POULTRY EXPERIMElNTS. 63 



thicknesses of hemlock boards, which break joints well in the 

 laying. 



The building is divided by tight board partitions into 20 sec- 

 tions, each section being 20 feet long. All of. the sections are 

 alike in construction and arrangement. The front side of each 

 section has two windows of 12 lights of 10 by 12 glass, screwed 

 on, upright, 2 feet 8 inches from each end of the room. They 

 are 3 feet above the floor. The space between the windows is 

 8 feet 10 inches long, and the top part of it down from the plate, 

 3^ feet, is not boarded, but left open to be covered by the cloth 

 curtain when necessary. ■ This leaves a tight wall, 3 feet 10 

 inches high, extending from the bottom of the opening down to 

 the floor, which prevents the wind from blowing directly on to 

 the birds when they are on the floor. A door is made in this 

 part of the front wall for the attendant to pass through when 

 the curtain is open, A door 16 inches high and 18 inches wide 

 is arranged under one of the windows for the birds to pass 

 through to the yards in front. It is placed close down to the 

 floor. A similar door is in the center of the back wall to admit 

 them to the rear yard when that is used. 



A light frame, made of i by 3 inch pine strips and i by 6 

 inch cross ties, is covered with 10 ounce white duck, and hinged 

 at the top of the front opening, which it covers when closed 

 down. This curtain is easily turned up into the room where it 

 is caught and held by swinging hooks until it is released. 



The roost platform is made tight and extends along the whole 

 length of the room against the back wall. It is 4 feet 10 inches 

 wide and 3 feet above the floor, high enough so that a person 

 can get under it comfortably when necessary to catch or handle 

 the birds. There are three roosts framed together in two 10 

 feet sections. They are one foot above the platform and hinged 

 to the back wall so they may be turned up out of the way when 

 the platform is being cleaned. The back roost is 12 inches from 

 the wall, and the spaces between the next two are 16 inches. 

 They are made of 2 by 3 inch spruce stuff, placed on edge, with 

 the upper corners rounded off. The roosting closet is shut off 

 from the rest of the room by curtains, similar to the one 

 described above. For convenience in handling, there are two of 

 them, each 10 feet long. They are 3 feet wide and are hinged 

 at the top so as to be turned out and hooked up. The space 

 above this curtain is ceiled up and in it are two openings each 3 



