Making Sense of ICS literature, in particular the Poultry courses.
This is perhaps one of the most confusing groups of literature I have tried to organize. I haven’t been able to locate a good source of the history of The International Correspondence School. In specific, its teaching of Poultry, and the series of materials contained in it.
ICS Learn, also known as International Correspondence Schools Ltd, is a provider of online learning courses in the UK.[1] It was founded in 1889 in Scranton, Pennsylvania.[2] The UK branch was set up in 1904.(Wikipedia.)
An overall course manual
ICS USA was originally for the mining industry but quickly grew to be an industry education system much like we would call the TAFE.
But the ICS system itself made use of of the USDA booklets and authors on various agricultural industries, and these were later added into the ICS material, albeit with some minor editing. (see later notes)
Our particularly interest is in the works on poultry, and more specifically the works on pure breeds and breed history.
Publishers
All the works were published by the International Textbook Company of Scranton Pennsylvania, and some registered in England for copyright reasons. Later the organization moved to England.
The Materials and Books.
The ICS publications were a little confusing as there are three different states of the booklets.
Course Booklets
First is the individual course booklets were issued as individual lessons in longer term lesson plans. A subscriber could order a short course, or a long course, receiving a new part of the course every time they sent one part in to be marked. There were about 38 (?) parts to the whole poultry course covering all aspects of poultry keeping, farming, breeding, disease, and marketing. The pure breed components are highly collectible.
These booklets became a problem as the courses changed the individual parts were upgraded and no reference I can find, gives a full list bibliographical list of the parts, dates of issue, serial numbers and so on of all that was issued. I cannot find a complete reference for the ICS but I know each booklet has a reference number in the production sequence. In the whole ICS system it seems there were in excess of 2000 booklets issued, covering many topics from mining to agriculture. Some of the volumes list that material in part. Here is a few of the course booklets.
Sets.
It seems to me that later sets were compiled and made available as full sets, as branded volumes screw and ring binders are available showing assortments of booklets, seemingly assembled into course sets. One of the introductions indicates this was the case,
ICS Reference Library
A further development was of Library sets for the whole of the ICS courses, as a library reference circulated both to regular libraries, and as the production and distribution of individual course notes became more of a problem. These were made as courses were settled in content and included all the parts applied to the particular course, bound in a variety of styles. However as these were complete course sets they were made with consecutive volume numbers for the course profile. So we see an early set in the ISC Library 114,115,116,117 is a complete set of volumes on poultry, and as the volume numbers are quite low these were earlier compilations. Later compilations had different booklets included as they were for different courses.
International Library of Technology
At a later date the name of the reference library was changed and its became the International Library of Technology, perhaps to assist the international spread and the wider technological applications in marketing to the developing world. These volumes also included complete sets of the poultry works but also included sets oriented to the industrial development of poultry. Many of these sets seem to lack the pure breed information, or may be the pure breed volumes have been gathered up by pure breeds people so are not in the market place. Again a lack of a comprehensive bibliographical reference work leave the question open. If you have reference please share them as it benefits all and I will edit these notes and attribute the edits.
Authors
So we now move to Author information. McGrew, T. F. ( 1850-1930) is the predominant author as mentioned earlier. He was the Prinicplal of the School of Poultry Husbandry at the ICS (assisted by Seth S Shoemaker, works listed elsewhere). There is no information I can find on the ICS other editorial staff, in order to name them. ICS began publishing in 1909. For completeness of McGrews work I have also included here works not published by the International Textbook Company, and I have identified the other publishers in individual works. However, McGrew, Thomas Fletcher, was a powerful influence on the writing of the course materials, often having written other works earlier.
Two artists responsible for the colour plates were also prominent and identified Howard, George E. and Megargee, Edwin were well known. Megargee’s plates were responsible for many copies of the ICS breed books being broken up for the plates. Howard also became a publisher for several of the works not in the ICS system.
Titles and Bibliographical materials.
If No author is listed read McGrew T.F. other contributors listed in description.
If no publisher is listed read International Textbook Co. Otherwise as listed.
Abbreviations
pp printed pages, italics roman numerals for introductions index etc., eng engravings, figures, drwg, means black and white drawings, b/w black and white either of engravings or photos. CP Colour plates or photos. Titles are in Bold. * means sighted or in achive.
References.
