245 



or manure. The top and siMes of the bed should then be covered 

 with a layer of about half an inch of light loamy soil, in a fairly 

 moist condition and lightly pressed down, ^^'hen the surface 

 becomes dry, light waterings should be given. 



^^'ithin a few weeks of the last operation, the mushrooms 

 should appear, and should continue to yield for two or three 

 months. The watering of the bed is usually done with liquid 

 manure, or water containing some nitrogenous fertilizer, such as 

 nitrate of soda. The temperature of the liquid should be be- 

 tween /O and 86 degrees Fahr. 



Beds made in open places that are exposed to changes of tem- 

 perature need to be covered with straw. — X. S. JJ\ .Ignciiltiiral 

 Gazette. 



EXPERIENCES WITH POULTRY. 



Arthur E. Bic.^t, X. S. W. 



I have come to the conclusion that poultry, run in connection 

 with an orchard, is a very good side line, amply paying for itself 

 and leaving a small margin to spare. Besides reaping an egg 

 crop, you have, or should have, from 'every twenty-five head of 

 fowls 2 cwt. of manure per month, which in twelve months is a 

 considerable help with young trees, seeing that with two-year-old 

 trees about four shovelfuls of manure is a good supply. 



In feeding the breeding pen I use half-pint bran, one pint pol- 

 lard, quarter-pint dried blood and bone, and a little salt for the 

 morning mash. This is mixed neither too dry nor too wet. At 

 midday a liberal supply of green feed is put in. a small patch of 

 kale being grown for the purpose in case the summer should be 

 dry. and there should be no green stuflf in the orchard. The 

 evening meal consists of half-pint corn and one pint wheat. 

 Plentv of clean cool water should always be before the fowls. 

 For this I use a kerosene tin cut in halves, placing one half in a 

 case set on its end. with the lid removed and the opening facing 

 south. This keeps the water nice and cool, and prevents dirt and 

 rubbish getting into the water. The hens should have a fair- 

 sized pen so that they will have plenty of exercise, but they must 

 not be overfed or else they will become too fat and the chicken? 

 will be weak. Oyster shell and broken crockery or shell grit 

 should always be in the pen. For this I place in the pen a flat 

 box — 6 inches x 12 inches — with a piece of 4-inch wire netting 

 over the top. This prevents the hens from scratching it out 

 and wasting it. 



When the eggs are collected for hatching they should be 

 placed in a flat box with the small end up, and if you wish to 

 keep them over a week, turn the box over once a day. and keep 

 them in a moderately cool place. I do not think it is advisable 



