84 BOARD Df agriculture. [Jan., 



That is the essential thing, in my opinion. I do not care what 

 kind of a floor it has, or how high it is in front or behind, nor 

 on the side, or what it is made of, but I do not want any drafts, 

 and to prevent drafts and yet at the same time procure a good 

 circulation of pure air, a muslin curtain on your house is 

 a wonderful help. A number of years ago I read about a 

 muslin curtain. I think the first person whom I knew to try 

 it was Mr. A. S. Hunter. He is an eastern man. I read 

 about Mr. Hunter's house, and made up my mind that I would 

 try one of those houses for I had become convinced that the 

 old-style houses were defective. I had tried some of the other 

 methods of building. Some of those houses cost more money 

 than you can imagine, great long houses with beautiful floors, 

 with ceilings and paper between the inside ceiling and the 

 clapboards on the outside, with stone walls under the building, 

 and everything else w'hich prevents good ventilation and the 

 circulation of pure air. Under the old method many of those 

 houses were overcrowded. How long do you suppose it took 

 the fowls in such a house as that to use up that air and then 

 get cold? How long do you suppose it was after that inside 

 sweating process commenced before your house was in a 

 condition to produce disease? The breath of the birds during 

 the day would fall and settle on the walls and at night it 

 would freeze. The next day a little warmth would set in 

 perhaps, causing that frozen breath to drizzle and throw off 

 vapor. The result was the interior became damp and un- 

 healthy. I commenced to build my style of a house about ten 

 years ago, and have used that house ever since. Now it is 

 about the only kind that is used in my section. If you are 

 going to be successful with fowls all of these points must be 

 studied. I suppose you must be guided, to some extent, as 

 to the character of your house, by the climate, or your location. 

 My husband did not care anything about chickens. He is 

 interested in them simply because, he says they keep me good- 

 natured, and he furnishes the food. He is my legal adviser. 



