue

Keep in touch with M A Comley

 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Thank you as always to my rock, Jean, I’d be lost without

you in my life.

Special thanks as always go to @studioenp for their superb cover

design expertise.

My heartfelt thanks go to my wonderful editor Abby, my

proofreaders Joseph, Barbara and Jacqueline for spotting all the
lingering nits.

Thank you also to my amazing ARC group who help to keep me sane
during this process.

To Mary, gone, but never forgotten. I hope you found the peace you
were searching for my dear friend.
 ALSO BY M A COMLEY

Blind Justice (Novella)

Cruel Justice (Book #1)
Mortal Justice (Novella)
Impeding Justice (Book #2)
Final Justice (Book #3)
Foul Justice (Book #4)
Guaranteed Justice (Book #5)
Ultimate Justice (Book #6)
Virtual Justice (Book #7)
Hostile Justice (Book #8)
Tortured Justice (Book #9)
Rough Justice (Book #10)
Dubious Justice (Book #11)
Calculated Justice (Book #12)
Twisted Justice (Book #13)
Justice at Christmas (Short Story)
Justice at Christmas 2 (novella)
Justice at Christmas 3 (novella)
Prime Justice (Book #14)
Heroic Justice (Book #15)
Shameful Justice (Book #16)
Immoral Justice (Book #17)
Toxic Justice (Book #18)
Overdue Justice (Book #19)
Unfair Justice (a 10,000 word short story)
Irrational Justice (a 10,000 word short story)
Seeking Justice (a 15,000 word novella)
 Caring For Justice (a 24,000 word novella)
Savage Justice (a 17,000 word novella Featuring THE UNICORN)
Gone In Seconds (Justice Again series #1)
Ultimate Dilemma (Justice Again series #2)
Shot of Silence (Justice Again #3)
Taste of Fury (Justice Again #4) Coming March 2021
Clever Deception (co-written by Linda S Prather)
Tragic Deception (co-written by Linda S Prather)
Sinful Deception (co-written by Linda S Prather)
Forever Watching You (DI Miranda Carr thriller)
Wrong Place (DI Sally Parker thriller #1)
No Hiding Place (DI Sally Parker thriller #2)
Cold Case (DI Sally Parker thriller#3)
Deadly Encounter (DI Sally Parker thriller #4)
Lost Innocence (DI Sally Parker thriller #5)
Goodbye, My Precious Child (DI Sally Parker #6)
Web of Deceit (DI Sally Parker Novella with Tara Lyons)
The Missing Children (DI Kayli Bright #1)
Killer On The Run (DI Kayli Bright #2)
Hidden Agenda (DI Kayli Bright #3)
Murderous Betrayal (Kayli Bright #4)
Dying Breath (Kayli Bright #5)
Taken (Kayli Bright #6 coming March 2020)
The Hostage Takers (DI Kayli Bright Novella)
No Right to Kill (DI Sara Ramsey #1)
Killer Blow (DI Sara Ramsey #2)
The Dead Can’t Speak (DI Sara Ramsey #3)
Deluded (DI Sara Ramsey #4)
The Murder Pact (DI Sara Ramsey #5)
Twisted Revenge (DI Sara Ramsey #6)
 The Lies She Told (DI Sara Ramsey #7)
For The Love Of… (DI Sara Ramsey #8)
Run For Your Life (DI Sara Ramsey #9)
Cold Mercy (DI Sara Ramsey #10)
Sign of Evil (DI Sara Ramsey #11)
I Know The Truth (A psychological thriller)
The Caller (co-written with Tara Lyons)
Evil In Disguise – a novel based on True events
Deadly Act (Hero series novella)
Torn Apart (Hero series #1)
End Result (Hero series #2)
In Plain Sight (Hero Series #3)
Double Jeopardy (Hero Series #4)
Criminal Actions (Hero Series #5)
Regrets Mean Nothing (Hero #6)
Sole Intention (Intention series #1)
Grave Intention (Intention series #2)
Devious Intention (Intention #3)
Merry Widow (A Lorne Simpkins short story)
It’s A Dog’s Life (A Lorne Simpkins short story)
Cozy Mystery Series
Murder at the Wedding
Murder at the Hotel
Murder by the Sea

A Time To Heal (A Sweet Romance)

