MANNER OF FEEDING. 205 



There was an article in the Pittsfield Culturist, in which the writer 

 attributes the loss of fowls to their eating the seeds of pumpkins. 

 The idea that they are injurious, and that fowls will not eat them, 1 

 am aware is quite common ; but for years the reverse has been true 

 with us. They have eaten a large proportion of the seeds that were 

 scattered in feeding pumpkins to cows, and chopping or breaking 

 them to boil as food for hogs, though the fowls were fed daily with 

 some kind of grain. Having a larger number of fowls and a less 

 quantity of feed this season than usual, some pains were taken, k. 

 cutting up pumpkins, to shake out, and scatter most of the seeds on 

 the ground, expressly for the hens. When boiling for hogs, nearly a, 

 load of pumpkins were broken up during the day ; and days we did 

 not boil, pumpkins were broken open to supply them with seeds. In 

 this way some sixty or seventy hens have disposed of a large propor- 

 tion of the seeds of twenty-five loads of pumpkins, (two horse wagon 

 loads.) I have not seen any bad effects from their eating them, either 

 this or former seasons. On the contrary, they have done well on 

 them have become fat. Now if I were possessed of any of the 

 popular breeds of fowls, valued from $80 to $100 per pair, I might 

 hesitate in feeding them with pumpkin seeds ; but with our common 

 fowls, I should as soon hesitate in feeding corn, from fear of any 

 injurious effects that might follow. Selected. 



We have had some little experience in the ' henery,' and have 

 found a great secret in getting a supply of eggs through the whole 

 season, but not in driving the hens up hill, nor in feeding them 

 exclusively on gravel, nor in supplying them with chalk nest-eggs. 

 The whole secret consists in giving them plenty of food, as the chicken's 

 mill is very convenient. For six or eight months in the year, the 

 chickens will supply themselves with animal food, in the shape of 

 insects, but the rest of the time feed them regularly with flesh as well 

 as corn. Boiled potatoes are an excellent food for fowls, but with it 

 they want grain of some kind, and flesh also. In our long hot sum- 

 mers, poultry are inclined to become lousy ; but if clean, good ashes, 

 are placed convenient to the hen-house, the hens will dust themselves 

 in them until the vermin disappear. Nature is their teacher, and here 

 is the unerring guide. A good shelter should be provided for the 

 chickens to roost under. The manure of chickens, properly saved, 

 will repay all expenses of feeding. It is a great error to crowd too 

 many chickens together. Selected. 



As I have had three years' experience, with some twelve different 

 breeds, I will give you my views in this matter. It depends upon the 

 breeds, I think, as to the manner of feeding. All of the Asiatic 

 breeds, I feed in this wise: I make three boxes that will hold half a 

 peck of corn, each. I fill one with corn, another with buckwheat, 

 and set them all before them at once, and am careful not to let either 

 get empty. I feed all of the large breeds in this way. Once a week 

 in winter, I put into the coop a cabbage or two, to six or eight fowls. 



My smaller breeds I feed in winter only on one kind of grain, but 

 keep it before them, such as the golden and silver Pheasants and Ban- 

 tams, as these will not lay in the coldest months, at any rate as far 



