CHAPTER XVIII 



WHITE WYANDOTTES 



SAM," said I, " I am going to start this poul- 

 try plant from just as near the beginning of 

 things as possible. I want you to dispose of 

 every hen on the place within the next twenty 

 days, and to burn everything that has been used 

 in connection with them. We've cleared this 

 land of disease germs, if there were germs in it, 

 by turning it bottom-side up ; now let's start 

 free from the pestiferous vermin that make a 

 hen's life unhappy. No stock, either old or 

 young, shall be brought here. When we want 

 to change our breeding, we'll buy eggs from the 

 best fanciers and hatch them in our own incu- 

 bators. It will then be our own fault if we 

 don't keep our chickens comfortable and free 

 from their enemies. This is sound theory, and 

 we'll try how it works out in practice. Cer- 

 tainly it will be easier to keep clean if we start 

 clean. Not one board or piece of lumber that 

 has been used for any other purpose shall find 

 place in my hen-houses. Eternal vigilance 

 makes a full egg basket; and a full egg basket 

 means a lot of money at the year's end. I will 



no 



