108 FOWLS. [No. 



as to preserved eggs, they are things to ruufrom and 

 not after. All this supposes, however, a proper hen- 

 house, about which we, in England, take very little 

 pains. The vermin, that is to say, the lice, that 

 poultry breed, are the greatest annoyance. And as 

 our wet climate furnishes them, for a great part of the 

 year, with no dust by which to get rid of these vermin, 

 we should be very careful about cleanliness in the hen- 

 houses. Many a hen, when sitting, is compelled to 

 quit her nest to get rid of the lice. They torment the 

 young chickens. And, in short, are a great injury. 

 The fowl-house should, therefore, be very often clean- 

 ed out ; and sand, or fresh earth, should be thrown on 

 the floor. The nest should not be on shelves, or on 

 any-thing fixed ; but little flat baskets, something like 

 those that the gardeners have in the markets in Lon- 

 don, and which they call sieves, should be placed 

 against the sides of the house upon pieces of wood . 

 nailed up for the purpose. By this means the nests 

 are kept perfectly clean, because the baskets are, when 

 necessary, taken down, the hay thrown out, and the 

 baskets washed; which cannot be done, if the nest be 

 made in any-thing forming a part of the building. Be- 

 sides this, the roosts ought to be cleaned every week, 

 and the hay changed in the nests of laying-hens. It is 

 good to fumigate the house frequently by burning dry 

 herbs, juniper wood, cedar wood, or with brimstone ; 

 for nothing stands so much in need of cleanliness as 

 a fowl-house, in order to have fine fowls and plenty 

 of eggs. 



179. The ailments of fowls are numerous, but they 

 would seldom be seen, if the proper care were taken. 

 It is useless to talk of remedies in a case where you 

 have complete power to prevent the evil. If well fed, 

 and kept perfectly clean, fowls will seldom be sick ; 

 and, as to old age, they never ought to be kept more 

 than a couple or three years ; for they get to be good 

 for little as layers, and no teeth can face them as food. 



180. It is, perhaps, seldom that fowls can be kept con- 

 veniently about a cottage ; but when they can, three, 

 four, or half a dozen hens to lay in winter, when the 



