1859. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



247 



A CONVENIENT CHICKEN COOP. 



Almost every body now-a-days raises poultry 

 — not so much, perhaps, for the profit which it 

 affords, as for the pleasant associations connect- 

 ed with it, their cheerful morning notes, and the 

 happy influences which they have upon children. 

 But where profit can be added to other induce- 

 ments, the pleasure of course is enhanced. This 

 depends, like almost every thing else, upon the 

 manner in which it is done. If a few fowls are 

 kept, and kept well, provided with all the con- 

 veniences needed, there will be a profit. One of 

 the important items is to provide a comfortable, 

 airy place for the hen and her young family, and 

 that may be found in a coop which this engrav- 



THE ONION MAGGOT. 



Two years ago I noticed that one-third of my 

 onions were either dead or wilting. On experi- 

 menting, I found the maggot was the cause. I 

 applied good guano on the rows, sprinkled on 

 with the hand so as to nearly cover the little on- 

 ion, or the ground over them. 1 saw nothing 

 more of the eflfect of the maggot, and the onions 

 did finely. 



Last year T tried the same again, with the 

 same result. I think good guano is a cure for 

 the maggot, notwithstanding your correspondent, 

 "J. W. P.," says there is none. The guano must 

 be good and put on with a liberal hand. 



Hollis, March, 1859. Ed. Emerson. 



ing illustrates. It may be made in a cheap man- 

 ner, will shed the rain readily, and when open at 

 the ends admits the air freely through it, and a 

 piece of board turned up at the ends at night, 

 excludes all intruders. 



Other forms may be used, perhaps as good, but 

 this is a convenient and cheap one. In dry weath- 

 er it is best to let these coops stand on the ground, 

 but when it is wet, they should be lifted upon 

 boards. Two feet long, or three is better, and 

 about twenty-two inches high in the centre, is a 

 good form. Some persons board up the back- 

 end, leaving a hole for air at the peak. In windy 

 weather, the back end should be closed. 



Faemers' Market Fair. — The farmers of 

 Hampden county will hold a fair at the Hamp- 

 den Park, in Springfield, on the 13th of April, 

 for the sale, exchange and exhibition of horses, 

 cattle, sheep, swine , poultry, implements and farm 

 produce, either in bulk or by sample. 



We think such a fair in the centre of that 

 county might be useful to all concerned, and hope 

 it will receive attention. 



A Good Permanent Home, and $40,000! 

 — A writer in another column, on the soiling of 

 cattle, says he knows a man who forty years ago 

 purchased a lot of land, 40 by 160 rods, who "has 

 80 managed it as to realize a net income of at 

 least $1000 a year on this farm." Will he tell us 

 briefly how he did it ? 



. BOYS' DEPARTMENT. 



BATTI.E BETWEEN THE BOYS AND 

 THE BIRDS. 



In one of the interior counties of Illinois, there 

 stands an old school-house, deserted, dilapidated, 

 and pierced on every side with numerous holes 

 — giving sure signs that, in days past and gone, 

 there has been a hard-fought battle of some kind. 

 But who could have selected a school-house for 

 a fortress ; or what enemy could have fired so 

 many shots into it in such a peaceful, quiet neigh- 

 borhood, without being brought before the prop- 

 er authorities and punished to the full extent of 

 the law? This. is the mystery which has fallen 

 to my lot to unravel. 



The school-house stands on a ridge of land, 

 surrounded on every side with shade trees, while 

 a few rods in front, runs a small creek, making a 

 most beautiful play-ground for the school. Still 

 farther on is a large field, once covered with 

 thrifty forest trees, but the farmer who owns the 

 field has girdled them all, and now they stretch 

 out their long, skeleton arms, waving, cracking, 

 and breaking with every wind that blows, and 

 falling into the corn growing around them. 



These old decaying forests aflbrd homes for 

 large colonies of woodpeckers, who, by habit or 

 instinct, like to burrow in old trees. 



Now the woodpecker is decidedly the most mil- 

 itary in appearance of any bird flying, and has 

 not only a natural right to be proud of his rich, 

 military dress and splendid appearance, but to 

 drum on these old trees any spring morning, pro- 

 vided, when he gets his forces together, he will 

 let school-houses alone. 



Dressed up in a neat little red cap that covers 

 his head and neck, a shining black coat, with 

 white lappel, with a white waistcoat and black 

 pants, he can make as splendid an appearance on 

 a dry limb as any other bird known. 



It was a bright, beautiful morning in the year 

 1856 when the children were assembled at the 

 old school-house, to learn to put four letters to- 

 gether in such a way as to make baker, to get 

 their young ideas started in the way to shoot 

 straight. The classes had nearly been through 

 with their morning lesson, the older boys and girls 

 had taken slate and pencil, and were trying to 

 put two and two together so as to make five, and 

 all as busy as they well could be, when tap, tap, 

 whir-r-r-r-r-r-r, went somebody or something on 

 the outside of the school-house. "Boys, be still. 



