NATURAL LAWS. 27 



unhandy, and plowing- is out of the question. The yards 

 should be plowed at least every two years, and as the fences 

 are in the way it cannot be done, and to do it with a spade 

 is a waste of time and money. The manure in the yards 

 should be plowed up. Now, with the birds out in the range 

 in the colony houses, the ground does not need to be plowed, 

 as they are very seldom about the house, and the manure is 

 scattered all over the range. The yarded fowls must take 

 their medicine. The ground in the fenced yards is full of 

 manure and germs, which cause sick poultry. One reason 

 why wild birds are never sick is that they are always free, 

 and seldom are on one place a second time. 



There is no use trying it. It will never do to fool with 

 nature and if you do it it will cost more for the experiment 

 than you will ever get out of it. 



The Colony House in Winter. 



In winter the houses should be double boarded inside 

 with building paper between. Never use tar paper as it 

 draws the frost and you will have your houses white with 

 frost in the winter if you use it. It is not good for this pur- 

 pose. Don't try it. If you have fifty birds in these houses 

 their own animal heat will keep them warm in winter at 

 night and in the morning let them out in the scratching 

 shed, open to the south. This gives them air, sun and exer- 

 cise, and keeps them out of the snow and the rain cannot 

 wet the straw. You will be surprised to see how many eggs 

 your pullets will lay in this style of house and the small cost 

 and labor of caring for them. On the floor of their houses 

 use about six inches of cinders and then gravel over this, 

 then a few inches of sand over the gravel. This makes a 

 dry floor and rats will not work into the cinders. 



Ten colony houses will house 500 fowls and should not 

 cost more than $20 each, including the scratching sheds, or 

 a house with shed, 12x2 1. A long laying fancy breeding 

 house will cost $1,000 to house 500 hens. You s&ve just $800 