A Time For Change (A Sweet Romance)
High Spirits
The Temptation series (Romantic Suspense/New Adult Novellas)
Past Temptation
Lost Temptation
Tempting Christa (A billionaire romantic suspense co-authored by Tracie Delaney
#1)
Avenging Christa (A billionaire romantic suspense co-authored by Tracie Delaney
#2)
 PROLOGUE

A mber put the finishing touches to her makeup and admired

the image she’d spent the last twenty minutes creating.
Is it over the top for the interview?
She admitted to being heavy-handed with the blusher, but one
glance at her watch told her she really didn’t have the time to fix it
now.
She hitched on the snug jacket which matched her grey skirt and
pulled up her tights after spotting a wrinkle in her left ankle. I knew
I should have bought the smaller size. Too late to worry about it
now.
Downstairs, she slipped into her high heels, and again, studied
herself in the full-length mirror in the hallway. Then, she peered out
of the window to see what the weather was like. It was January, the
chances of it being warm were non-existent, but she knew wearing a
coat would spoil the effect she was going for. Decisions, decisions,
but then, I’ll be on a bus until the pick-up point, I should be okay, I
hope!
Nope, she was determined nothing was going to spoil her day.
She needed this job, it would mean an end to all her debts within a
few months. At nineteen, she pondered how she’d managed to get
into so much debt in the first place. Ten grand, and for the life of
her, she couldn’t remember what she’d spent that money on. Except
for a stylish collection of clothes and dozens of shoes filling her
wardrobe.
Her friends were envious of her for her exquisite taste in fashion,
but if only they knew the extent of her debt, she’d plummet in their
estimation.
After another glance at her watch, she took deep breaths to calm
the bout of nerves jarring her insides. “Here I go. Go get ‘em, girl.
I’ve got this. I’ll have the interviewer eating out of my hands in no
time at all,” she chanted until her confidence trounced her anxiety.
Picking up her leather shoulder bag and the matching briefcase
she’d recently splashed out on, she left the house with her shoulders
back and walked to the end of the road to catch the bus into town.
Her next stop would be to seek out a designated area near the
precinct where a car would be waiting for her. The man she’d spoken
to on the phone had told her the driver couldn’t personally pick her
up from the house because he was new to the area. She accepted
the excuse, even felt guilty about it, Lord knows why.
She kicked herself for not having the courage to take driving
lessons yet. All her friends drove, everyone except her. Maybe if she
got the job, it would be a sign that she was growing in confidence—
she hoped so.
As soon as she started working at Boots, her parents had
informed her that she was on her own financially. As long as she put
money in the housekeeping pot at the end of the month, she was
welcome to live at home, but Amber was eager to break free. If she
hadn’t been as foolish with her money, maybe, just maybe, she
would have been set up in her own flat by now. Still, she had her
whole life ahead of her. She was aiming high with the job she’d set
her heart on. The pay was fantastic and the temptation to travel to
exotic countries with the owner of the business as his personal
assistant proved to be too good an opportunity to turn down.
The bus showed up a few minutes after she arrived at the stop.
She stamped her feet as she waited. The blast of cold air whipping
around the corner made her shiver and cuss for not throwing her
heavy coat on. Damn idiot. Fashion over practicality will be the death
of me one of these days. She heaved out a relieved sigh when the
bus came into view.
She smiled at the driver, handed him the correct change then
tore through the bus to sit at the back. She rang her friend a few
minutes later. “Hi, Sasha, I’m sitting on the bus. I’m so nervous, but
also excited.”
“Aww… you’ll be great. You promised me you wouldn’t get
yourself worked up.”
“I’m trying. What if I screw it up? Mess up all that stuff I have
worked out in my head. What if it remains in there and refuses to
come out?”
Her friend sniggered. “Don’t be such an idiot. How many more
times do I have to tell you to have confidence in yourself and your
ability? If you have doubts, don’t go.”
Amber exhaled the breath she’d been holding in. “I can’t not go.
It’s just a superb opportunity to do something good with my life. I’m
young, but my philosophy is the younger you get on the right path,
the more you’re going to get out of life, right?”
“Of course. We’ve been over this a dozen times already. Stop
stressing. Have you rehearsed what we said?”
“God, only like a trillion times. Here’s hoping it comes out as
