258 BOARD OF AGEICULTURE. [Jan. 



Question. I would like a little further explanation about 

 your method of procuring worm food. I think you spoke 

 about buying meal worms for your hens. 



Dr. TwiTCiiELL. I have in times past procured at the 

 bird stores meal worms, as we call them. You can get them 

 sometimes at the grist mills. They are the same worms 

 which, perhaps, some of these ladies have found when they 

 have cleaned out a box which had had rye meal in it for 

 some time. The grocery men sometimes find them. I 

 usually have a box of meal which I keep in a warm place, 

 and occasionally wet the meal with sweetened water, and 

 very soon large quantities of these worms are developed. 



Mr. Cheever. I understand that this worm in its natural 

 growth develops into the snapping beetle, and that the 

 increase of the species can only be from the eggs of the 

 snapping beetle. 



Dr. TwiTCHELL. I thought when I wrote that passage 

 that very likely some question would come up as to the 

 development of the worm, and what it developed into, which 

 I should be unable to answer ; but I have bred those worms 

 in meal in boxes. 



Question. Is it not the yellow wire worm ? 



Dr. TwiTCiiELL. No, it is not a yellow worm, it is 

 almost white. In appearance it is something like the worms 

 that you sometimes find in tainted meat. It is about half an 

 inch lonsr. 



Mr. CiiEEVER. I do not know of any worm that is 

 developed except into a winged insect. 



Dr. TwiTCHELL. I do not know but this would, but I have 

 grown the worms in that way. 



Question. About what is the maximum number of hens 

 that it is proper to keep with a male bird, if you want to 

 use the eggrs for hatchino- ? 



Dr. TwiTCHELL. Something would depend upon the 

 variety. The large birds, Plymouth Rocks, Brahmas and 

 Asiatics, I should say eight to twelve ; the Leghorns, twelve 

 to eighteen. There, as before, would come in this same 

 question of the condition of the male. 



Question. How many times a day do you feed them ? 



Dr. TwiTCHELL. I have fed twice a day the last few 



