vol. X <I. NO. -it 



AND HORTICULTURAL REGISTER 



165 



sit his ijariien and give dircctinns respectint; his 

 les. Vet will I St it tlius paralyzed the powers of 

 3 body, il did but little diminish the activity of 

 s mind. His recent coiimuinications to the Hor- 

 lultural periodicals, are alone sufficient evidence, 

 other was wantini;, llmt his mental faculties re- 

 ined their stren^'th and vijjor. He retained too 

 the last, his interest in his favorite pursuits — 

 d though perfectly conscious of Ins speedily ap- 

 oachin;^ dissolution, to ^ive directions respecting 

 3 nurseries and trees, was among tlie latest acts 

 his life. 



The sufferings arising froin a protracted, severe 

 d hopeless disease, wore borne by Mr Manning 

 th patience and resignation. Finn in the cond- 

 uce arising from a consciencious discharge of 

 i duties, he calmly waited the summons which 

 is to call him from his labors, until death came 

 release him fiom his misery, on the lOlh of Oc- 

 3er, 1842. 



In concluding this imperfect tribute of re.^pect to 

 J memory, the expression of a hope is ventured, 

 it measures may be taken to perpetuate for the 

 nefit of the public, the results of liis toils and en- 

 iprise. 



ICE HOUSES. 

 There is an indifferent, good, better and best 

 y of doing every thing; and judging from the 

 ;cess of icL'-lieopers, we should suppose the best 

 de of constructing ice-houses, had not uniformly 

 ;n adopted in this part of the country. It is very 

 ?n the case that ice is not kept beyond midsum- 

 r. This is owing in every instance to the want 

 requisite information in building houses of ma- 

 ,als which are not too great conductors of heat. 

 In beginning to build, it is not only necessary to 

 3unt the cost," but it is very important for every 

 to ask himself what he wishes to accomplish, 

 ore he commences, lest his labor be lost. The 

 I imon plan is to dig in the earth some eight or 

 feet, and build a house from the bottom, ex- 

 ing from four to ten feet above the surface, 

 earth, and all the materials, on this plan, are 

 swilt conductors of heat to completely secure 

 ice. The better plan is, to construct a build- 

 entirely above ground. One house should be 

 It within another, the walls being about 18 or 

 nches asunder, and this space filled with pul- 

 zed charcoal, or tan bark. The door should 

 filled with sand some 12 or 15 inches, and a 

 r of tan bark thrown over it to the depth of a 

 inches. This kind of a floor will completely 

 orb the moisture and keep the air dry. Rye 

 w makes an excellent root. We have for many 

 rs noticed an ugly old double wnlled log cabin, 

 d as described between the walls, and. covered 

 h rye straw, and we do not recollect the time in 

 hottest summer, that there was not a. plenty of 

 in it. If ice-houses are made on this plan, and 

 large enough, there is no danger but ice will 

 p. The room should not be less tlian 18 feet 

 are in the clear. — JVashville Jls-ficult. 



?i> prevent weeds from growing in my nursery 

 rees, I cover the land thickly with tanners' spent 

 ;: il prevents every thing but the trees from 

 ving. I find that two loads of dung carried on 

 laud in the spring, worth three loads carried on 

 he fall of tlia year. — Blukesley. 



8e just before you arc generous. 



From (ha Farmer's Journal. 



MANAGEMENT OF HENS IN COLD VVEA- 

 THER. 

 Many persons complain that hens are not profita- 

 ble, as they must be fed a number of months in 

 cold weather, without any profit, as they <lo not lay 

 in the cold season. This depends very much on 

 management. Hens are as profitable as any other 

 stock, if managed with the same care, and we be- 

 lieve more prohtablc, as there is a more ready re- 

 turn. Pullets generally begin to lay when five or 

 six months old, with good attention, and there is a 

 quick return in eggs to pay for trouble and expense ; 

 and in raising chickens, if hatched in season, a 

 good return will be made in a few months, as they 

 bring a good price in July and August, though but 

 partiaHy grown, if they be fat and have yellow 

 legs. 



When hens do not lay in cold weather, it is 

 generally owing to their not being kept warm and 

 comfortable, and being well supplied with suitable 

 food, gravel, line, water, &c. 



We do not intend to give a description of a hen 

 house, but would remark that it should be dry and 

 warm, and during warm and moderate weather, it 

 should be ventilated ; the amount of fresh air should 

 be according to the temperature of the weather. 

 In very cold weather the house should be kept 

 closed, to keep it comfortable The manure 

 should be often removed, especially when the wea- 

 ther IS mild, that the air may be pure. Whito- 

 washing occasionally, when the weather is mild, 

 will have a good effect, though it is not so neces- 

 sary in cool, as in warm weather. It is best to 

 have boards directly under the roost to catch the 

 manure, that it may not fall on the ground ; in this 

 way the place may be kept much neater. When 

 the manure is removed from the boards, which 

 should be often when it is not frozen, some ashes 

 or lime should be thrown on the boards to absorb 

 the moisture and keep the air pure. 