intended. Shit! I must be insane going to this interview in the first
place.”
“Stop with the self-doubt, you hear me? You want me to come
down there and give you a good slap? Because I will.”
“Yeah, don’t I know it? Okay, I’m gonna have to fly, my stop is
coming up. Thanks again for all your support, Sasha, you’re the
bestest friend a girl could ever wish to have.”
“Get outta here, you’d do the same for me. Good luck.
Remember, stay calm and positive. They’d be absolute idiots not to
offer you the job. Take care, stay safe.”
I can always rely on Sasha to say the right thing, to throw cold
water on my anxieties. “I love your confidence, wish I had an ounce
of that instead of the fear that’s running through my veins at the
moment. Love you.”
 “Yep, love you, too. Ring me the moment you leave. I’ll return
your call as soon as the boss allows me to, okay?”
“That’s a deal. Bye.”
Amber ended the call and rang the bell, letting the driver know
that she wanted to get off at the next stop. She waited until the bus
came to a juddering halt rather than wobbling on her heels and
looking like a fool. She headed through the swarm of shoppers in
the precinct towards the prearranged pick-up point.
Her eyes almost dropped out of her head when she spotted the
black limo standing there. She glanced around her. No, this couldn’t
be right. I must be dreaming. This can’t be for me! She approached
the car and the front door sprung open. A young man wearing a
black suit and a chauffeur’s cap jumped out of the car and half-
bowed.
“Miss Rowse, I presume?”
“Umm, yes, that’s right. Are you here to meet me?” It was a
foolish question, given the fact he’d mentioned her by name. Her
head was swimming.
He smiled and opened the rear door. “I’m Mick. Please, make
yourself comfortable.”
She climbed in the back, the soft leather beneath her resembling
total luxury. He closed the door behind her and slipped into the
driver’s seat. “Help yourself to a drink.”
Amber frowned and gasped as a flap dropped down in front of
her to reveal an array of alcoholic and soft drinks. “That’s very kind,
I think I’m okay.”
The door of the drinks cabinet rose again.
“Very well, Miss. Just relax and enjoy the ride.”
She did just that.
The journey was the most comfortable ride she’d ever made, not
surprising given her plush surroundings. Sadly, the trip was far too
short. The driver pulled into an airfield and opened the door for her.
She wriggled across the back seat and exited the car. “I don’t
understand, where am I?”
The chauffeur smiled and gestured towards the small plane
adjacent to them, sitting on the tarmac. “Mr Barrows is awaiting
your presence on board the plane. Enjoy your day.”
“What? He said nothing about holding the interview on a plane.
But…”
“I’m sure he’ll explain all, once you’re inside.”
He got back in the car, leaving her with a dilemma. What the
heck! How can you hold an interview on a plane? What if he goes
out of the country? I don’t have my passport with me. Damn, did he
mention in his emails that the interview would be held on a plane? I
don’t think so.
Her stomach tied itself into knots. She hesitated for a moment
longer until a young, handsome, slightly tanned and well-dressed
man appeared at the top of the steps that led up into the plane. He
gestured for her to join him. “Miss Rowse. It’s an absolute pleasure
to meet you. You’re even more beautiful than in your photo.”
His compliment distracted her long enough to ascend the steps.
He shook her hand, and a jolt of excitement danced the length of
her arm. “I… er… okay.” Then, her stomach flipped again. She’d
never flown before, not that she could remember. Her parents had
taken her on holiday when she’d been two, but she had trouble
recalling the experience.
If she was nervous about the interview before, it was nothing
compared to what she was feeling now. Her legs trembled. Amber
gripped the rail to help hold herself upright. Shaking legs and high
heels were never a great combination.
He touched her elbow and guided her through the small cabin to
a table with executive office chairs on either side.
“Come, take a seat. Can I get you a drink?”
“Would it be an imposition to ask for a coffee?” she asked
meekly, minding her manners.
“Not at all. I have some brewing in the back. Milk or cream, and
do you take sugar? I’m guessing not, not with a stunning figure like
that to maintain.”
Her cheeks warmed under his gaze. “One sugar and milk,
please,” she replied, doing her best to push his unexpected
compliment aside.
 No one had ever paid her this much attention, not even her
regular boyfriend; she could get used to this. What am I saying?
This is purely business. But he’s so handsome, it could lead to
something else. Hush now, don’t even go there.
He returned, carrying two cups and saucers, and placed one in
front of her. “Now, tell me all about yourself.”
