THE FARM AND GARDEN 



She ©oulti^y yAi^D. 



As we have given some space on editorial page to 

 poultry, our readers mil excuse us for hamttq cut 

 this page down, 



BROILERS. 



Broilers are usually hatched under hens in 

 March for the earliest supply, but where the sea- 

 son is severe, the hens and broods must be kept 

 In a good warm location. It is useless to attempt 

 to rai.se broilers by leaving the chicks entirely to 

 the care of the hens. They will gradually drop 

 off one by one, until as many are left as the hen 

 can conveniently cover, and when the minimum 

 has been reached, the chicks will thrive. Chick.s 

 under hens demand as much care as those in 

 brooders, especially at this season, and unless 

 they receive it, at least one-half will perish. 



THE BEST BREEDS FOR COLD CLIMATES. 



i'U /'. 11. .hi,;,l,x. WuillU. III. 



FEEDING COOKED MATERIAL. 



The food for young chicks shovild always be 

 cooked, for if this is done there will be less liabil- 

 ity of bowel disease; but the adult stock should 

 have whole grains a portion of the time. By 

 cooking the food, one is better enabled to feed a 

 variety, as potatoes, turnips, beets, carrots, and 

 such like, can be utilized with advantage. All 

 such material a.s bran, middlings, corn meal, or 

 ground oats should at least be scalded, if not 

 cooked, which renders it more digestible and 

 more quickly benelicial. Where shells or lime 

 are not within reach, a substitute may be had by 

 stirring a spoonful of ground chalk in the food of 

 every six hens, l)Ut gravel must be provided 

 where this method is adojited. 



A DISPLAY OF MARKET POULTRY. 



i^w that the poultry shows are over, and the 

 jirogrammes for next season will l)e made, is it 

 not an excellent idea to comljine a display of 

 market poultry with that of the fancy breeds? 

 Farmers, as a class, take but little interest in 

 poultry shows, as they are usually conducted, for 

 the reason that no inducements are ofTered them 

 as premiums. Everything is sacrificed to 

 ** points,'' which should be encouraged, in order 

 to adhere to purity, but there is no reason why 

 market poultry should not be e.xliibited in con- 

 nection with the pure breeds. Farmers do not 

 understand the "points," and cannot compete 

 with breeders, as it is harder to breed a perfect 

 fowl in points, than to breed stock true ; but the 

 farmer knows what a good fat hen is, and what 

 broilers should be. There should be a display of 

 capons, crossed breeds, market chicks, dressed 

 carciisses, and even eggs. And when an excellent 

 market fowl is jiroduced by crossing, the manner 

 and cost of so doing should be given. Fairs 

 should be for the purpose of giving inst)metion, 

 and not for the honor of securing premiums only. 

 "We should endeavor to promote the poultry 

 interests in some other manner than in empty 

 competition for the mere fact of securing adver- 

 tising reputation. The poultrn interests and the 

 fancier's interests are two distinct matters, and 

 the true method of holding a poultry show is to 

 offer inducements to all who are interested. 



There is no one breed that suits all the different 

 climates of the United States, and therefore the 

 desire to secure a general purpose hen, like the 

 general purpose cow, is an impossibility. When 

 the snow is very deep, the hens must be kept in- 

 doors, and the active breeds, (which are the best 

 layer's), such as the Leghorns, Houdans and 

 Hamburgs, become restive, and are soon addicted 

 to vices, such as feather-pulling, egg-eating, etc. 



The hen best suited for a cold climate should 

 have a small comb, in order to avoid the frost, 

 should be well feathered, and easily kept in con- 

 ffnement. Nor is it best to use the pure breeds 

 exclusively, as they are bred, as a rule, too fine. 

 The beginner should rely on crosses for his pur- 

 pose, seeking to combine the good qualities of 

 several breeds in one. The hardiness of the 

 Plymouth Rocks, the heavy feathering of the 

 Cochins, tlie early maturity of the Leghorns, and 

 the small combs of the Brahuias andWyaudottes 

 should be secured; a:id at the same time there 

 must be retained yellow legs, skin, and good 

 laying qualities. The best foundation is the com- 

 mon fowl, for the reiison that it is always accli- 

 mated. The first thing to do is to increase the 

 size, which may be done by the use of a light 

 Brahma cock, which also implants the small pea 

 comb. A cross of the Rose-comb White Leghorn 

 will give early maturing qualities, and if the cross 

 is continued by the use of the Wyandotte, the 

 size is again larger and the comb small, with 

 plump bodies and golden yellow skin and legs. 

 Occasionally, for a change, a dash of the Pea- 

 comb Partridge Cochin may be used with advan- 

 tage ; but whenever a cross with the Cochin or 

 Plymouth Rock is made, it should be followed 

 with a Wyandotte, as one of the principal objects 

 should be to breed for small combs. 



One-fourth Leghorn blood is enough in any 

 cross, as the Leghorn blood predominates. .\ 

 half-bred Leghorn hen will have nearly as large 

 a comb, and be nearly as small in size, as a pure- 

 bred one, and in making crosses use the Leghorn 

 cock with hens of the larger breeds instead of the 

 other way. A good, heavy fluff' on a lien indi- 

 cates that she is well protected against cold, and 

 if the houses are warm and comfortable, the hens 

 well cared for, and made to scratch for all they 

 eat, there will be no difficulty about getting eggs 

 in winter. But to get eggs in winter, if tlie cli- 

 inalc is severe, there is no reliance to be placed 

 in Black Spanish, Hamburgs, Houdans or Polish. 

