THE FARM AND GARDEN. 



9 



©HE gOULiFI^Y ^AI^D. 



(EMBODYING RESULTS OF ACTI'AL EXPKKIENCE.) 



PATTEN THE PO'WLS FOB MARKET. 



A great many farmers wlio have large flocks, 

 are in the haint ot holding on to the extra fowls 

 until Cliristmits, as the prices are then good. 

 They will find it a great advantage to coop them 

 up for ten days before selling. Turkeys fatten 

 very rapidly when cooped, but after they reach 

 a certain stage, they begin to decline, and fall off 

 in weight. This is due to the fact that they begin 

 to worry and fret from the confinement- To fat- 

 ten them, therefore, the work should be done 

 quickly. It is muclx better to feed them a little 

 at a time, five or six times a day, than to feed 

 them full meals two or three times, the object 

 being to induce them to eat as much as possible. 

 This? can be done by giving them a mixture of 

 ground oats and corn meal, warmed with hot 

 water, early in the morning. Then mashed 

 potatoes or turnips^ thickened with bran or shi|> 

 stuff. Cooked clover hay, mixed with corn meal 

 should follow, and milk, to which a little rice or 

 beans has been added, should constitute one feed- 

 ing. At night, give them a full meal, as much 

 as they will eat, of wheat and corn. Keep plenty 

 of gravel, charcoal, and clean water in the coop, 

 and keep it clean and warm. A turkey fattened 

 in that manner, will be all that can lie desired in 

 ten days, and the flesh will be tender and the 

 carcass plump, bringing a good price for quality 

 and increasing in value from the extra weight. 

 Coop each turkey alone. 



Hens may be cooped in lots of three or four, 

 and may be fed the same way, only they may be 

 allowed two weeks instead of ten days. Never 

 put cocks and hens together when being fatted. 

 When about to kill them, omit the night meal, 

 and feed nothing until after fhey are killed, 

 except to give a little milk to drink. Duriner 

 the time they are cooped the meals should be fed 

 warm, and a pinch or red pepper and salt should 

 be given at least once a day. Pick them while 

 the bodies are warm, throwing the carcass in 

 cold water as soon as picked. For family use, 

 scald the fowls, which is the easiest and cleanest 

 method. 



"WATER- PROOF RUNS FOR CHICKS. 



In winter there is always diffieulty in securing 

 warm, dry runs for early hatched chicks. Glass 

 is too expensive, besides, it is not everj' one who 

 understands glazing. A cheap substitute may be 

 used instead of glass in the ,sha]>e of muslin. For 

 twenty-five young chicks, make a run four feet 

 wide and twelve feet long, by nailing laths to 

 upright strips. Now tack the prepared muslin 

 all around the sides of the yards, in order to 

 shield the chicks from the winds. The yards 

 may be as deep as preferred, but sliouM be high 

 enough to allow the attendant to move about in 

 the yard. Make a top for the yard, of lath, 

 nailed by the ends to two running strips, and 

 cover it with prepared muslin. Do not nail the 

 top on, but place it &o that it may be removed 

 whenever desired. The yard will then be pro- 

 tected on the top and sides, and the heat of the 

 sun can enter, while hawks, cats, and rain are 

 prevented. 



To make the )>repared muslin, soak muslin 

 (bleached or unbleached), in afStrong solution of 

 soap for twenty-f<'ur liours. Then hang it in the 

 shade to dry. withont wringing. When dry, 

 soak it in a stPHig solution of alum, and allow to 

 dry without wringing, as before. The muslin will 

 then be water-proof. To stiflen the muslin, and 

 render it still better, brush it over with a mixture 

 of fresh blood and lime, or lime and wh[te of 

 eggs. Milk and Urn i is also excellent. Muslin 

 so prepared will make a light and warm run, and 

 can be prepared with very little expense. 



into tlie scratching heap, and make them work 

 tor the balance of their meal. Feed nothing but 

 what they will have to wot^k for. At night feed 

 them all they will eat. The object is to keep the 

 hens busy during the day, but let them go on the 

 roost full. Hens that are compelled to work will 

 lay better, and keep in good health, while the 

 eggs will produce stronger chicks. They should 

 always have a warm mess early in the morning, 

 especially in the winter, but the meal should be 

 so given as to leave them somewhat hungry. Do 

 not feed them at noon, except by putting their 

 food in the scratching heap, and never give soft 

 food in the scratching heap. In other words, 

 keep them scratching tor oats, wheat, seeds, and 

 even for ground shells. Give no corn except at 

 night, and give them their nights meal without 

 making them scratch for it. 



TO MAKE HENS LAT IN WINTER. 



