278 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



March 16, 1831. 



mmw :2£r(aa.iisriD iFiissasiiSo 



BOSTON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, MARCH 16, 1831. 



POULTRY. 



Conlluued from page 254. 

 Every succeeding year after the third the hen 

 continues to shed her feathers later in the season 

 and to lay few or no eggs during tlie moulting 

 period, which is sometimes protracted to two or 

 three months. Old hens are seldom to be depend- 

 ed oil for eggs in the winter : and in general it 

 is most profitable to dispose of hens while they 

 are yet eatable or saleable for that purpose, which 

 is in the spring of the third year. 



In some hens the desire of incubation is so 

 powerful that they will repeat it five or six times 

 in the year; in others it is so slight that they will 

 not sit more than once or twice in the season. A 

 skilful breeder will take advantage of these quali- 

 ties, and provide abundance of eggs from the one 

 variety, and of chickens by means of the other. 

 Hens, while sitting drink more than usual, and it is 

 an advisable piactire to place water constantly be- 

 for them when in this state, and food (say corn or 

 Indian meal dough) at least twice a day. 



Hatchh'ig. — The chicken hitherto rolled up like 

 a ball, with its bill under the right w'ing like a bird 

 asleep begins generally on tlie morning of the 

 twentysecond day to break its way through the 

 shell, neither the aid of the hen, nor the artof man,in 

 common cases is necessary to aid it in this interest- 

 ing and wonderful operation. The parental af- 

 fection of the hen, as Mowbray and Parmentier 

 have observed, is always intensely increased, when 

 she first hears the voice of the chicks through the 

 shells, and the strokes of their little bills against 

 them. The signs of their need of assistance, the 

 former author observes, are, the egf^ being partly 

 pecked, and the eftbrt of the chicken discontinued 

 for five or six hours. The shell may then be broken 

 cautiously, and the body of the chicken carefully 

 separated from the viscous fluid, which lines it. 

 Reaumur gives his opinion that no aid ought to 

 be given to any chickens buf those which have 

 been near twentyfour hours employed without 

 getting forward in their work. 



The chickens Jirst hatched should be- taken from 

 t/ie Ac?!, lest she be tempted to leave her task un- 

 finished. Those removed may be secured in a 

 basket of wool or soft hay, and kept in a moderate 

 heat if the weather be cold, near the fire. They 

 will require no food for many hours, even four and 

 twenty, should it be necessary to keep them so 

 long from the hen. The whole brood being hatch- 

 ed, the hen is to be placed under a coop abroad in 

 a dry spot, and if possible not within reach of an- 

 other hen which has chickens, since the chickens 

 will mix, and the hens are apt to maim or destroy 

 those which do not belong to them. Nor should 

 they be placed near numbers of young fowls, which 

 are likely to crush young chickens under their 

 feet, being always eager for the chickens' meat. 

 Eggs boiled hard or curds chopped fine are recom- 

 mended. Indian meal made into dough is a com- 

 mon and I believe not improper food for chickens. 

 Loudon says that all watery food, soaked bread or 

 potatoes is improper for very young chickens. Their 

 water should be pure and often renewed, and there 

 are convenient pans made in such forms that the 

 chickens may drink without getting into the water. 

 There is generally no necessity for cooping the 

 brood beyond two or three days, but they may be 



confined as occasion requires, or suffered to range, 

 as they are much benefited by the foraging ol'the 

 hen. They must not lie let out too early in the 

 morning, or while the dew remains upon the 

 ground, nor he suffered to range over the wet grass, 

 one conunon ami fiital cause of disease. It is also 

 necessary to .guard thein against unfavorable 

 changes of weather, more particularly if attended 

 with rain, as nearly all the disordeis of dunghill 

 fowls arise from cold moisture. 



For the period of the chickens quiling the hen, 

 there is no general rule, except when the heii 

 begins to roost, leaving her oftspriug to shift for 

 themselves. If sufiiciently forward they will 

 follow her, if otherwise they should be secured 

 in a proper place, and permitted to run with the 

 young poultry as nearly of their own age and size 

 as possible, since the larger are apt to overrun 

 and drive from their food the younger brood. 



Hatching chickens by artificial heat has been 

 practised in some countries, and some of the 

 requisites in the process are stated in the Encyclo- 

 pedia of Agriculture ; but it is not perhaps advisa- 

 ble to attempt it ill this country with a view to 

 profit. 



Eggs will retain their moisture and goodness 

 three or four months or more if the pores of the 

 shell be closed aud rendered, impervious to air by 

 some oily or greasy application. Loudon says 

 ' we generally anoint them with mutton suet 

 melted, and set them on end, wedged close together 

 in bran, stratum super stratum, [one layer above 

 another] the containing box being closely covered. 

 Laid on the side, the yolk will adhere to the shell. 

 They thus come into use at the end of a consider- 

 able period of time, in a state almost equal to new- 

 laid eggs, for coBsuinptlon, but ought not to be 

 trusted for incubation, excepting in the case of 

 imported eggs of rare birds. 