 Tin- Leghorns may lie partially excepted, but the 

 best are the Brahmas. Langshans, Cochins, Wy- 

 andot tes and Plymouth Rocks, the good qualities 

 of all of which may be combined, to a certain 

 e-xlent, by judici(jus crossing. 



HOW MANY EG GS WI LL A HEN LAY. 



We often read of hens that lay 2(H) eggs a year, 

 but such statements do more harm than good, 

 by inducing the inexperienced to believe such to 

 be a fact. Any one who is familiar at all with 

 poultry, knows that during the fall all hens 

 undergo the process of moulting, or shedding of 

 the feathers. This requires, usually, about three 

 months, or 100 days. As there are only 36.5 days 

 in a year, we have 26.5 days left after deducting 

 the moulting period. If a hen lays, regularly, an 

 egg every otlier day, she will lay Ify^ eggs, but, she 

 will probably lose three months more in hatching 

 out her broods, and even if she is a non-sitter, she 

 ■will take a resting spell. As moulting is a heavy 

 drain on the system, but few hens lay during 

 that process, though there are exceptions, and 

 where the number of eggs exceed one every two 

 days, it will be found that a coi-responding reduc- 

 tion occurs during .some period of the year. 

 ■While we admit that certain individual hens 

 have been known to lay as many .as L50, or even 

 175 eggs, in a year, such cases are rare, and if one 

 lias a flock of twenty hens, or more, he should be 

 satisfied if there is an average of 11X1 eggs a year 

 for the whole flock, or rather, nine dozen. Four 

 dozen out of the nine should realize thirty cents 

 per dozen, three dozen should bring about twenty 

 cents per dozen, and two dozen should realize 

 fifteen cents per dozen, in this .section, or an 

 average of about twenty-three cents. Of course 

 this calculation may be wrong, but it will convey 

 an idea of what may be expected. 



POULTRY SCRATCHINGS. 



Material for lirsx B.\TII8.— I>ry dirt is not 

 easily procuretl now, and the best sulpstitute is 

 finely-sifted coal ashes. Wood ashes should be 

 aA'oided, being injurious should the weatlier be 

 damp. 



The New York Show.— There were 10,000 birds, 

 including pigeons and wild fowl, at the Fanciers' 

 show in New York City last month. Thousands 

 of visitors were present from all parts of the 

 eountry- 



March Winds.— There is nothing like damp- 

 ness and cold winds for producing roup. See 

 that every crack in the poultry house is stopped 

 up. It is better to leave the door open than to 

 allow open crevic^es. 



<_;ooD Incub.\tors. — At the recent New York 

 sliow over fifty incubators were exliibited, and 

 nearl.v all were in sviecessful operation. The 

 time is fast ajpiiroacbing when sitting hens will 

 be entirely suiicrseded. 



Prolific Leghorns.- Mr. R. R. Lewis, of Ateo, 

 New Jersey, reports that he finds White Leg- 

 horns to be good winter layers. His flocks lay as 

 well now as in summer — due to go^>d (|uartcrs and 

 care in breeding. For years he has bred lor vigor, 

 and is a strong believer in the prolificacy of 

 Wliite Leghorns. 



Lining for Poultry Houses.— Tarred felt is 

 tlie best material. It can be easily tacked on the 

 inside, does not harbor rats or mice, and is 

 obno.xious to lice. The only objection to it is 

 that it renders the poultry house dark, but where 

 there is a good, lar^e window the advantages are 

 greatly in favor of its use. 



Scratching >I.\teriai,. — The hens should 

 always be provided with something within 

 which to scratch. Anything will answer, such as 



cut straw, chaff, sawdust, earth, w i aslies, or 



even s\Yeepings from buildings. Abo\ c all Ihings^ 

 keep the hens at work during confinement, as 

 they wilt remain in better health, and prove 

 tlieiiiselves more productive. 



A Safe Remedy.- The celebrated Paris dipthe- 

 ria remedy has been tried with success in eases 

 of roup in fowls. The method is to place the hen 

 in a box (such as a soap or candle box), and burn 

 wood, tar, and spirits of turpentine, equal parts, 

 until the box is ctmiplctely filled with the dense 

 black fumes arising from the combustion. .\s 

 the sick fowl inhales the smoke the nnicuous 

 matter is dissolved, and relief is immediate. It 

 is a simple remedy, and worth trying. 



Frozen nRoppiNGS — Tf the droppings arc not 

 removed daily the.^ -.ec-onie too hard, and (.1:3 

 larger the accumulation the greater the diffi- 

 culty of removal. Dry dirt should be sprinkled 

 und£r the roosts, but as it is not easily procured 

 at this season, land plaster, if dr,v and fine, may 

 be substituted, .\fter cleaning away the drop- 

 pings scatter plaster liberally over the floor, arui 

 under the roosts, and the labor of removal will be- 

 come an easy matter and quickly accomplished. 



I 



BAXES* Improved 



are the best. (> sizes.SlS 

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thpni Send fi»r (ii-jcriplivc circulars and teetmionials. 



JOSEPH I. BATKS A; CO., WKYMOUTH, MASS. 



NCUBAT0R8 



W. 0. DAKIN, Toledo, 0., " "^i"^'* 



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THE FERFECX 



HATCHER AND BROODER 



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INCUBATORS^ 



25 



YEARS IN THE 



POULTRY YARD. 



It.tii Edition. lOS Paries, explain- 

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Practical Poultry Boofe 



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Spring Chickens itixl BK.^i i.m i i>.vi'iiv \ ^ i. lii.. „ mr^j 

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incubators: 



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 103 North Second Street. Philadelphia, Pa. 



