14 



THE FARM AND GARDEN. 



^OI^I^ESPONDBNGB. 



CROWTH AND COS T OF S PRrWG CHICKENS. 



WHAT THE EXPENSES ARE. 



We append below a letter from Mr. H. Blanch- 

 ard, Fresno Flats, Fresno Co., California, in which 

 he gives some figures in feeding to which we in- 

 vite attention : 



*'In answer to your article on Growth and Value 

 of three-months Birds, let me say right here that 

 the correspondent wlio wrote that article for the 

 Farji and Garden must have laid and hatched 

 his own chicks, and fed them on wind. 



Last year I kept 100 hens. I fed 2 tons barley, 

 840; 2 tons middlings, $40; 2 tons shorts, besides 

 Stuff from the garden, $40; total, $120. Sold -41X1 

 dozen eggs at 2.5 cents per dozen, 8100; set 4000 

 eggs, hatched 75 per cent.; lost in rearing 10 per 

 cent.; balance at 3 months old, S2600. Sold in San 

 Francisco at .30 cents per bird; commission and 

 freight off 5 per cent., 15 cents for raising, net 10 

 cents, or $2(10. You will notice that old hens paid 

 for their food for the year, leaving $260 as profit. 

 These fowls were confined, I used no incubator, 

 but kept 30 head of turkeys that hatched out 

 three broods without leaving the nest — 9 weelvs. 

 1 fed a fraction over one and one-fiftli pounds per 

 head, a day. Those, ?75, $100, and $1.50 prices be- 

 long to the middle-men, not to the producer." 



We think the above a good showing, and Mr. 

 Blanchard was correct in making incubators of 

 his turkeys. — Poultry Keeper. « 



Editor Farm and Garden : 



Mr. H. Blanchard, of California, in his letter 

 published in the Poultry Keeper^ probably refers 

 to me and my list of weights of growing chicks, 

 when he asserts " that the correspondent who 

 wrote th.at article for the Farm and Garden 

 must have laid and hatched his own chicks, and 

 fed them on wind." 



My list of weights, as well as the reported 

 amount of feed, being ascertained by me per.son- 

 ally and with great care, given in one of the is- 

 sues of Farm and Garden, were doubtless cor- 

 rect, and I fail to see anytliing very remarkable 

 about them. 



I know very well how to make my hens do the 

 laying at the very trifling cost of one-half cent 

 per egg, but if I could not coax them to lay more 

 than cighty-cigl)t eggs a piece per annum, like 

 Mr, B., I would be tempted to qviit the business, 

 or have him teach me how to do my own laying. 



The hatching part, also, was consigned to the 

 faithful hens, who deserved and needed a resting 

 spell. The incubation and rearing of the chicks, 

 therefore, was not connected with any loss or 

 great expense. 



The chicks, if I remember rightly, were weigh- 

 ing about two pounds when two months old, and 

 worth at the time not less than fifty cents a piece 

 In the Philadelphia market. The tot.al amount 

 of feed given them (three times .a day, all they 

 would eat) was certainly small enough, but I 

 have no means of knowing how much they 

 picked up on their hunting expeditions over an 

 unlimited range. 



I still hold that the farmer— and particularly 

 In the more Southern states— has all the facilities 

 for producing spring chickens In reasonable 

 numbers (hatched and reared with hens) without 

 much trouble and expense, and at a time when 

 they command very paying prices in the city 

 markets. Let him teach his children how to do 

 It, and give them a share in the proceeds. He 

 Will soon see gratifying results. Joseph. 



4" 



Ella Wilson, of Pettis County, Mo., a little girl 

 10 years of age, sends us a well written letter, and 

 a club of 30 subscribers. This is the kind of a 

 young lady we like. We wish we had more of 

 them. Young ladies do not let her beat you. We 

 have room for more, and shall always be glad to 

 hear from our young friends. 



J. R. Walthour, Jackson, Tennessee, asks for 

 the best cement for cisterns, cost, and how to use 

 It, proportion of sand, etc. Answer— The English 

 Portland cement is best, but that of Rome & Ro- 

 sendale. New York, is nearly as good, and much 

 cheaper. The cost varies with the freight. In 

 New York it is very low, but is increased by the 

 freight when transported to remote points. We 

 gave full particulars for use in February number. 



A subscriber, Marthaville, La., asks: Can mar 

 chinery suitable for mill for ginning cotton be 

 purchased on time? Answer — We think it can. 

 If good security is given. It would be better to 

 get a man with capital to set up a gin near you, 

 and give him all the cotton in your vicinitv. 



G. W. Stein, M. D., Alhambra Springs, Mon- 

 tana, asks where to get the genuine Wealthy 

 apple. Answer : Write to Peter M. Gideon, Ex- 

 celsior, Minn,, who is the originator of the apple. 



