88 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan., 



the upper part of the house and carry away any stagnant air 

 that may be caught in the top part of the building, above the 

 window or curtain. This is a very successful house, and 

 where you have even the smallest amount of cloth used as a 

 curtain in that way you will have an absolutely dry house. It 

 is not a cold house as perhaps some of you think. It is simply 

 cool. Hens do not need a warm house. It is a fact that at 

 about nine or ten o'clock I always open the door between the 

 two rooms, to warm the closed room. It is so much colder 

 than the open shed. To my mind, it is a very delightful ar- 

 rangement. 



Mr. Graham. Do you use warm or cold water? 



Mrs. Monroe. Well, you know that all women like to have 

 things handy. I have water the entire length of my house. 

 In this part of the house I have a little hallway and that gives 

 me a place there where I can keep ground bone, plaster, and 

 such things, and on this side of it I have a water-faucet so that 

 I can conduct water the entire length of my houses. In the 

 winter time that is, of course, turned off so as to prevent freez- 

 ing. I have water right there which comes from a spring. 

 That is warm enough. 



Question. What do you use for litter? 



Mrs. Monroe. I use straw because we raise it on the farm. 



Question. Rye straw? 



Mrs. Monroe. No; it is wheat straw or oat straw. We 

 raise some wheat but a good many oats, and, of course, we use 

 the straw. I will tell you what I do use, and that is clover. 

 I do not use much litter. That is not an economical way to 

 feed poultry, but where it is thrown down to cows it will col- 

 lect a surprising quantity of material that is all full of grass 

 seed and one thing and another, and that, I think, is a good 

 thing to put in the hen-house with a little litter. If I had to 

 buy anything I should go to the mill and get buckwheat hulls. 

 You can get them for carrying them away. There is a good 

 deal in them. 



