FOOD VESSELS. 25 



Whore the fowls have a field to run in they will require no 

 further feeding till their evening meal of grain. Taking it 

 altogether, no grain is more useful or economical than barley, 

 and in summer this may be occasionally changed with oats; 

 in winter, for the reasons already given, Indian corn may be 

 given to some breeds every second or third day with advan- 

 tage. Buckwheat is, chemically, almost identical in compo- 

 sition with barley, but it certainly has a stimulating effect on 

 the production of eggs, and it is a 

 pity it cannot be more frequently 

 ol t; t i ned at a cheap rate. We would 

 never omit purchasing a sack of 

 this grain when possible, and have 

 a strong opinion that the enormous 

 production of eggs and fowls in Fig. 4. 



France is to some extent connected with the almost universal 

 use of buckwheat by French poultry-keepers.* Wheat was 

 formerly too dear to be employed, unless damaged ; and if the 

 damage be great it had better not be meddled with ; but 

 of late years it has been one of the cheapest of all grains, and 

 _ when sound or little injured is a most 



1 11 valuable food, both for chickens and fowls. 



] V "Sweepings" sometimefl contain poisonous 



(J ^ substances; are generally dearer, weight for 



Fig. 5. weight, than sound grain ; and should 



never be seen in a poultry-yard. 



The midday meal of penned-up fowls should be a very 

 scanty one a mere sprinkle of grain ; and even this is worse 

 than useless unless the other meals are sparingly given, as 

 directed. 



The regular and substantial diet is now provided for, but 



* It is a curious fact that buckwheat used to be largely grovrn in what 

 are now the chief poultry-breeding counties of Surrey and Sussex. 



