130 THE PRACTICAL POULTRY KEEPER. 



very characteristic; in fact, upon American poultry farming, 

 it is very plain, there are bestowed attention, method, and 

 cleanliness, at a stretch or tension of which few English 

 farmers, and far less English labourers, would be capable. 



A fourth reason may perhaps lie in the difference of what 

 may be called pecuniary and social conditions. In America 

 a given cash return represents more than in England. Actual 

 cash is scarce, and the farmers form a more rural and scattered 

 community, raising a great deal of food on their own farms. 

 A thousand or two thousand dollars actual cash, with a 

 considerable food product and a country family life, may 

 thus mean a scale of living and comfort very different from 

 an " income" in England of 200 or ^"400 respectively- 

 Probably much may be attributed to this difference in 

 pecuniary and social circumstances. 



Another great difference is to be found in climate. We 

 are continually reminded, in reading accounts of American 

 poultry farms, of the fact that less run seems thought 

 necessary for a flock than in England is the case. Through 

 great part of the winter it is more or less the custom to 

 confine the (reduced) stock within covered sheds, such as 

 are termed " scratching sheds " by Mr. Hunter, well pro- 

 vided with scratching material, and kept clean. This is 

 necessitated by the snow and intense cold. During this 

 interval the outer runs are at least vacated, and often 

 ploughed up and sown with winter rye, which consumes the 

 manure and turns it into food for next spring. This alone 

 alters the conditions materially, and doubtless it is better 

 to crowd fowls into smaller space and leave the run really 

 empty for half the year. In this way it is probable that 

 even in England 200 per acre might be kept, and some 

 grass or hay secured as well, as we have pointed out. But 

 beyond this, we believe the dry weather during the time 

 the fowls are out on the runs is far less prejudicial as regards 