Personally or professionally?
“At present, I work in the make-up section at Boots.”
“Yes, yes, I read as much on your application form.” He took a
sip from his cup, his piercing blue eyes never straying from her face.
“If we’re going to be working closely together, Amber, is it all right if
I call you Amber?”
She nodded and took a sip of coffee.
“Okay, as I was saying, if we’re going to be working closely
together at all hours of the day, I need to know what drives you.
What are your ambitions?”
“Oh my, I’ve never really thought what my aspirations entail, not
long term. Short term, my aim is to better myself, you know,
financially.”
“Did you leave college with a mountain of debt?”
Her gaze dropped to her cup. “Not really. It’s only since I started
working, I fell into the trap. I’ve developed ‘expensive tastes’ my
mum would say.”
“Ah, that old chestnut, lavish existence on a poor man’s pittance
of a salary, right?”
She nodded. “Hence me trying my best to change my situation. I
know I’m punching above my weight, applying for a job where I
have very little experience, but I’m sure, if you give me a chance, I’ll
show you what my skills are worth before very long.” She cringed at
the way the words had tumbled out.
Judging by his amused expression, he’d possibly thought she’d
thrown in a double entendre on purpose. His index finger tapped his
thigh in a slow, deliberate beat. “I have no doubt about that. The
moment I laid eyes on you, I could tell you’re a woman with a vast
amount of ambition. My question is, what are you willing to do to
obtain such desires?”
 She darted out of the room. All the other members of her team
stared at her as she emerged. “She’s fine. She’s come to the right
place to get the help she needs. I know you’re all concerned, but
she’s keen not to have any fuss. So get back to work, peeps.”
Reluctantly, her colleagues put their heads down and got back to
their daily grind. Sara bought a coffee from the vending machine,
picked up the nearest phone and rang the front desk. “Jeff, it’s DI
Ramsey. Is the duty doctor around? Or do you know if he’s due in
any time this morning?”
Jeff tutted and blew out a breath. “It’s awful. Carla looked
dreadful. I tried to offer some form of help, but she brushed me
aside.”
“It wasn’t intentional. I’m sure she appreciated your concern. Is
he around, Jeff?”
“Sorry. No, I don’t think so. Want me to give him a call?”
“Would you? She’s refusing to go to the hospital. Stubborn in
adversity and all that.”
“If I was sexist, which I’m not, I’d be saying that’s typical of a
female officer.”
Sara sniggered. “You know us so well. She’s definitely taken a
battering, that’s for sure.”
“Will you be running an investigation into the attack, Ma’am?”
“It depends if Carla wants to take it further or not.”
“Try to persuade her. Whoever did this to her shouldn’t be
allowed to get away with it, they should be banged up.” His concern
touched a nerve.
“I hear you. I’ve got to get back to her now. Let me know what
the doctor says.”
“I’m on the case now.”
Sara replaced the phone in the docking station.
“We’re worried about her, boss,” DS Jill Smalling whispered.
“I know. You’re not the only one. She’s in a terrible state, we’ll do
all we can to make things easier for her. Let her be the one to ask
for help, okay?”
“She’s a proud woman. Too proud sometimes. We all need help
occasionally, she needs to accept it from her friends. That’s what we
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
 CHAPTER XXVIII
The Colony Houses—There are Forty-one on the
Farm
These Houses have a floor space 6 × 10 feet, are six feet high in
front and five feet in the rear, with a shed roof. The frame work is
built on three skids. The outside skids are made of 3 × 4 timbers,
rounded at the ends to facilitate the ready sliding of the Houses
when it becomes desirable to move them, and 12 feet in length,
making a projection of a foot at either end beyond the sides of the
House. Two by four studding is used for the center skid. The three
skids are securely fastened together by four pieces of 2 × 4
studding. To this frame is nailed the floor, of inch, matched boards.
The upright studs are made of 2 × 3’s. In the first Colony Houses we
built, 2 × 4’s were used, but it was found there was an economy in
using 2 × 3’s, and, as they answer every purpose, the frame being
absolutely stiff, they were substituted for the 2 × 4’s, and they have
been used ever since.
The frame work is covered by a cheap grade of matched flooring,
the boards running perpendicularly. The roof is covered with cheap,
twelve inch, rough boards, and over this is laid two ply roofing, this
being carried over the front, back and sides three inches, well
cemented and securely nailed down, then all the joints are again
cemented, covering the nails thoroughly.

