y 



194 MY FARM. 



fowls, Dorkings, and Polish top-knots, (for these 

 make up my variety, and are, I believe, the best), 

 form no exception ; and if confinement is necessary, 

 the enclosing palings should be of generous width. 

 A safe rule is to make the enclosure so large 

 (whatever the number of the flock), that the fowls 

 will not wholly subdue the grass, or forbid its health 

 ful vegetation. If too small for this, it is impera 

 tively necessary for thrift, that they have a run of 

 an hour each day before sunset. 



The oldest English writer upon the subject of 

 poultry was a certain Leonard Mascall, who wrote 

 about the year 1581 when Queen Mary was fretting 

 in her long confinemert, and Sir Francis Drake was 

 voyaging around the world. He had been farmer to 

 King James, and calls his little black-letter book, 

 &quot; The husbandrye, ordring, and governmente of 

 poultrie.&quot; Among his headings are &quot; How to keepe 

 egges long,&quot; &quot; How to have egges ah 1 winter,&quot; 

 &quot; Of hennes that hatches abroad, as in bushes,&quot; 

 &quot; Of turquie hennes, profite and also disprofite.&quot; 



For winter eggs, he advises &quot; to take the croppes 

 of nettles when ready to seed, dry them, and mix 

 them with bran and hemp-seed, and give it to the 

 hens in the morning, and also to give them the 

 seedes of cow-make,&quot; (whatever that may be.) I 

 have never ventured trial of his advices ; but find 