We often receive letters from our readers stat- 

 ing that they provide their fowls with warm 

 quarters, and feed regularly and on a variety, 

 but, yet they get no eggs. Such cases are numer- 

 ous, and we will endeavor to point out a remedy 

 for the difficulty. We well know that if we keep 

 a horse in a stable, and feed him well, tiiat he 

 becomes restless and unhappy, and in order to 

 keep him in good health he must be exercised. 

 With fowls, the winter prevents foraging, and 

 our kind readers go to the coops in the morning 

 and give the hens a heavy good feeding. The 

 hens, beinsjfuU, are satisfied, and have no induce- 

 ment to ramble, consequently, do not take any 

 exercise, and become too fat. The better ]>lan 

 U to get some chaff, cut straw, leaves, or even 

 dirt, and place it where the hens can scratch in 

 it. In the morniuir tri ve the hens a mess of warm 

 lood, but onh/ a littlr. Now throw some grain 



POULTRY FOR E»>GS. 



We will say nothing in this article about the 

 advantages of hatching chicks, as we wish to 

 give a few hints to those who wish to keep hens 

 for eggs only. The best breed is the White Leg- 

 horn, and they should be hatched in March, if 

 possible, and pushed in growth. They will begin 

 to lay in August, and with good management 

 will lay all through the winter. Another plan is 

 to hatch them in August or September, allowing 

 them to grow during the \vinter. They will 

 begin to lay in February and continue laying 

 until the next August, when they may be sold. 

 Such hens, of course, only produce eggs when 

 eggs are cheap, i»ut a careful manager will keep 

 no cocks, but pack his eggs away for high prices. 

 Eggs from hens that are not in company of cocks 

 will keep twice as long as those that are fertile. 

 To prove this we will state that when such eggs 

 are placed in an incubator, and subjected to a 

 heat of 103° for two or three weeks, tliey often 

 are taken out in a sound condition, wliile fertile 

 eggs cannot endure such heat at all without 

 change. To keep such eggs, pack them end 

 downwards in a barrel, placing a layer of wood- 

 ashes (finely sifted), on the bottom of the barrel, 

 then a layer of eggs {no eggs touching each 

 other), and so on, until the barrel is full, filling 

 all the spaces between the eggs with ashes. Pack 

 and press the eggs, head up the barrel, lay it on 

 its side, and roll it half round every day, and the 

 eggs will keep nearly, if not quite, a year. 



POtrtiTRY POWDER. 



One of our readers inquires for the more 

 expensive Condition Pnwderfor chicks mentioned 

 in a past number. Well, here it is: Gnmndsafl- 

 on, 1 pound; ground meat, 5 pounds; ground 

 bone, 2 pounds; ground linseed cake, 2 pounds; 

 ground oats (parched), 3 pounds; ground char- 

 coal, 2 pounds; ground fenugreek, 1 pound; 

 sulphur, \ pound; salt, i pound; carbonate of 

 iron, 2 pounds ; hyposulphite of soda, 1 pound — 

 2U pounds. Give a teaspoonful in the soft food 

 in the morning to each hen daily. The saffron, 

 meat, and fenugreek are the most costly items. 



POULTRY SCRATCHINGS. 



Frostep Combs.— Try stTui prevent this, as the hens 

 will not lay until the injured member is healed. 



Hay Seed.— This is cheap, and is often given away. 

 It is not only an excellent food for a change, but just the 

 thing tor young chicks. 



Periods of Incubation.— Three weeks are required 

 for incubation of the eggs of a hen, and four weeks for 

 those of the turkey, goose, duck, and guinea. 



WrNTEB Intbudeks.— This is the season when the 

 minks and hawks are unusually hinigry, and every pre- 

 caution should be taken to prevent damage fiom them. 

 Should a pair of minks effect an entrance m the poultrj- 

 house they will not leave until they have killed all. 



ScccEssFUL Manaoement.— Twelve hens will lay 

 more eggs, in proportion to nurahers, than 100, for the 

 reason that the smaller number have more room and a 

 greater variety. To keep more than twelve requires 

 that the flock be divided, in order to prevent crowding 

 and competition. 



Bantam Ducks.— It is often desirable to keep Ban- 

 tams, and in connection with them. Bantam Ducks. 

 The Grey and White Call Ducks are the Bantams of the 

 clnck family and are very attractive and pretty. They 

 derive their name from the fact iliat they were at times 

 used to decoy or call wild ducks within the reach oi 

 the sportsman. 



JroQiNoPouLTRY attheFairs.— It wou.d beagood 

 plan to have an expert to act as judge at the State and 

 county fairs instead of leaving the awarding of prizes to 

 a committee who give the premiimis for size only. The 

 form, condition, color, marks, and peculiar character- 

 istics, whicli are very important, are seldom considered 

 except when an expert is selected to do the work. 



Something to be Phovided.— During this month the 

 ground may be covered with snow, or be hard and frozen. 