Cotton Duck Windows

The door, for the use of the attendant, is in the front of the House,
being two feet wide and the full height of the inside of the building.
On either side of the door, hanging by hinges from the plates, are
two windows 45 × 27 inches. These are covered with a medium
weight cotton duck, and open outward. A device which carries a long
hook readily allows them to be fastened so as to practically form an
awning, which materially assists in maintaining a cool condition
inside the House during the Summer. Two doors for the use of the
birds are placed on each side of the main door, and are fitted with
slides. On the inside of the window openings one inch wire mesh is
securely nailed, preventing the birds from flying out, and also
keeping night prowlers from going in. Over the outside of the window
frames also inch wire mesh is nailed. The main reason for this wiring
of the outside is to prevent the birds, as they develop and fly up on
top of the Colony House, from breaking through the canvas.
From the detailed drawings which will be found at the end of the
Book, and the photograph of the Colony House, a very clear idea is
given of its construction.
 CHAPTER XXIX

Materials Required for Laying House

Bill of material for the construction of 60 feet, being three sections
of the Corning Laying House.
14 Posts, 8′ long, 4″ top diameter.
Cross Braces at ends, and Corner Braces—5 pieces, 2″ × 6″ × 16′.
Floor Joists and Roof Rafters, 42 pieces—2″ × 10″ × 16′.
Under Floor, 1000′ cheap, wide boards.
Upper Floor, 1200′ #4 flooring.
Inside Ceiling, 2500′ #4 flooring.
Outside Covering and Roof, cheap wide boards, 2400′.
Uprights, 38 pieces, 2″ × 4″ × 12′.
Plates, 10 pieces, 2″ × 4″ × 12′.
Dropping Boards, 450′ #4 flooring.
Dropping Boards supports, 3 pieces, 2″ × 4″ × 20′, and 3 pieces, 2″
× 4″ × 12′.
Lath, 500 lineal feet 1″ × 2″.
Partitions, 100′ #4 flooring.
Hoods, 60 lineal feet, pine, 1″ × 8″.
Sills, 3 pieces pine, 1″ × 10″ × 10′.
Window Frames, pine, 1″ × 4″; 2 pieces, 10′ and 1 piece 12′ long.
One roll of roofing contains 108 square feet.
For Lining between floors 10 rolls
Lining between walls, sides and ends 9 rolls
All of one ply 19 rolls
All outside covering, two ply 25 rolls
Ventilators to be the length between the windows, with width of
opening 12 inches. See detailed drawing at end of Book.
 BREEDING HOUSE IN 1907—THE ORIGINAL CORNING HOUSE

Bill of Material for the Construction of Colony House

Skids, 2 pieces, 3″ × 4″ × 12′, and 1 piece, 2″ × 4″ × 10′.
Braces, 2 pieces, 2″ × 4″ × 10′.
Uprights, 5 pieces, 2″ × 3″ × 12′.
Nailing Pieces, 2 pieces, 2″ × 3″ × 10′.
Rafters, 2 pieces, 2″ × 3″ × 14′.
Plates, 2 pieces, 2″ × 3″ × 10′.
Roof, 60′ of 12 inch cheap boards, 10 feet long.
Floors and Walls, 300 feet #4 flooring.
Window Frames, 2 pieces pine, 1″ × 4″ × 8′.
75′ of 2 ply roofing.

It is impossible to give prices of lumber, as there is a great

variation according to locality. The above list will enable anyone to
work out the full bill of lumber required, and the builder or lumber
dealer will be able to give the prices in a very few moments.
The cost of labor on the Laying Houses is from $1.50 to $1.75 per
running foot. This would include every item of labor in the
construction of these Houses down to the smallest detail.
 CHAPTER XXX
The Original Thirty Hens
The egg production of the Original Thirty Hens on The Corning
Egg Farm is an interesting story, but, of course, it must be
remembered that this record is of one hundred and fifty-three days,
the banner days of the year for eggs from yearling hens.
The Biddies arrived in different lots, the last days of February, our
record beginning with March first, and ending with July 31st. During
that period they laid 2466 eggs, and at the end of the third month we
lost two of them. The cause of death we were unable to tell, for, at
that time our experience was not of sufficient duration to have made
even a close guess.
The average for the birds, it will be noted, was eighty-five eggs per
hen. Had we been better posted as to feeding methods, doubtless
the hens would have been capable of producing eggs in numbers
considerably greater than the figures show.
 PULLETS IN LAYING HOUSE NO. 2, FALL OF 1911

