HENS. 423 



This is a natural aliment, as is shown by the avidity with 

 which they pounce on every fly, insect, or earth-worm which 

 comes within their reach. It would not of course pay to 

 supply them with valuable meat, but the blood and offal of the 

 slaughter houses, refuse meal of all kinds, and especially the 

 scraps or cracklings to be had at the melters' shops, after 

 soaking for a few hours in warm water, is one of the best and 

 most economical kinds of food. Such with boiled meal is a 

 very fattening food. Grain is at all times best for them 

 when cooked, as they will lay more, fat quicker, and eat 

 much less when it is fed to them in this state ; and it may be 

 thus used unground, with the same advantage to the fowls, as 

 if first crushed, as their digestive organs are certain to extract 

 the whole nutriment. All grain is food for them, including 

 millet, rice, the oleaginous seeds, as the sun-flower, flax, 

 hemp, &c. It is always better to afford them a variety of 

 grain, where they can procure them at their option, and select 

 as their appetite craves. 



They are also fond of milk, and indeed scarcely any edible 

 escapes their notice. They carefully pick up most of the 

 waste garbage around the premises, and glean much of their 

 subsistence from what would otherwise become offensive, 

 and by their destruction of innumerable insects and worms, 

 they render great assistance to the gardener. Of course 

 their ever-busy propensity for scratching, is indiscrimi- 

 nately indulged just after the seeds have been planted and 

 while the plants are young, which renders it necessary that 

 they be confined in some close yard for a time ; yet this 

 should be as capacious as possible. Their food is better 

 when given to them warm, not hot ; and there should always 

 be a supply before them to prevent gorging, which is better 

 to be placed on shelves or suspended boxes or hoppers, which 

 are variously and cheaply constructed, to keep it clean and 

 out of the reach of rats. Besides their food, hens ought to 

 be at all times abundantly supplied with clean water, egg or 

 pounded oyster shells, old mortar or slaked lime. If not 

 allowed to run at large, where they can help themselves, 

 they must also be furnished with gravel to assist their diges- 

 tion ; and a box or bed of ashes, sand and dust, is equally 

 essential to roll in for the purpose of ridding themselves 

 of vermin. 



THE HEN-HOUSE may be constructed in various ways to 

 suit tho wishes of the owner, and when tastefully built, it is 

 an ornament to the premises. It should be perfectly dry 