John Palmer, Books on Poultry, 1990, includes some useful information and some is repeated here.
World List of Poultry Serials. 1989
Wright, L . Books on Poultry Husbandry. 1961
American Poultry History by the American Poultry History Society 1974.
Books by McGrew, T.F.
The Bantam Fowl. 44pp plus 3 adds 40 engravings wrappers. Reliable Poultry Journal 1899. 2nd ed 1903 68pp. 74 eng and photos, 1903. Inc 7pp Housing and care by Stephen Beale (Sir Edward Brown).* Assume if no pictorial information b/w engraving and drawings.
American Breeds of Poultry Vol1 The Plymouth Rock 32pp 6cp 10 eng Bureau of Animal Industry Bulletin 29 Washington 1901, Red case binding labelled From the collection of Dt J Denklin Reynolds, Marietta Georgia. R.C.Carter II Walhalla SC.*
Feathers Plymouth Rock Book 70pp GE Howard Washington 1905 Not sighted an update of above.
The Wandotte 30pp 10cp and 3 eng Bureau of Animal Industry Bulletin 31 Washington 1901.*
Feathers Wyandotte Book 63pp 10 cp G.E. Howard Washington 1905 presumed to be an update of above.
Practical Poultry Keeping pp214 A5 b/w illust Thomas Nelson New York 1928 Cloth *
and others yet to add.
The ICS Reference Library.
Poultrymans Handbook 343 pp plus notes and adds. small format reference 1912 Blue cloth.*
Poultry Farming 2 volumes, individually paginated, b/w illustrations. Consisting of;
Volume 231 ( also sighted as 114) Spine label Poultry Farming Vol 1 Green cloth and also half leather bindings
The individual sections issued separately as pamplets, ( some shown above) and bound in this volume are;
Poultry Houses part 1 pp45 1909
Poultry Houses part 2 pp 40 1909
Poultry Houses part 3 pp 38 1909
Poultry House Management pp 34 1909
Poultry Feeding Part 1 pp35 1910
Poultry Feeding Part 2 pp54 1910
Natural Incubation pp46 1909
Natural Brooding pp42 1909
Artificial Incubation pp 40 1910
Artificial Brooding pp41 1910
Laying hens pp 35 1910
Market Eggs pp 38 1910
Market Poultry pp49 1910
Questions and index.
Volume 232 Spine label Poultry Farming Vol 2 (also sighted as 115) consisting of;
Poultry Farms part 1 pp56 1910
Poultry Farms part 2 pp38 1910
Combination Poultry Farms pp29 1911
Poultry Appliances pp55 1910
Enemies of Poultry pp55 1910
Diseases of Poultry pp92 1911
Turkeys pp53 1910
Peafowl, Guinea Fowl and Pheasants pp17 1910
Water Fowls ( commercial domestic ducks) pp65 1911
Squabs part 1 pp41 1911
Squabs part 2 pp47 1911
Questions and index.
Standard Bred Poultry 2 volumes individually paginated 70 cp by Edwin Megargee. International Textbook company 1912 reprinted 1920 under the banner of the Library of technology, and I assume in the red cloth half leather cover. Unsighted by me. No author given but Wright, L 1961 catalogue states McGrew was the author and this was later published as the Book of Poultry.
Consisting of
Volume Numbered 240 ( also sighted as 116) Labelled on spine, Standard Bred Poultry, Vol 1 Green Cloth binding.
The individual sections issued separately as pamphlets are;
Standard Bred Poultry viii 55pp 4 cp and 11 drwg. 1912
Standard Bred Poultry Management 62pp 7drwg.1912
Poultry Judging 65pp 39 drwg. 1912
American Fowls 63pp11cp 7drwg. Serial no 1374 1912
Asiatics 62pp 8cp 7drwg. 1912
Belgian, Dutch and German Fowls 39pp 4 CP 7drwg. ( plus index to Vol 1 ix-xxii) 1912
Volume 241. ( also sighted as 117) Labelled on spine, Standard Bred Poultry, Vol 2, Green cloth Binding.
English Fowls vii, 36pp 5cp.
French, Polish and Miscellaneous fowls 34pp 6cp 5drwg.
Game Fowls, 39pp 4cp, 1bw plate.
Mediterranean Fowls, 52pp, 8cp 2 drwg.
Bantam Fowls, 30pp, 9cp, 5drwg.