The record, however, for real yearling hens (and these were real
yearling hens, because when they started to lay with us they were
fully eighteen months of age), was very far from a poor one, and the
novice who succeeds in caring for his breeding stock in such a way
that he does not fall short of this average, may consider that he has
done very well.
 CHAPTER XXXI
Egg Records

February 1st, 1908 to June 30th, 1911.

Average Average
Number Production Price
Dates of Hens of Eggs per doz.
Feb. 1, 1908 to Jan. 31, 1909 2,040 338,976 .5066
Feb. 1, 1909 to June 30, 1910 2,811 709,836 .47125
July 1, 1910 to June 30, 1911 4,723 612,000 .4618
AVERAGE FOR FIRST TEN MONTHS OF PULLET LAYING
IN FLOCKS OF FIFTEEN HUNDRED.

1909 143.25
1910 145.11
1911 146.23
On examination of this Egg Record it will be noticed that in the
average number of eggs laid by the pullets, in flocks of fifteen
hundred, there have been three gains, and in analyzing these
averages it must be remembered that these are results obtained, not
by the handling of a few pullets most carefully selected to produce a
record, but of thousands, and the advance of three eggs in the
average is therefore a remarkable gain.

How Corning Farm Is Able To Get Great Egg Records

The salient reasons which make possible such egg records as The
Corning Egg Farm is able to show are:
 1st,—Careful selection of breeders by the Corning Method, which
is the only proper Method and has already been described.
2nd,—Pullets raised on free range, feeding to them a
strengthening and upbuilding ration, which constantly supplies new
tissues, and is, therefore, a nutritious and not a forcing food.
3rd,—Housing them in The Corning Laying House, which to-day
stands unequaled, where they are practically outdoors yet protected
from extremes of heat and cold, for if hens are to lay to their capacity
they must be kept always in a perfectly comfortable condition.
4th,—The succulent, green food, which is so necessary to their
welfare if they are to lay strongly, and which must be given to them in
large quantities.
Hens on the ordinary free range, in the general run of seasons,
after July 1st., cannot find succulent green food in sufficient
quantities to enable them to keep up even a fair average of eggs.
Receipts of eggs at all large market centers, begin to fall off at about
this date, and prices correspondingly increase.

