Journal of Agriculture. 



[lo Jan., 1910. 



Perches. — These should always be low. Eighteen inches from the 

 ground is ample, and the perches should not be nailed. When nailed you 

 have always to contend against the vermin trouble. The litcl- red mite, 

 if allowed sufficient latitude, will drain the system of any fowi, and the 

 very essence of egg-production is drawn from the bod\ of a hen in an 

 infested house. It will pay better to secure insect-proof perches, which 

 may be constructed as follows: — Take a piece of iron tubing 24 inches 

 long, and an ordinary jam tin, cut a hole in the bottom of tin sufficient to 

 allow the tubing to pass up through the tin within 6 inches of the top, then 

 solder the tin to the iron. The perch should be about 8 inches shorter than 

 the length of the house. Bore a hole in both ends of perch the size of 

 tubing, and when the tubing is fixed on to a heavv stand or driven into 

 the floor, place the perch, which should be made of 3 in. x 2 in. hardwood, 

 on top. Perches require to be about 3 inches wide to prevent crooked 

 breasts. These are often caused through the birds roosting on narrow 

 perches. When the perch is in position, pour a little kerost^ne into the 

 tins at each end, and the perches will be insect proof. 



NEST BOXES- -DARK AND EASY TO CLEAN. 



Floor Catchment. — The continual cleaning of the floor is usually 

 followed by the ground becoming basin-shaped, and the result is a damp 

 floor in winter time. A cheap and effective plan to prevent this is to 

 purchase a piece of black tarpaulin, about the size of the floor, and nail 

 this on to two pieces of wood, one at each end, and place on floor of 

 house. Every morning roll it up and empty the droppings mto a wheel- 

 barrow. If the birds have been scouring, through eating too much wet 

 grass, and the carpet of tarpaulin has become very dirty, remove it to a 

 tap, and put the hose on. Then hang over a fence to dry. It is advisable 

 to throw a little sand on to prevent the droppings adhering to the tar- 

 paulin. This svstem works well, saves a great deal of time, and presents 

 the .spread of vermn.. 



Trap Nf.sts. — Trap nests will assist the farmer to disco\er the good 

 layers, and will enable him also to pick out the unprofitable birds, which 

 are too often bred from unknowingly. These should be used for t; ble 

 purposes : on no account waste food in keeping bad layers. Nests should 



