878 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



M3' "outdoor slccpiiis-p'ircli 



when the hot weatlier began to come on, 

 they protested against being obliged to 

 sleep in the little poultry-honse you see in 

 the picture. They wanted to climb up 

 among the evergreen and maple trees; and 

 some of the enterprising pullets did get 

 away up in the tree-tops. 1 finally caught 

 them and clipped one wing close, besides 

 clipping the lower branches of the trees, so 

 that the fowls could not roost any more in 

 the tree-tops. Then they got on top of 

 their domicil, and looked so longingly for 

 a branch of a tree that they could reach in 

 spite of the clipped wing that I felt sorry 

 for them. I nailed a pole across just high 

 enough to enable them to hop up on it; and 

 one dark night when they had settled down 

 for their snooze in the open air, Huber, by 

 means of a flash-liglit, photograjahed the 

 whole " happy family." The big rooster, 

 four and a half montlis old, evidently did 

 not wake up. Som.e of the younger pullets 

 opened their eyes, as you see. 



Now, friends, how many of you are 

 keeping your cliickens under cover during 

 this hot July and August weather when 

 they would be a thousand times better off 

 in the open air? Don't you believe yon 

 would get more and better eggs and more 

 cliickens, and better chickens, by having a 

 special sleeping-porch for the chickens, as 

 well a.s one for yourself? Read that first 

 chapter of Genesis, and see how many times 

 mention is made of the " fowls of the air." 

 When it comes toward zero weather up here 

 in the North, very likely they need shelter 

 to prevent freezing the combs. My experi- 

 ence is that, when the fowls have been 

 accustomed to roost outdoors, say in trees, 

 they are loath to go back in.side, even when 

 freezing weather comes; but by taking a 

 little i^fii'^s this can be easily managed. 



The spikes that hold the pole are not driven 

 clear in. When the nights become too 

 frcsty T propose to take the pole down and 

 teach them to roost inside. When you are 

 traveling again, just take a look at the 

 poultry-houses everywhere. Many of them 

 have glass sashes, which may be all right 

 iiere in the North for winter, but just set' 

 how many houses you can find with glass 

 windows all in place, all summer long. By 

 the way, the same thing is true more or less 

 with our stables for horses and cattle. 

 Windows are splendid things in cold weath- 

 er ; but when July and August come along, 

 for humanity's sake do pull every window 

 clear out; even if storms do beat in a little 

 during the summer lime, the harm they do 

 does not begin to counterbalance the lack 

 of abundance of good air. I honevStly be- 

 lieve a lot of the troubles with poulti'y, 

 horses, and cattle, and perhaps pigs also, 

 are the outcome of poorly ventilated sleep- 

 ing arrangements. See how happy those 

 chickens look on that j^ole. I can go up in 

 the evening and pat them on the back, and 

 say "Good biddies," and they give me kind 

 words in their own language in return. 

 There are two pullets that will be five 

 months old the first of September. Today 

 is Aug. 23. Thej' have big red combs, and 

 they are singing every day as if they con- 

 templated laying eggs. Don't you believe 

 (lie outdoor air during these hot months 

 lielps them to thiid-: of laying eggs?* Ijet 

 me digress a little. 



Years ago one of my most intimate 

 friends was a beekeeper by the name of 

 Blakeslee. We used to do a lot of visiting 



* Later, Aiit/. 29. — I hold in :uy hand a little egg 

 weighing ] % ounces, just laid by one of my " Lady 

 Eglantines." As nearly as I can figure she will be 

 five months old Sept. 1 ; so she laid her first egg 

 when 4 months and 29 days old. There is one more 