 Something else is required, therefore, besides food, which 

 is gravel, or ground shells. Fowls will find such articles 

 as ground bone, charcoal, coal or wood ashes, all service- 

 able, and will thrive all the belter from being provided 

 with such. 



Meat in Winter.— A small piece of beef, or liver, 

 boiled to pieces in a large quantity of water, and thick- 

 ened with ground oats and corn meal, is a cheap mode 

 of supplying animal food during this season, as a small 

 piece of meat will provide a large quantity ot such food. 

 A pint of fresh bullock's blood will improve the mess, 

 and such additions as potatoes or turnips will be of valu- 

 able assistance. 



Pigeons,— Pigeons are not troublesome, and afford 

 much interest to those who have the time to attend to 

 them properly. The fancy kinds, such as pouters, tum- 

 blers, fantails, barbs, owls, and carriers, may he kept in 

 the^ame loft, but they must be mated first. This is done 

 by confining a pair together, away from the others. 

 After the pigeons are all mated, no danger will arise of 

 distinct breeds mixing. 



The French Breeds.— Every attempt to introduce 

 the French breeds, with one exception, in this country, 

 has failed. The Crevecours and La Fleche do not with- 

 stand our climate. The Houdans are hardy, however, 

 bm no heavily-crested fowls are safe from roup, as the 

 wet weather causes the crests to become water-soaked. 

 The best use to which the Houdan can be put is to cross 

 the males with large Asiatic hens, for which purpose 

 the breed is unexcelled. 



DoMiNiCK-s and Plymouth Rocks.— These two breeds 

 are very similar in plumage, but the Plymrtulh Bock is 

 much larger. Tlie Dominick. however, has the advan- 

 tage of a rose comb. In using the breeds for crossing on 

 common fowls, the Plymouth Rock is better where 

 market chicks are desired, hut, the Dominick is belter if 

 early pullets are to be produced, as it, being smaller, 

 matures early. A cross of the Dominick and Wyandotte 

 is a good one, and produces hens that do not have frosted 

 combs in winter. 



Whitewash in Winter.— There maybe lice present 

 in wmler as well as summer, and no limit should be 

 placed on the amount of whitewash used. But we have 

 another reason for recommending whitewash at this 

 season, which is, that it renders the inside of a poultry 

 house light and cheerful. The hens prefer-to remain 

 outside in preference to the inside, if the house is gloomy. 

 They love the light, and will endure cold rather than 

 darkness. A good whitewashing brightens up the inter- 

 ior and promotes cleanliness. 



Ventilatixg a Poi-ltry House.— One-half of the 

 appliances for ventilating poultry houses in winter are 

 useless. An opening at the top simply lets in the cold 

 air and keeps the house cold. Foul air in winter falls to 

 the floor, being chilled as it is created. The safest and 

 best method is to use a large roomy house with no cracks 

 or openings of any kind. In the daytime keep the door 

 open, and at night shut the house up close. If it is clean 

 no danger will arise from having the fowls shut up for a 

 few hours. The difficulty in winter is to keep the cold 

 out^not to let it in. 



Eggs From Fancy Breeds.— A good many persons 

 are opposed to paying from ?.3.00 to ^5.00 for eggs. Now, 

 friends, it is not the tggs that you buy, but the breed. 

 Take a flock of twenty turkeys, and suppose they aver- 

 age flfteen pounds each, at fifteen cents a pound. We 

 consequently have 300 pounds of meat, worth $-1.5.00. 

 Now introduce Bronze gobblers, and each turkey next 

 year will weigh from five to ten pounds more, and if con- 

 tinued until the turkeys are three-quarters Bronze, the 

 weight of each member of the flock will be from thirty 

 to forty pounds. It requires no calculation to show the 

 profitableness of the original outlay for eggs. 



Number OF Eggs from Different Kinds.— A hen 

 will lay, on an average, about nine dozen eggs in a year, 

 and perhaps hatch two broods, though some hens have 

 been known to lay as many as fifteen dozen. A turkey 

 seldom, lays over two dozen eggs, a goose three dozen, a 

 duck eight dozen, and a guinea eight dozen. These fig- 

 ures are not exact however. We have known flocks of 

 geese to only average twenty eggs, thougli individuals 

 have laid as many as forty. A flock of turkeys often 

 will not average twenty, but hens may be induced to 

 lay more by taking away the eggs. Guineas are prolific, 

 and il deprived of their eggs, sometimes e.xcel the hens. 

 A duck will lay anywhere from flrty to one hundred 

 eggs. 



INCUBATORS .f.-«v.^ir4e,s 



■ triiil. ('. W. Saviilee, 2524 Hunllngilllq St., PI 



100 



sizes. 



Pbila. 



