236 THE HANDBOOK FOE PRACTICAL FARMERS 



per and Avater paid can be placed on the wall opposite to the 

 nests. 



A practical colony house is shown in the illustration. Its 

 dimensions are ten by ten feet, five feet high in the rear and 

 seven feet in the front. The windows, in Sheringham valves, 

 should be placed above the center of the front to prevent drafts. 

 The back ventilator is most essential for a colony house. 



Artificial lights have proven very successful in increasing 

 winter eggs. The year's total is not so greatly increased but 



Fig. 135. — Colony house. 



Crahn"! 



the increased total income due to the high-priced winter eggs 

 makes the installment of lights a fine investment. Unless care- 

 fully managed, lights may lessen the hatchability of the eggs, 

 so that beyond maintaining a twelve-hour day they should not 

 be used for the breeders. Making the day about fourteen hours 

 long seems to give best results for the layers. Keeping the 

 lights on from dusk to about eight p. m. is about right. On 

 many farms where electricity is used, putting on the lights at 

 chore time in the morning and shutting them off after supper 

 will be found convenient. With lights, a slight decrease in pro- 

 duction may be expected in April and May, but this happens 

 when eggs are cheapest. Gasoline lanterns have been used 



