6 



back of the nest is made in two pieces. The upper part is fastened 

 to the lower board by spring hinges, which enables one in collecting 

 eggs to reach the nest c mveniently ; and the spring hinges make the 

 top board fly back into place. Against the inside division between the 

 hen-houses proper, a 12 inch board extends on the level of the drop- 

 ping board to within 12 inches of the door, and an upright 12 inch 

 boari is fastened to the end of this and runs up to the ceiling. To 

 correspond with it, a board is placed against the opposite wall, and a 

 cotton curtain on a two inch roller is fastened to the ceillin^. This 

 curtain is shown by the dotted lines across pens in Fig. 4 and at x in 

 Fig. 1 When this curtain is down it comes to the bottom of the two 

 last mentioned upright boards that is to about 2 inches below the 

 level ot the dropping board. The purpose of this curtain is to pro- 

 tect the fowls on very cold nights. Mr. Baldwin has found that it is 

 not necessary to use it when the pens contain over 15 birds ; but if 

 the number is reduced, and the thermometer drops to the neighbor- 

 hood of zero, it is well to let it down. 



Plenty of Light 



The windows in front of the hen-houses proper are each three 

 feet wide and two feet 6 inches high, containing 6 panes, 10x12 

 inches each. The windows are placed high in the front wall and 

 slide to the right and left. The windows being placed high up, the 

 sun in winter, when it is low in the heavens, shines on to the roost 

 and dropping board. The door between the hen-houses proper, which 

 is also a foot above the level of the sills, is a simple door of 7x8 inch 

 stuff, the upper half being made of wire netting. The front of each 

 scratching shed is divided in two by the centre studding, on each side 

 of which there are cotton screens hinged at the top, and reaching 

 down to within one foot of the top o^' the sill ; and, when down, close 

 upon top of a rainboard which slopes to the outside, so that rain beat- 

 ing against the cotton screen is carried outside ; and this keeps the 

 interior dry. These screens swing up to the roof, and are there canoht 

 by hooks from the rafters. The front of each scratchirg-shed is closed 

 with two-inch mesh wire netting. (One-inch mesh should have 

 been used to keep out the sparrows, which now get in and run off with 

 a lot of grain). An eaves-trough runs the length of the building, 

 distributing the water east and west. Drinking fountains are placed 

 on the end of the board that runs out from the dropping board ; and 

 on the wall opposite thereto the boxes for grit and oyster shells are 

 hung. 



Sanitary Precautions. 



The interior of the hen-houses and the scratching-sheds is filled 

 with sand to the level of the top of the sill ; and on top of this a 



