ii8 



Journal of Agriculture. 



[lo Feb., 1909. 



The supply of fresh water is very important. The water should be 

 kept in vessels which should be shaded and placed so that the fowls cannot 

 soil them. Fresh water is essential, both for health and egg production, 

 and care must be taken to provide it regularly. 



The yards should be turned over two or three times a year with spade 

 or plough so as to provide fresh and clean ground for the fowls. 



One of the best methods of providing shelter is to plant tree lucerne 

 in the yards. If these trees are trimmed from the top i;o as to keep 

 the foliage close to the ground, green food as well as shade will be 

 available. 



FOWL HOUSES AND SCRATCHING SHEDS. 

 Messrs. T. K. Bennett and Woolcock's Fait view roultry Farm, Keilor. 



Photographs of yards on the poultry farms of Mr, A. N. Pearson, 

 " Halton Grange," Lang Lang, and Messrs. T. K. Bennett & Woolcock, 

 " Fairview," Keilor, are reproduced in connexion with this article. These 

 yards, and also those of Mrs. A. J. Duncan's " Caulfield Poultry Farm," 

 East ALilvern, depicted in the coloured plate, v/ere laid out under the 

 supervision of the Department of Agriculture. 



Selection of Stock. 



Purchase your birds from reliable breeders. The pullets should be 

 of high egg-producing strain (200 or more eggs). By selecting strong, 

 vigorous, and early-hatched pullets you should get a regular supply of 

 eggs. The male birds should be chosen with care, and should be of best 

 laying «;trains available. About .seven or eight hens mav be placed with 

 one male bird. If two male birds are purchased for each pen they can 

 be placed in the pen during each alternate month and this procedure will 

 insure fertile eggs .nnd strong chickens. If two or three pens of this kind 

 are put up, it will give the opportunity of breeding the laying stock 

 required, and it will also allow the owner to gain experience before keeping 

 a larger quantity of fowls. 



Food. 



The best staple food for poultry is certainly wheat. Good heavy 

 Algerian oats come next ; maize, peas, and barley are also useful. 



The morning meal should consist of two parts of pollard, one of bran, 

 and one of lucerne cliaff. The chaff should be scalded with boiling water 



