146 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan., 



to inquire whether that is used generally, or whether he recom- 

 mends it. 



Mr. Hunter. It is used universally. It goes without say- 

 ing. That is the reason it is not spoken of. Every intelligent 

 poultryman keeps a supply of ground shells. Most of them 

 pulverize the shells into fine bits. 



Mr. Wakeman. May I ask one question? I do not keep 

 a large number of poultry, but what I have, have been kept in 

 a very convenient place on my farm near the barn. They have 

 been there a number of years. I find I cannot keep them there 

 any longer on account of the condition of the land. I am told 

 that by plowing the ground once or twice it will be all right to 

 use again. How many times will it be necessary to plow it, and 

 how long must it be kept plowed up before it will be safe for me 

 to use it again for the same purpose? 



Mr. Hunter. I should want to do it two or three times. 

 If I were in your place I would move the chicks to new ground. 

 Your chicks will do better on new ground. A thing that is 

 worth doing at all, is worth doing well. 



Mr. TiLLiNGHAST. Mr. Chairman, I see we have quite a 

 number of ladies present. I wish Mr. Hunter would tell them 

 if he knows of any ladies who are successful in raising chick- 

 ens. He goes all over the country and he knows. 



Mr. Hunter. Last week I visited a farmer's wife in Maine, 

 who keeps about five hundred head of Barred Plymouth Rocks. 

 She is most successful. She helps her husband milk the cows, 

 and she makes butter and all that sort of thing, but she finds 

 time amid all her work to take care of about five hundred 

 Barred Plymouth Rocks. She gave me some figures which I 

 am going to publish in my paper one of these days. She makes 

 an average of two dollars apiece on from four hundred and 

 fifty to five hundred head. It is a better average by a good 

 deal than from her cows. 



Mr. President. Our program having been somewhat 

 overcrowded this morning, Mr. McGrew's address is to come 



