KIND OF HOUSE TO BUILD 191 



assistance of the sunshine in warding off diseases which in 

 many sections of the country have followed in the wake of 

 intensive poultry culture. 



Cultivation of Yards. If the intensive system be used 

 it is imperative that it include a system of cultivation or 

 crop rotation. To allow the fowls to run in large numbers 

 on the same ground, year after year, without any cultiva- 

 tion and growth of crops will result in certain failure. The 

 cultivation and cropping of the yards will keep them in 

 good condition. The crops will use up the manure and 

 lessen the danger from spreading of disease. The cultiva- 

 tion also keeps the surface of the soil loose; unless culti- 

 vated, some soils of a clayey nature will, from continuous 

 use, become hard and packed. The expense of building the 

 extra fence for the double yards will be offset by the value 

 of the crops that may be grown on the vacant yards. Cul- 

 tivation has a double purpose; first, it cleans the yards; 

 second, it offers the fowls more exercise. Whether it will 

 require cropping every year or every other year, or twice 

 a year, will dep'end first on the nature of the soil; second 

 on climatic conditions, and third on the number of fowls 

 kept on the ground. The control of tuberculosis is render- 

 ed comparatively easy by crop rotation and keeping the 

 fowls off the ground for six months each year. 



Capacity of an Acre. A light, porous soil has a greater 

 capacity for fowls than a heavy soil or a damp soil. At the 

 Oregon Station on clay soil it was found that the day drop- 

 pings from 200 laying hens on an acre in four years made 

 the soil too rich for the successful growth of cereal crops 

 where cropping the ground was done every other year. The 

 night droppings were put onto other land. If the soil con- 

 tains too much manure for the crops it is safe to assume 

 that it is not in the best condition for poultry. Sooner or 

 later it is bound to show not only a failure of grain crops 