Highest Percentage of Fertility

Every observer, viewing the stock of The Corning Egg Farm, is at
once convinced that the scientific Method here employed produces
better birds than any other. The steady increase, from year to year,
in the hatchability of the eggs towards full fertility; the strong, livable
chicks, their rapid growth to maturity; and the voluntary testimony
given by our customers whose ever increasing orders come back to
us, year after year, all conclusively establish the fact that hens bred
and raised by The Corning Method are unequaled anywhere.
For the last two years hatching eggs have been shipped from the
Atlantic to the Pacific, and from the Northern part of Canada to the
Gulf of Mexico, and even across the Atlantic to far away Scotland.
From this widely extended territory comes the unsolicited testimony
that The Corning Strain of Single Comb White Leghorns is
unequaled.
At the present time the amount of labor carried on The Corning
Egg Farm is one working foreman and three laborers. The latter are
$1.50 a day men, and, with this force all the work of the farm is
accomplished. The Houses are thoroughly cleaned, as to the
dropping boards, drinking fountain stands, tops of nests, and the
inside of nests where required, every day in the week and three
hundred and sixty-five days in the year.
When the Colony Houses are in use they are cleaned and
rebedded every two or three weeks, as required, during the first part
of the Spring. After the first part of the season is over, say from July
1st., they are not cleaned as often for the reason that there is very
little dampness, and so long as the Houses remain dry, the cleaning
is not required.
The cost of feed in the last two years has gone up materially, and
it now requires an outlay of about eighteen cents to raise a Leghorn
cockerel to broiler size. The cost of raising a pullet to the laying point
is forty-two and a half cents, which includes cost of incubation. The
pullet, through her first ten months of laying, costs $1.15.
It is somewhat difficult to give a fixed figure as to the cost of caring
for the coming breeder through the time of moult, during the months
when she is producing eggs for hatching, and up to the time when
she is shipped, in August, eleven months in all. Different seasons
and different flocks of birds vary in the amount of food necessary
during these months. Our records show, however, that the output of
eggs through the moulting season from the birds which we are
carrying for hatching eggs has always been enough to show a profit
over the feeding cost. It would be safe to figure that the outlay will be
between one dollar and forty and one dollar and fifty cents. These
amounts, as given, represent the cost of feeding and the cost of
labor.
 CHAPTER XXXII
Prevention and Treatment of Diseases
Diseases in poultry generally come from neglecting sanitary
conditions. A damp house, filthy drinking fountains, musty and sour
foods, or a general condition of filth, bring diseases, whether the
birds are kept in large or small flocks.
An ailing bird should at once be removed and isolated, and, unless
it shows immediate signs of recovery, the best remedy, and the
safest, is the hatchet. The constant and systematic spraying of the
roosting closets, the drinking trough platforms, underneath the
dropping boards, and in the corners between the sections, with
Kerosene Oil and Crude Carbolic (and it must be remembered that
the solution used for spraying is one-half gallon of Crude Carbolic to
five gallons of Kerosene Oil, when the birds are in the House), will
eliminate all danger of contagion, provided the Houses, in all other
respects, are kept in a proper and cleanly condition.
When the pullets are first put into the House, in the Fall of the
year, it is wise to watch with great care that individuals in the flock do
not develop the “snuffles,” which mean increasing trouble of a more
serious nature if allowed to go without attention.
The washing of the drinking cups of the fountains with Kerosene
Oil, and Potassium Permanganate in the water once a week, will, in
most cases, keep the flock immune from trouble. Spraying is one of
the best cures for colds, as it not only restores the affected bird to
health, but clears up the danger of infection which, otherwise, might
result in spreading disease among the whole flock.
We have never had a “run” of any disease at The Corning Egg
Farm. Gapes and White Diarrhœa—the most dreaded of all young
chick diseases—are unknown on the Farm. This is attributed to the
strong vitality and vigorous condition maintained by fresh air
housing, cleanliness, sanitary regulation, and by giving sweet,
wholesome food and plenty of pure, fresh water.
 CHAPTER XXXIII
A Word in Closing
Our business is running The Corning Egg Farm and not writing
books, so that in telling our Story we may have lacked some of the
polish of the experienced author, but every word that we have written
is true, and we shall be very glad to welcome any of our readers at
the Farm, and let them see for themselves just what we have.
The Corning Egg Farm actually does enjoy the supreme position
among the egg farms of the World that we claim for it, and that the
great authorities, after thorough, personal examination, have frankly
admitted.
And we have been far more open in telling you everything that has
been done on the Farm than, for instance, owners of large
manufacturing plants would be.
Methods and problems in the successful and profitable production
of eggs for table and hatching purposes have been worked out on
The Corning Egg Farm, and we are quite willing others should have
the benefit of our very expensively acquired experience.

Nothing to Hide
We have nothing to hide; nothing to keep to ourselves. We started
in a very modest way, and believe that is the preferable way to
successfully build up a paying poultry farm. Those who have an
abundance of capital might be tempted to work out too many self-
evolved theories and to begin on too elaborate and extravagant a
basis, whereas, in our opinion, it is wiser to follow precedent, known
successes, and start in a smaller way and expand.

Illustrations are Photographs

 The illustrations in this Book are all from photographs, and the
camera cannot be persuaded to exaggerate or to show buildings
where there are none. The diagrams are drawn of sufficient size, and
such measurements given, that our plant in its entirety, or any part of
it, can be readily reproduced by anyone who cares to do so.

The Corning Success

The success we have made on the Farm gives us a certain feeling
of satisfaction that we are entitled to enjoy, and yet we have
accomplished nothing that cannot be done by any person who will
give as much thought, time and attention to the work as we have.