Fowls of the Pheasant family, 4 cp 1b/w plt ( Turkeys and Guinea Fowl).
Ducks and Geese, 32pp, 8cp, 2 drwg. ( plus index to Vol 2 ix-xviii)
So depending on how you count them 38 parts plus indexes and questions.
International Library Of Technology
Published by International Textbook Company, Summaries of the contents only
Volume 115 1924 Poultry farming. Reg cloth spine green sides.
Poultry Farms, combination Poultry farms 1910, Poultry Appliances 1910, Enemies of Poultry 1911, Turkeys 1910, Peafowls Guinea fowls and Pheasants 1910, Water Fowls 1911, Squabs 111.
Volume 330B ND Red cloth spine.
Poultry Houses 1909, Poultry House management 1909, Poultry Feeding part 1 1909 part 2 1910, Laying hens 1910, Market Eggs 1910.
Volume 330 E 1935 Red cloth.
Poultry Houses 1&2 1935, Poultry Houses Part 3 1936, Poultry House Management 1934, Poultry Feeding part 1 1909 and 1930, Part 2 1910 and 1930, Laying Hens 1910 and 1930, Market Hens 1910 and 1930. All second edition parts.
Volume 331B Red cloth spine green sides.
Natural Incubation 1909, Natural Brooding 1909, Artificial Incubation 110, Artificial Brooding 1910, Market Poultry 1910.
Volume 332 ND Red cloth.
Poultry Farms part 1 1934 Part 2 1910. Combination Poultry Farms 1911, 1932. Poultry Appliances 1910. Enemies of Poultry 1910, 1932. Diseases of Poultry 1911.
Volume 333 ND
Turkeys 1910, 1932, Peafowls Guinea Fowls and Pheasants 1931, 1930, Waterfowls parts 1 and 2 1931, 1911. Squabs Parts 1 and 2 1931, 1911.
Books
Evolution of Modern Game 1911. Unknown Publisher
The Book of Poultry i-xiii, 672pp 70cp and many eng, Macmillan New York 1921, essentially an new edition of the 2 volume Standard Bred Poultry ( volumes 240 and 241 ICS library) ( Volumes 116, 117 of International Library of Technology)
2nd ed thomas nelson 1926 610pp 58cp omits the section and plates for turkeys, guinea fowl and waterfowl. Also examination notes are omitted in both versions..
For the collector the 4 versions of this work are the most collectible. The oldest is the Standard Bred Poultry 2 volumes 1912, the second is Standard Bred Poultry 1920 as far as I can tell identical, then Book of poultry 1921 672pp 70cp, and the most common Book of Poultry 610 pp 58cp. If course the rarest is the original course booklets of the individual breeds many of which survive without the colour plates. I have insufficient material to conclude that all the Megargee plates are the same, and to determine if there were notations to distinguish different print runs of the plates. Many copies of the original course booklets were destroyed for the plates. I would hope that the bound volumes had not suffered the same fate.
See Palmer for further comments.
McGrew and Howard, George E. The Perfected Poultry of America A concise illustrated treatise of the recognised breeds of poultry, turkeys and waterfowl 247pp A4 118pp by Louis Paul Graham Howard Publishing Co 1907. According to Palmer the plates are designed to illustrate the finer points of fowls with feather detail etc. According to Norris , this is one of the most useful and valuable additions to the fanciers Library. Unsighted
Practical Poultry pp214Macmillan
American Fancier’s Poultry Book. 166pp Howard G, E. Blunck, Johnstown NY unsighted 1896 also 169pp 1899 and 1905 published by the Author. Unsighted
Feathers Pocket Cyclopedia of Poultry Culture 112pp, Howard G, E G E Howard Washington 1903. Unsighted
The Egg Question Resolved 27pp McGrew, T. F. Howard, G.E. Washington 1904
How to Grow Chicks 24pp McGrew, T. F. Howard, G.E. Washington 1904
Other Poultry Correspondence schools
Of course there would never just be one school like this though the McGrew/Megargee combination did make something special.
The American Poultry School founded by Quisenberry and the National Poultry Institute were both formed immediately after WW1.
Poultry Husbandry, the Coldbelt Poultry course run by Shaw Correspondence School in Toronto Canada produced a ring binder set of notes in 2 volumes. My copy is undated but owned by A.O Schilling, appears to be of the same era.