190 FARMING FOR LADIES. [chap. viii. 



sons use eggs daily at breakfast, it is really a 

 matter of some im.portance to those ladies 

 who keep hens to take means for inducing 

 them to lay during the winter. The main point 

 in doing this, is to choose them young, and 

 of a strong constitution ; pullets of an early 

 brood, which show a disposition to lay, or 

 those hens which have not begun to lay early 

 in the season, being the best. Then, above 

 all, to keep them warm, only allowing them 

 to go out in the middle of dry, sun-shiny 

 days ; and to feed them abundantly, but 

 without cramming or trying to fat them with 

 exciting food. Of this the chief foundation 

 should be barley ; but in addition to this, 

 occasional feeds should be given of either 

 malt, hemp-seed, mustard, or coriander ; and, 

 indeed, if a handful of pimento, or black- 

 pepper, be thrown among them, they will 

 greedily devour every grain of it : never, at 

 the same time, forgetting that well-known and 

 approved nostrum, "toast and ale." 



In fine, look to those which you think likely 

 to answer your expectations, and if they do 

 not, fatten them off at once for the table, which 

 will be in great part already done through 



