ON POULTRT. 125 



sheep in the fall at low prices — about what their pelts and tallow are 

 worth. The carcasses are boiled, the tallow saved, and the flesh 

 and bones, after being allowed to freeze, are kept till spring, — a 

 suitable portion being fed to the hens daily. They are allowed, in 

 addition to the meat, a little corn, oats, or buckwheat. They lay 

 well through the .vinter, — comfortable quarters being provided for 

 them, — and continue to produce eggs in abundance till June. It is 

 found most profitable to sell the whole stock at this period, as they 

 are generally fat, and will bring from twenty to twenty-five cents 

 a-piece. If kept through the summer, they lay but little in the 

 ■warm months, the eggs will keep but a short time, the fowls grow 

 poor in moulting, and if kept another year, will not lay as well as 

 young ones. Mr. M. keeps hens only, (no cocks,) and is inclined 

 to think he obtains as many eggs, and that they keep better, when 

 not impregnated. As to varieties, he has tried several, and thinks 

 the top-knots will generally lay rather more eggs the first season ; 

 but their carcasses are of less value than most other kinds." 



Hen House. 

 The Hen House should be dry, airy, and light, and, if possible, 

 have a southern exposure, with glass windows, to admit the sun in 

 cold weather ; it should be frequently and thoroughl}'- cleaned out. 

 It should be lathed and plastered, for hens must be kept warm in 

 winter, in order to ensure their laying well. Some persons, in the 

 coldest weather, keep a little fire in the coop, which is a good plan. 

 There should be two distinct apartments — one for laying and one 

 for roosting — and these should be separated by a partition, having 

 an opening, with a sliding door, for the fowls to pass through. 



It is best to have the coop entirely above ground ; one under 

 ground is warmer in winter, and cooler in summer, but is always 

 damp, and we are satisfied that hens thrive best, and lay best, in a 

 perfectly dry atmosphere. It is rarely the case that hens lay during 

 the season of moulting, and as this does not take place until the 

 second year, young fowls may be relied upon for laying, while the 

 older ones are moulting. 



In most of the hen-houses we have seen, neither the roosting nor 

 I the laying apartments have been large enough, and the laying ones 

 ■ have not contained a sufficient number of nests. Frequent white- 

 , washing of the coop, the roost??, and the boards enclosing the nesta, 