E. R. Pennington, Baskingridge, N. J., asks, 

 will White Leghorns and Plymouth Rocks make 

 a good cross for market and winter layers? An- 

 swer : We prefer White Leghorns crossed on 

 Light Brahmas. They make a larger fowl for 

 market, mature early, and are also fine layers. 

 The cross with the Plymouth Rocks we do not 

 think will be as profitable as the one we recom- 

 mend. 



A subscriber from Butler County, Pa., says the 

 recipe we gave for the condition powder on page 

 13 of February number, contains too much anti- 

 mony. She is told by her druggist that there is 

 enough black antimony in it to kill twenty coWs. 

 The Farm and Garden is right and the drug- 

 gist wrong. The condition powder we gave the 

 recipe for was a tablespoonful at a dose, which is 

 safe and valuable. Subscriber can always de- 

 pend on the Farm and Garden being right. 



-I- 



A. Booth, Boston, Erie Co., N. Y., asks for a 

 little light on the Le Conte Pear, Russian Apri- 

 cot, and Russian Mulberry. Answer : We gave a 

 description of Le Conte pear in February num- 

 ber. The Russian apricot, we fear, has need of a 

 further trial before we can recommend it. The 

 Russian mulberry is valuable only for a very 

 cold climate where our native kinds will not 

 grow. ^ 



Subscriber, no State,- a.sks what will make an 

 apple tree bear that blooms very profusely every 

 spring, but wlicn the .apples are as large as peas, 

 they fall off. Answer: It often happens in young 

 trees that the rapid growth of wood takes the 

 s.ap from the fruit, and being deprived of nour- 

 ishment, dies and falls otl". When this is the 

 case, it will in time produce, and when once in 

 bearing, will be checked in growth and will be 

 productive. But if it arises from the tree being 

 a worthless bearer naturally. It will never be of 

 any value, and will not produce. If the tree is of 

 the latter class we should lop-grait it to a good- 

 bearing variety. We have no patience with a 

 poor-bearing tree, we always dig up or top-graft 

 them. J, 



LONG CUTTINGS OF GRAPES. 



A few years ago I planted a lotof gr.ape cuttings 

 about a yard long. I dug holes one foot deep and 

 one and one-half feet across, put surface soil in 

 the bottom of the holes, and then curling round 

 the cuttings in the.se holes, brought the tops of 

 the cuttings to the surface, filling the holes with 

 good soil. They grew about four feet the first 

 year, and blos,somed the second year. 1 have a 

 number of those vines now bearing regularly 

 and doing well. The short cuttings failed at the 

 same time. W. W. MEECH, Vineland, X. J. 



J. W. Ferguson, Langwortliy, la., asks how to 

 sow mulberry seed. Answer: .Sow in a warm 

 place ; cover lightly, and when started keep them 

 well watered and shaded from the hot sun. Plant 

 in a well drained place, where the water does 

 not stand. In winter it is best to jjrotect them 

 while very young ; they will soon be very hardy. 

 We have never heard of a case of twin colts like 

 yours. ^ 



T. E. Bondenot, Davenport, la., asks how to 

 get land into grass and meadow early and profits 

 ably. Answer : Manure heavy with staljle ma- 

 nure at once, and in spring sow oats, with one 

 bushel of clover and one of timothy to six acres, 

 and roll hard. We believe in heavy seeding to 

 grass. There are so many causes for failure- in 

 grass making, we are always inclined to seed 

 heavy, even more than we have recommended. 



4- 

 Charles R. Glassen, Sylvania, O., asks who 

 makes hand threshing machines. Who can tell 

 him? ^ 



E. D. E. Long, Pine, Neb., asks: l.-For best 

 varieties of grapes, raspberries and blackberries 

 for Nebraska. 2. -The modes of root grafting. 

 :?.-\Vhich is the best incubator. Answer: l.-rThe 

 American Pomological Society gives two stars, 

 the highest recommendation, to the Concord, 

 and Delaware, and one star for Catawba, Clinton, 

 Crevling, Diana. Geothe, Hartford, lona, Isabella, 

 Ives, Martha, Norton's Virginia, and Salem for 

 Nebraska. Raspberries, two stars for McCormick, 

 one star lor Franconia, Gregg, Hudson River, 

 -•Vntwerp, and Philadelphia. Blackberries, two 

 stars for Snyder, and one star for Kittatinny and 

 Wilson's Early. Nebraska is a large state, and 

 there is a difference of climate in different sec- 

 tions. Look well to see if you are making a 

 selection just suited to your locality. 2.-Answered 

 in the .-Vpril number. 3.-Hard to tell. Some 

 fail with any of them ; some succeed with all. 

