16 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



often burst forth in tremendous energy, and are at 

 this very instant struggling to escape — now find- 

 ing their way in volcanic fires — now heaving and 

 shaking the earth — now upraising islands and con- 

 tinents, and gathering strength for the final out 

 burst which is to usher in the new heavens and 

 new earth "wherein dwelleth righteousness." 

 Were these great physical truths objects of faith as 

 well as deductions of reason, we should lead a bet- 

 ter life than we do, and make a quicker prepara- 

 tion for its close. 



For the New England Farmei . 

 DOMESTIC POULTRY— HEN HOUSE. 



BY G. TILLINGHAST HAMMOND. 



A poultry house need not be expensive and yet 

 be as good for the farmer as one with fancy fixings 

 that no one knows the use of. Of whatever shape, 

 it is better to have it too small than too large, in 

 winter especially. For if too large the hens get 

 together in one corner in order to keep themselves 

 warm. While, if of the right size, they can prom- 

 enade as much as they please ; and have the proper 

 amount of exercise. 



If you have plenty of room in your stable or 

 barn, a room partitioned off there will do. Having 

 built the partition, all the cracks should be well 

 battened up to make it warm. It should have good 

 sized windows fronting toward the south, if possi- 

 ble, and it should be well whitewashed, both for 

 neatness and to make it lighter. Then divide it 

 into two apartments ; one to be used for the roost- 

 ing room, the other for their occupation during the 

 day. It woidd be better if they had no access to 

 the roosts in the day. The day room should be 

 furnished with gravel, chalk, old mortar, and such 

 other materials, to assist in making the shells to 

 their eggs. Also sand and ashes, which are good 

 for a dust bath, put into shallow boxes so that the 

 room may not be made untidy. The room should 

 have a good plank floor which should be often 

 swept. 



If you wish them to lay in winter they must be 

 furnished with animal food, and vegetables, every 

 few days, beside their regular supply of grain, 

 which, in my opinion, had better be kept in hop- 

 pers constantly before them. 



Nests can be made in a great many different 

 ways. Some use ban-els, which answer well; small 

 boxes, however, are just as good and take up less 

 room. They should be filled with good clean straw 

 with one nest egg, (better artificial;) as soon as laid 

 the eggs should be taken from the nest, or at least 

 as often as once a day. 



In summer, if your fowls have a large yard to 

 roam in, it will not be found necessary to furnish 

 them either with meat or materials to make the 

 shells of their eggs, for they will get them from the 

 earth. 



In the spring a yard should be fenced off for 

 them in which they will thrive; better without doing 

 any mischief than if they were allowed to run at 

 large, in which case they arc often very trouble- 

 some in newly-sowed fields. The roosting room 

 should be thoroughly cleaned as often as once or 

 twice a week, and the floor sprinkled with lime. 



If these few directions are carefully attended to 

 we will ensure an abundance of eggs. 



Brooklyn, N. Y. Dec. 1st. 1851. 



BLANKET YOUR HORSES. 



Men and horses, only, sweat. So say the medi- 

 cal men whose business it is to investigate the 

 wonderful living mechanism of both. The ox cools 

 off by accelerated respiration : if heated in the 

 furrow, he partially opens his mouth, drops his 

 tongue, and by rapid respiration, or breathing, 

 throws off the excess of heat which has accumulat- 

 ed in the system. The dog which runs at the side 

 of the carriage through the intense heat of a July 

 sun, dashes into the cold spring with impunity and 

 returns refreshed, having no perspiration to check, 

 "when men or horses submerged in a similar man- 

 ner would suddenly check perspiration, and if they 

 survived the shock, it would be but to die with 

 acute or chronic inflammation." In violent motion 

 the respiration of both men and horses is increased, 

 but not sufficiently so as to carry off the heat that 

 is generated — they perspire through the skin, the 

 pores of which become opened or enlarged, and it 

 is while in this condition that both are exceeding- 

 ly liable to be injured, and when great care is 

 necessary to preserve the health of either. 



We saw a noble looking animal the other day 

 standing by the road side, wet with perspiration, 

 dotted with white foam, and apparently highly 

 heated. There he stood, unchecked by rein or 

 halter, faithfully waiting his master's return. The 

 cold was intense, the mercury then being below 

 zero ! Impatiently he pawed the ice under his 

 feet, champed the bit, and wildly flung his head 

 from side to side, while his lips were contracted 

 and nostrils collapsed, giving him a fierce and un- 

 natural appearance. No blanket covered his wet 

 and heated body, while the keen morning air froze 

 stiff the moist long hairs that stood out from the skin. 

 He was evidently suffering severely. And this is 

 no uncommon sight. So little is still known of the 

 physiology and functions of the horse that men 

 who would refuse an extravagant price for a favor- 

 ite animal suffer him to stand in the condition 

 which we have described. 



If the horse mentioned escaped an attack of 

 colic or violent inflammation in some shape, it was 

 his good fortune, and not from any wisdom or 

 humanity on the part of his owner. 



Even in mild weather, though it may be sum- 

 mer, men nor horses should remain quiet in a cold 

 draft when heated and wet with perspiration. 

 Millions of the colds complained of would be pre- 

 vented by observing this simple rule, and thou- 

 sands of valuable fives preserved which are now an- 

 nually extinguished. 



But you, who value the noble animal which you 

 control, when you "rein up" for business or pleas- 

 ure, let the mantle of charity come over your steed 

 in the shape of a good warm blanket. Depend 

 upon it you will find it cheaper than physic, travel- 

 ling on foot, or drawing your carts yourselves. 



