136 A Batch of Nest-Eggs. 



some constitutional weakness or defect that they were free 

 from. If the farmer feels too poor to buy a pure-bred male, 

 let him pick the best specimen from his flock, then stock his 

 breeding-pen from the best hens, having an eye to markings 

 and laying qualities, and breed from them only. It would be 

 much cheaper to buy a good male. 



The surest way to improve your stock is to buy fowls rather 

 than eggs. First-class birds for all practical purposes can be 

 found on most poultry-farms and bought for little money, sim- 

 ply because they are not the best show-birds. 



White fowls are not necessarily less hardy on account of 

 their color. All fowls have a tendency to become white with 

 age. The Light Brahma (nearly white) is one of the hardiest 

 breeds we have. So is the White Leghorn. The majority of 

 our white breeds are inbred more than the dark. The White 

 Cochins are not extensively bred, and new blood is not so 

 easily obtained as in the case of the other Cochin breeds, yet 

 I doubt if birds of that breed, even with that drawback, are 

 less hardy than the Black Cochins. 



How Can We Fight Hawks ? A good shot-gun in the hands 

 of an expert marksman will put an end to many of the pests I 

 but unless the marksman can do nothing else, his time will be 

 worth more at some other work. Bushes and underbrush for 

 the chickens to run under are valuable. Pieces of glass or 

 bright tin hung about in the sun will sometimes frighten the 

 hawks away. Some persons make a hawk-trap by driving 

 bright steel rods into a board, so that when the board is flat 

 on the ground the rods stand upright. The upper ends of the 

 rods are filed to a sharp point, and a live chicken is placed on 

 the board among the rods. The hawk, plunging down to seize 

 the chicken, pounces directly upon the sharp points. If he 

 doesn't stick there he carries a painful memory away with 

 him. 



Here is what I use in the place of oyster-shells, and I will 

 stick to it as long as I keep fowls in confinement. Give your 

 fowls sand and plenty of it. I get a load of fine gravel, sift 