 It is more with the person's skill who uses them 

 than with tlie incubator. .\11 require care and 

 at tent ion, and also experience to prove successful, 



John Stepshon, Lancaster, Pa., asks how to 

 drive away or catch hawlcs. Answer : We prefer 

 to catch them, which is easily done by setting a 

 post in any part of the farm where hawks are 

 mo.st likely to watch for birds. There are always 

 sudi places on the farm where they are sure to 

 frequent more than others. Fi.x upon the top of 

 the post a common steel-trap, using no bait, and 

 the hawks will settle on the trap and be caught. 

 We have caught in one trap set on a post, six by 

 six inches stjuare and about eight feet high, over 

 seventy-five hawks in the last three years, and thfe 

 post is still doing duty. .Set your post and trap 

 along some fence In a secluded part of the farm, 

 and begin a regular hawk crusade. 



LANDRETHS' ? 



-i-lARE THE BEST. 



NORTH, SOUTH, EAST, or WEST. 



Evprythint; of thp bent. Sercls ami Implements for 

 Farm, Garden* or i'onntry Seat. Send for Lan- 

 dreths' Rural Reci^ifi' Almanac uii'l Dpscripllvp Cata- 

 lo^ie, free. Ovpf 15<^^ aores ntTli-r ciUiivation crowing 

 Laudreths' Garden Seeds. Fonntleil 17S4. 



D. LANDRETH & SONS, 



21 and 23 South Sixth St.. and 



Delaware Avenue and Arch St, 



FARMS °¥i 



on James Rivrh. Va., in a Northern 

 ent. llliiNlrateil circular FREE. 

 MAPiCUA. Claremout, Va. 



AGENTS WANTED 



FOR OUR NE\V BOOK 



HEROES OFiHE BIBLE 



With iTitrinal artirlpB from Leadinf/ Dninea 

 of th'- dav Nparly SO<» paRes. 20 fnlU 

 pase emrravinjcs. JCj-<ri'ixiif ifmior', -nxtran- 

 (•'ff Kxtra InuiieenieiitM oflereil cii-rkretic 

 Ae-entH. AddreP8 A. .1. IIOI,.>IAN vV t'O.. 

 1232 AKtH STREET. IMiiladelpliia, Pa. 



GRAIN 



STOCK AND FRUIT FARMS 



Elevator, Warehouse, 



In uue iif Ural Urain CtHrrf in Ceulrul nhjo 

 Caulogue, write lo BUOU'X A: WEST, 



and Coal Trade. 



F.T i.:.rliciilars ;in 

 iclletuuiaiue, Obio, 



OHE MILE SIGNAL WHISTLE. r„=:i'i„'^?AT,^^K 



th 's. Invaliialile as a sicnnl on the tarm or over the 

 water. Exact size of a 5U-c;ilibrp centre-fire cartridge; 

 brass, with nicUel buHet. Farmer.**, siiortsinen, and 

 plen»ure-seekers should have it. Tne loiiclest and 

 moHt piereingly shrill whistle made. Sent by 

 mail, post-paid, with our cataluKue f>f ijuns. for only '25c. 

 in stamps. Address. RENNIE. ALLSON & CO., Philad'a. Pa. 



A. $15,000 FIRE 



Would lia\'' hi'pn chrnnirled had it not been for the use 

 of .■* of Lewis' Combination Force Pumps, which happened to 

 be in the miuiediaie viciniiy. For a description of said 

 fire, and the saving of many other buildings by the use 

 of tbe above pump, send for my Uluttrated CatalOQue, I 

 have agents all over the U. S. wlui are making $iu to $2.5 

 per dav selling these pumps. I give their name and ad- 

 dress in culaloEUP, To infrodiicf it J icilt .friK/ a satnpl^ 

 pnitip. frprr.<!t paiii. (n din/ rn-rrss station in the U. S. /or 



$5.50. The pump has aliachments lor making 3 complete and 

 distinct machines, is made of brass, will throw a good stream of 

 water 50 to 60 feel, and retails for only S6. Agents wanted 

 pvprvwherp. Send at once for price-list and terms. 

 Every house should he provided with one of these 

 pumps. Address 1*. C. LEWIS, CATSKILL, N. Y. 



FINE GROUND LAND PLASTER, 



ALSO 



KAINIT-^gVkTJSALT 



^ F«K FERTILIZIXfi PURPOSES. 



Our copyrighted pamphlet on "Kalnlt. how to Ui»e It, etc.," 

 mailed free to .inv adilr.j-i=i. on apjili.-ntion to u^. S A LT— AH va- 

 rieties for Butter snd Table iiwe coostantlv on hand, for ,=ali; io 

 lots to I ALEX. KERK, BKO. A CO.. (Estithilshed 1849) 

 Huit. I PIvr »f North Wharves, PfaUad'o, Pa. 



