REPORT OF MR. THOMAS A. SHARPE 403 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



present there are three sows and one boar of the Berkshire breed, and four sows and 

 a boar of the Yorkshii-e; all thrifty, fine animals. 



HOUSES. 



Since my last report, one of the old horses has died, and one young horse also 

 died, from inflammation of the bowels. A fine young team was bought last spring 

 and another this autumn; all these are horses averaging about fifteen hundred lbs., 

 and are very serviceable animals. A useful mare was also bought, weighing about 

 1,200 lbs., for a general purpose animal. 



BEES. 



Two swarms of bees died last winter which left five swarms when spring opened. 

 These were hived during May and early June and all of these are apparently strong 

 and well furnished "with stores for the winter. 



MOUNTAIN ORCHAEDS. 



* 



The mountain orchards have been injured a good deal by wild animals, and some 

 of the fruit has been taken off by bears and racoons. All the orchards bore some fruit 

 this year, and some of the finest specimens we had were from, trees over 800 feet above 

 the level of the valley. 



EOREST AND NUT TEEES. 



The nut and forest timber trees planted in the forestry plantation continue to 

 make satisfactory growth, and many of those on the mountains while not growing so 

 rapidly as in the cultivated lands in the valley, are making fair progress. 



POULTEY. • 



The breeds kept this year on the farm were B. P. Eocks, Buff Orpingtons, ^lack 

 Minorcas, White "Wyandottes, Light Brahmas and S. C. Brown Leghorns. 



The Leghorns laid the largest number of eggs. The Black Minorcas came next in 

 number, but their eggs being so much larger, the balance of weight of eggs was in 

 their favour. Of the heavier breeds the White Wyandottes are the best layers, B. P. 

 Eocks the next, Buff Orpingtons and Brahmas are about equal. As table fowls the 

 White Wyandottes mature the earliest. B. P. Eocks and Buff Orpingtons are larger 

 at maturity, whereas the Brahmas, although taking a little longer to mature than any 

 of the others, attain a larger size than any of the other breeds which we have. 



One advantage which the Black Minorcas and Leghorns have over the heavier 

 breeds in this wet climate is, that thqir feathers lie closer to their bodies and shed the 

 rain better than some of the heavier fowls. The White Wyandottes of the heavier 

 breeds come next in this respect. 



The hens are kept in. their breeding pens — which have a yard attached to each — 

 from January 1 to July 1. During the rest of the year they are at large. 



There has been no disease among tlie poultry this year, except a few cases of rheu- 

 m,atism owing to the wet weather, but wte are very much troubled by crows, hawks and 

 skunks which carry off a good many chickens even when they are well grown. 



This year the chickens were hatched and reared by hens. The percentage hatched 

 ■and raised has been about the same as was had by the use of an incubator and brooder 

 in previous years. The advantage in the use of an incubator and brooder is in early 

 chickens and a large number of chickens raised at one time. 



The poultry were fed mixed grain — \ wheat, ^ oats, ^ pease, and in the autumn, 

 sunflower seeds. During the coldest weather in winter they get once a day boiled roots 

 mashed and mixed with a little chop of any kind on hand, and a cabbage head or some 

 vegetable always before them. 



16— 26i 



