18 



for a week or two later. A sprinkle 

 of hemp seed after each meal will 

 make them merry and lively, and 

 will forward them at the com- 

 mencement of breeding. A week's 

 confinement in the place will often 

 cause the hen to have eggs sooner. 

 Great harm is often done to the 

 young ones through letting the old 

 birds sit again before the young 

 ones are old enough. It is far the 

 best plan to let the young ones get 

 three weeks old before you put 

 another nest in ; if they lay too soon 

 they will often neglect the young 

 ones. Old fanciers generally stop 

 their birds from breeding in August 

 in fact, they make it a rule to let 

 them have three nests of young ones 

 for each pair of old birds. I con- 

 sider I have had a very fair season 

 if I breed four young ones from each 

 pair. But there is a deal of differ- 

 ence in the parents some will 

 breed three or four pairs of strong 



