14 PROFITS IN POULTRY. 



center. The short side of the roof is two feet long, and 

 the long side, which fronts south and comes to within 

 eighteen inches of the ground, is seven feet. At the fur- 

 ther end the roof boards extend over an opening made for 

 the fowls to pass in and out. The perches are one foot 

 above the floor and extend along the north side of the 

 interior. The bottom board on that side is hung with 

 hinges so it can be raised, and the droppings under the 

 perehes scraped out. The nest boxes are ranged along the 

 low side, the dust box is placed in the sunniest spot, and 

 the feed and water troughs near the door. One pane 

 of glass in the sash is loose so that it may be moved 

 down for ventilation. The floor should be covered with 

 sand when obtainable, if not, with straw, chaff, or other 

 similar material that can be raked out when soiled. The 

 whole interior should be given a coat of fresh lime white- 

 wash at least four times a year, and .the perches swabbed 

 with kerosene. Hens kept in this house lay steadily all 

 winter. The poultry house here described is easily cleaned, 

 and answers the purpose nearly as well as one costing 

 twenty times as much. 



A WARM FOWL HOUSE. 



Eggs in winter are what we all want. To secure them 

 we must have for our hens a warm, snug house, easily 

 kept clean, with provision for dusting, feed, water and 

 exercise. To consider these requirements in the order 

 named, we have first warmth as an important desidera- 

 tum. Artificial heat has rarely been found profitable, 

 hence we will not consider it. The fowls must depend 

 for their warmth upon the sun, the natural heat of the 

 earth, and the temperature of their own bodies. If we 

 notice a flock of chickens, we shall see that they warm 