Other methods which have been recommended for 

 preserving eggs are, as follows : 



Ap|)ly with a brush a solution of gum-arabic 

 to the shells, or immerse the egg therein, let them 

 dry, and afterwards pack them in dry charcoal 

 il^ust. This prevents their being aftected by any 

 alteration of temperature, and the power of char- 

 coal as a preservative against putrescence is well 

 known. Or mix tosether in a tub or vessel, one 

 bushel of quick lime, thirtytwo ounces of salt, 

 eight ounces of cream of tartar with as much 

 water as will reduce the composition to a suffi- 

 cient consistence to float an egg. Then put atui 

 keep the eggs therein, which it is said will pre- 

 serve them perfectly sound for two years at least. 

 Eggs may also be preserved in lime water, or lime 

 and water mixed to about the consistence of white 

 wash; but the lime is apt to corrode the shells, 

 so that they become very thin and tender, and 

 are sometimes quite worn away. The largest 

 eggs ' according to LoikIoii' will weigh two ounces 

 and an half, those of the Chitagong hen perhaps 

 three ounces. To promote fecundity and great 

 laying in the hen, nothing more is necessary than 

 the best corn (grain) and fair water; malted or 

 sprouted barley has occasionally a good effect, 

 while the hens are kept on solid corn, but if con- 

 tinued to long they are apt too scour. It must be 

 noted that nothing is more necessary towards suc- 

 cess in the particular of obtaining plenty of eggs 

 than a good attendance of cocks, especially in the 

 cold season ; and it is also especially to be observ- 

 ed that a cock while moulting is generally use- 

 less. BuflTon says that a hen vvbll fed and attended 



will ])rodiice upwar.ls of one hundred and fifty 

 eggs in a year, besides two broods of chickens. 

 Hens, it is said, should have access, especially in 

 winter to slacked lime, or oyster shells, otherwise 

 they will produce few or no eggs as something 

 of a calcareous nature is necessary to aflbrd the 

 lime which constitutes the greater [lart of the egg- 

 shells. Wheat however contains phosphate of 

 lime, and if given to hens is said to supply the 

 material indispensable for the formation of egg 

 shells. To be continued. 



Frnrn llie Evening fiazelle. 



NATURAL SCENERY. 



Mr Clapp — It is greatly to be regretted that in 

 the present enlightened age of Horticulture, sc 

 little attention is bestowed on that interesting de 

 partnient of ' Native Scenery,' of which so many 

 improvements may be made by transplanting the 

 various forest trees and shrubs indigenous in this 

 country — there being hundreds of acres of land 

 in this vicinity merely in a state of barrenness, 

 which by being covered with trees and shrub; 

 would enliven the scenery and add to natural gran 

 deiir. The nmcb a(\in\red Liriodendron tulipifera 

 or saddle leaf tulip tree; the Catalpa, or trumpe 

 flower; and the European Lime and Ilorsf 

 Chesnut trees appear to invite the attention of the 

 man of taste ; wiiile tlie different varieties ol 

 Oaks might he introduced Into the vacancies ant 

 outlets of copses, and thereby improve the valui 

 of the soil. And why neglect the pretty Kahaias 

 Azelias, Rhododendrons, and their natural assem 

 blage ? Surely they are worthy of a place in shruh 

 beries and parterres. The jilants that are consi 

 dered the very pride of European flower-garden 

 iiV are here allowed to ' waste their beauties h 

 the desert air,' almost unnoticed. In the tlovve 

 garden department, many varietiesof native plant 

 may be introduced from the different parts of tb 

 States, especially the pretty genus of Phlor, Core 

 opsis, Rudbeckias, of which so many varieties ar 

 already discovered, and many more too nnmerou 

 to name. 



If nature has imposed a perpetual indulgenci 

 to the admirers of taste it may bo found iu thi 

 'Flora' of the universe; — the adaptation of these 

 harbingers of pleasures appears to be universallj 

 suited in their natural . element to all classes o 

 people, as, the same symmetry of form — the sami 

 nice tints of nature's pencil — and the same usefu! 

 qualities appear to the poorest peasant as ttW ' 

 greatest monarch! indistinct varieties, with^Bj 

 exception of cultivation ; or rather an act of ■nSt» 

 lence imposed on nature to produce monstrosities, 

 which are for a certain time the very objects o( 

 dispute among connoisseurs, and then return to 

 their primitive purity to be common to all ; in this 

 state they are the most perfect, and in consequence 

 may be considered the most pleasing. We also 

 find that, most generally, the parts of generation , 

 are continued in all countries and are perpetual, 

 by which nature appears to ordain the indulgence 

 of flowers to all nations or people. 



The Lafai/elle Land. — Mr Skinner of Baltimore 

 has received unqualified authority from General - 

 Lafayette to dispose of one half of the township 

 granted to him by Congress. The tract consists ot 

 24,000 acres and much of it is well suited to the 

 growth o.f cotton, tobacco and sugar cane. Mr 

 Skinner proposes to S3li the land in ajtornate sec- 

 tions on long credits to practical settlers, as far aa 

 may be, demanding on a small portion of the price in 

 cash. 