Grain of different kinds is excellent food for hens. 

 Corn, barley, wheat, rye, oats, buckwheat, rice, are 

 all good, and the cheapest kinds may be used. 

 Corn and barley are about as good and as cheap 

 kinds of grain as any. It is better to have a part 

 of the corn ground and make a dough with hot wa- 

 ter, and use this as a part of their food : and better 

 still to mix the meal with other articles as named 

 below. 



It is best to keep two or three kinds of grain by 

 [hens, and let them eat what they choose. 



Hens will do better to have other food than 

 grain, or grain ground and cooked; Potatoes, ap- 

 ples, pumpkins, squashes, carrots, turnips, parsnips, 

 beets, &c., boiled, several kinds together, is the 

 better way, and then while hot stir in meal and 

 bran till sufficiently dry, and mix intimately to- 

 gether. Give this moderately warm, as often as 

 once a day. It will be a very acceptable dish. 

 Much stuff may be used up in this way that would 

 otherwise be wasted ; and fowls thus fed will lay 

 better than if kept wholly on grain. 



Besides the common food of hens they should 

 have lime, in some state, gravel, meat, and green 

 food. Lime is necessary in forming the egg shell. 

 Old mortar pounded fine, pounded or ground oys- 

 ter or clam shells, or bones ground or cut or pound- 

 ed fine, are good. Fresh bones should be pre- 

 ferred, as they contain animal matter, and will be 

 eaten freely and abnnilanlly. Some persons first 

 burn the bones, but this is wrong, as it will destroy 



the oily part, which is at least one half the value, 

 and this causes hens to eat bones more readily. 

 Chalk, which is a carbonate of lime, may be pound- 

 ed tine and mixed with ihei'r food. An abundance 

 of gravel should be kept by hens at all times, as 

 they cannot live without it. With this they grind 

 their food in the gi/.ziird. It is generally allowed 

 that hens will do belter to have a portion of animal 

 food when they are confined, or in cold weather 

 when they cannot olitain insects, of which they eat 

 a great many when they can obtain them. In cit- 

 ies and large towns, cheap animal food may be ob- 

 tained, such as liver, kidneys and acrap.s, which 

 can be had at one or two cents a pound. Fresh 

 fish will answer a good purpose. Some persons 

 have succeeded well with hens without giving them 

 animal food, but most persons 'consider this food 

 necessary. Hens are very fond of it, and when 

 they run at large they prefer this food. 



When hens run at large, they eat much green 

 food, such as grass and various kinds of herbage, 

 and when they have been confined some ti.ne with- 

 out this food, they eat it very greedily when ihey 

 get out. From this it is evident that they should 

 have a supply in winter. The best kind is cabbage 

 leaves, cut up fine or fed in whole leaves. Thia 

 food may be saved and fed through the winter. 



As a substitute for green herbage, we have giv- 

 en hens turnips, cut into large slices, and potatoes 

 and apples, and from the manner in which they dis- 

 posed of them, it was evident that they were very 

 acceptable, notwithstanding they had grain and 

 other food by them. 



We will name an instance of the good effects of 

 extra attention to fowls in cold weather. We had 

 a lot which were supplied with grain, water, and 

 gravel in the cold season. They did not lay till 

 the latter part of February. They were old hens. 

 The next winter, in addition to grain, we gave thrm 

 warm food of potatoes, meal, &c., and green food 

 of raw turnips, apples, and potatoes ; we gave them 

 afresh lot of gravel every week, and pounded 

 bones and oyster shells, and care was taken to 

 keep the hen house clean. In January, the second 

 winter, the same hens laid abundantly. The eggs 

 were worth three ti-mes as much as the food they 

 consumed. ^ 



A friend who is well skilled in hen-ology, gave 

 us his method of managing, which we published 

 in the Yankee Farmer. He had 1900 eggs from 

 150 hens, in the month of January. Another per- 

 son gave 113 an account of his management, which 

 was published in the same paper. Five pullets 

 produced 25 dozen of eg-gs from the middle of Oc- 

 tober to the middle of April, which is the coldest 

 part of the year. 



When the weather is mild and there is no snow 

 on the ground, it is best for hens to go out to the 

 ground. If they do not run at large, they should 

 have a yard where they can go out in suitable 

 weather. They shouM have a lot of fine sand, loain 

 or ashes to dust theniselves in. ' 



The person who had so ninny eggs in January, 

 lives in a colder climate than this, as it is 150 

 miles farther north. He gave no meat to his hens, 

 but says it may be the better way to give them 

 'iieat, though he has not tried it. 



Some persons give their hens red pepper, salts, 

 and lard occasionally in cohl weather, to ma Ice them 

 lay. As eggs are liable to freeze in cold weather, 

 pieces of chalk will answer for nest eggs. Fresh 

 water should be given diily, and twice a day when 

 it freezes. 



