118 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



[No. 2 



There seems to be no doubt, that it will answer 

 admirably the purpose ol' sraehiug the iron from 

 the ore. 



The fire, Avhich is made of it, is intensely hot. 

 It much resembles the anthracite ; but it has a lit- 

 tle more flame. 



It is considered a very valuable discovery — and 

 it is unique in this country. Analysis gives more 

 than 70 per cent, of carbon — small portions of iron, 

 earth and volatile matter. — lb. 



From the Quarterly Journal of Agriculture. 

 ON REARING DOMESTIC POULTRY. 



It has frequently occurred to us, that the man- 

 agement of a poultry -yard is not so rationally con- 

 ducted as it ought to be. When we consider the 

 rapid advances that have been made of late years 

 among the industrious classes of the community 

 in intellectual acquirements, more especially in 

 the southern parts of the kingdom — Scotland hav- 

 ing been for a series of years an educated coun- 

 try, while the same classes in England were yet 

 in ignorance — we feel warranted in our objections, 

 because we have practically pioved the lallacy of 

 flie '' auld warld" methods of treating that por- 

 tion of our live-stock, and have established our 

 right to make those objections, by the success 

 which has attended our own plan. The best test 

 of our ability in the office which we can offer to 

 our readers is, that we pay nature the compliment 

 to suffer her to dictate to us, and that, as far as 



fossible, we attend to her wise and simple laws, 

 f this candid acknowledgment be in our favor, we 

 fear not to gain proselytes from the old to the new 

 method, and proceed to the detail. 



In large farms, and among the very poor, it 

 would not be desirable to have a poultry-yard por- 

 tioned off ; in the former case, because that part 

 of the live-stock is subsidiary, in the latter, be- 

 cause the outlay, though trifling, would be too 

 considerable. A very numerous class of persons, 

 however, remain, to whom the rearing of poultry 

 might be an object of emolument ; and others 

 again, who seek for no remuneration beyond the 

 pleasure which arises from possessing the means 

 of consuming those animals which are the pro- 

 duce of their own estates. In all cases it is gra- 

 tiiying to know and to follow a plan which leads 

 to the most satisfactory results; and that is pre- 

 sumed to be the best, which is fjunded upon the 

 experience of years. We will begin with 



The poultry-yard. — This ought, when practica- 

 ble, to be separated from the other portions of the 

 premises devoted to live-stock, and even subdivi- 

 ded when various kinds of fowls are kept which 

 are inimical to each other, as is the case with the 

 guinea-fowls (or Pintadas, or Gallinte, as they 

 are indiscriminately called), and the more familiar 

 tribe of cocks and hens. The yard should be dry. 

 as nothing is so injurious as damp; in order to 

 effect this, the surface should be gravel, on a 

 foundation of chalk, for the benefit of quick drain- 

 age. This preliminary we consider all but indis- 

 pensable; the difference that would be experi- 

 enced in the well-doing of poultry that is reared on 

 a gravel or chalk-paved yard from those that drag- 

 gle through their existence on wet clayey ground 



or grass is astonishing. The yard should have a 

 full exposure to the south, and contain an open 

 shelter from either sun or rain. Within it should 

 be placed dry sand, ashes, small gravel, and chalk, 

 for the use of the birds; the two first named ma- 

 terials they require for the purpose of dusting 

 themselves, a process in which they not only de- 

 light, but which is essential for their health; the 

 fine gravel is constantly picked up by them, and 

 without it, their Ibod would not under<ro a health- 

 ful state of digestion. Although the space allot- 

 ted to them is to be separated from the ijeneral 

 farm, it should be contiguous to a meadow or a 

 common, lor grass is absolutely necessary for them; 

 a small opening should, therelbre, be made in the 

 fence, through which they liiay gain access to it. 

 Instinct will teach the old birds to remain no long- 

 er than is needful ; of chickens we shall speak 

 hereafter. We have had opportunities of com- 

 paring the state of poultry which had been pre- 

 vented from ranging among grass with, our own 

 that had never been debarred from it, and the re- 

 sults were so salisRictory to us that we cannot do 

 otherwise than recommend the plan. No animal 

 thrives well upon one only species of food; of man 

 himself it is asked '• can he live by bread alone?" 

 The craving whi(:h poultry evince for a change of 

 Ibod is evident to all who will lake the trouble to 

 watch them; after having eaten well of variety, 

 with a profusion of the grain yet lying before them, 

 they will eagerly run to a common and finish 

 their meal, upon the various aliments that are 

 presented to their choice, grubs, worms, insects, 

 and even of the grass itself they will eat very 

 considerable quantities, when left to their owa 

 freedom, and this not now and then only, but dai- 

 ly, for they live very regularly. Their habits ap- 

 pear to be as fixed as those of mankind; they like 

 to be abroad early in the morning, before' the 

 slugs, &c., which are most alert during the hours 

 of darkness, have retired to the earth; they then 

 return to their corn, which they rarely finish until- 

 they have been abroad. After having drunk wa- 

 ter "and dusted themselves, the hens proceed to 

 the nests for the purpose of laying. They after- 

 wards lie lazily about, take their siesta towards 

 noon, then look for their mid-day meal; again sal- 

 ly forth to the grass, and rove about at their ease, 

 until it is time for them to receive a third feed, 

 when they retire to roost, in summer about six, 

 in winter towards four o'clock. 



Themost approved species of poultry. — In a for- 

 mer number of this periodical, all the kinds are 

 enumerated, and their different qualities specified, 

 so that choice may thus be made. (See No. xxxi. 

 December, 1835, pp. 372, 390.) We have but to 

 observe that white fowls with short legs, are those 

 to which we give preference. There exists a pre- 

 judice aixainst them, that they are more lender than 

 those with dark plumage; we have not found this 

 to be the case, though we are decidedly of opi- 

 nion that the flesh of the former is more delicate 

 than 'hat of dark fowls with black legs. 



Poultry-houses. — If the number of fowls to be 

 kept, be very considerable, it would, perhaps, be 

 right to have two or three dormitories, in the 

 event of mtectious disorders appearing among the 

 stock; but we do not offer this opinion as our own, 

 having never experienced any illness of a conta- 

 gious kind, nor having indeed lost any of our nu- 

 merous stock, except from casualties and acci- 