Our Advice to Beginners

Our advice to the beginner is that he carefully study the Corning
Method as set forth in this Book (and we want to impress upon you
again the fact that the Corning Method is just as adaptable to the
town lot as to the large tract, and in this particular it surpasses other
systems which have had considerable publicity), and then start,
either with a breeding pen, or with an incubator and hatching eggs
purchased from a Breeder whose eggs can be depended upon, and
in this connection

Single Comb White Leghorns Only

we want to say that for the production of eggs there is only one
breed of fowls—Single Comb White Leghorns—and that, in
considering the purchase of a breeding pen, or eggs for hatching,
experience will show that it is the height of folly to begrudge the
additional price you must pay in order to get the right kind of Stock.
Whether you buy Corning Strain or not, let us again emphasize the
fact that no matter how famous the Breeder, or how high his prices, if
he has not a Strain that has proved itself a good Strain, you do not
want it at any price. It is
 It’s “Strain” You Want
Strain that counts, because it includes every good quality for the
purpose, and the market for the right Strain for breeding and
hatching is a very large and profitable one. The Corning Egg Farm
cannot produce enough birds and eggs to fill its orders, and probably
never will, because we do not believe in increasing the size of the
Farm beyond our ability to be personally in constant touch with every
detail connected with it.

Utility, Not Show Birds

We want to write just a word or two as to the difference between a
Strain for the production of eggs and of Show Birds. It must be
remembered that a great laying Strain cannot be, at the same time, a
Show Bird, at least not under the present requirements of the
Association, because a great egg layer must have size, and must be
bred to produce size, and not inbred to secure fancy Show points,
which produce a bird without constitution, and eggs from birds of the
show class are small, the fertility runs low, and, in many instances,
their hatchability is so poor as to be hardly worth speaking of.

Corning Largest Specialty Farm in World

The Corning Strain Single Comb White Leghorn is an egg
machine, a large bird, of vigorous constitution, and typical Leghorn
shape. The Corning Egg Farm is the largest poultry farm in the
World devoted entirely and exclusively to one single purpose—the
developing and breeding of the great egg machine, Corning Strain
Single Comb White Leghorn.

Points That Mean Success

Just to repeat in regular order the points a Breeder must observe if
he is to make a permanent success:
Suitable location for houses and runs.
Properly planned, arranged and constructed houses.
 Right breeding stock.
Hatching eggs from a farm that has “made good.”
Care in incubating and brooding.
Proper handling of the pullets and cockerels.
Careful selection of breeders.
Regularity in feeding and attending.
Properly balanced ration.
Clean, sanitary quarters, fresh water, and pure air, all the time.
Constant adherence to one Strain, and that the best Strain.
Be jealous of your reputation, because it is on your reputation that
you build up a demand for breeding stock and eggs for hatching.
Care, and courtesy, and regularity in serving customers.
You will know after reading this Book that on the Farm we have
little idle time on our hands, and yet we are always willing to advise
and help those who are really seriously seeking information, and
who are willing to accept what we may be able to give them, in
addition to the contents of this Book, and in our regular way of
furnishing it.
The Authors.
 BUILDINGS ON THE CORNING EGG FARM AND
MANY HANDY DEVICES
These plans and drawings are of sufficient size to show quite
clearly the construction of every building on the Farm. Those who
care to do so are entirely welcome to duplicate the entire Plant, or
any part of it.
As the dimensions are also given, it is a simple matter to reduce
the size of the buildings to suit a flock of any number, because, as
we have made clear in the Book, the Corning Method and Buildings
are equally suitable for the largest flock, or the few hens and a
rooster kept by the average family.
We do not want to be thought egotistical, but believe we have the
most complete and economically arranged lay-out in the country, but
if any reader thinks he can point out improvements we shall be very
glad to hear of them, and to discuss those that are worth while in
some future edition of the Book.
Of course it is easier to build from an architect’s plans, and we can
furnish working size blue-prints of the principal buildings.

EXTERIOR OF THE CORNING BROODER HOUSE

Total length, 264 feet. The older part, 118 feet long, is 16 feet in breadth; the new
addition of 146 feet is 22 feet wide.
 FLOOR PLAN OF BROODER HOUSE
Equipped with Hovers, giving capacity for 12,000 Chicks at one time.

CROSS SECTION OF HOVER FLOOR

Showing hot water pipes underneath, and hinged runway, with drawing of entrance
gate from alley to Hover pen.
 BROODER HOUSE WINDOWS AND VENTILATORS
Showing details of construction.

CROSS SECTION OF BROODER HOUSE AND INCUBATOR CELLAR

 DETAIL OF BEAM FILLING
Where building is over 16 feet in width, floor beams are 2″ x 12″.