66 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan., 



Question. Do you have any trouble in keeping your eggs 

 clean in pursuing your method of keeping? 



Mr. Almy. I never have had any particular trouble from 

 that. Of course, being situated on a low wet soil, in wet 

 weather, our eggs are more or less dirty, although this dry 

 sand counteracts that to a considerable extent. As long as you 

 can keep it dry in the house, they do not get the eggs so badly 

 soiled. 



Question. How do you arrange for nests ? What do you 

 use for nests? 



Mr. Almy. I do not know as I understand just. exactly 

 what you mean. 



Question. What kind of a box do you use for nests? 



Mr, Almy. We usually use a string of nests ; that is, a 

 board that is divided by six or eight or ten partitions, as the 

 case may be, nailed upon a lower board, and then with a back 

 and a top, and with a narrow strip in front, leaving the front 

 open for the hens to enter the string of nests. We place them 

 at one end of the house or on one side of the house. 



Question. What do you do to prevent vermin and lice? 



Mr. Almy. Well, I have had this season five dififerent 

 pickers dressing my poultry, and there has not been one of the 

 five that has found a louse on ary chic-ken that they have han- 

 dled this season. 



Mr. Graham. I examined this plant on the 20th of July, 

 and we examined sitting hens by the score, and if they were 

 having any trouble from that source we could not find it. 



Mr. Almy. I will tell you what we do. When a hen is 

 set, after the eggs have been put under the hen for four or 

 five days, we powder her with Persian insect powder, and 

 then three or four days before the chicks are hatched we put 

 the powder on again. After the chicks are out we powder 

 well, and we also oil the hen very cautiously under the wing. 

 Then in about ten days, from a week to ten days, we go around 

 just at night, just as the chicks are going under the hen, take 



