108 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



htns about dusk. The first night let the hen 

 sit on a dumtny egg, and in the morning take 

 her ofT the nest. If she goes back of her own 

 accord she may safely be given the eggs. Leave 

 food and water always in the pen, also a dust 

 bath. Place the same number of eggs under 

 each hen and that number just what the smallest 

 hen will cover. It will not matter then if the 

 hens exchange nests. 



The hens .should be dusted with vermin de- 

 stroyer twice during the ',i weeks. All other 

 fowl than the sitters should be excluded from 

 the hatching chamber. In the mornings be- 

 tween 7 and 8 o'clock raise the blinds and let 

 in the Hght. Usually most of the sitters will 

 come Qfl the nest to feed. Those that do not 

 should be carefully Ufted off and all eggs ex- 

 amined. If an egg is broken the rest should 

 be washed in tepid water. After the blinds 

 have been up about half an hour, see if all the 

 hens have returned to their nests. Good 

 sitters will have returned in that time. Close 

 the blinds again and the hens will usually 

 remain on their nests until the light is let in 

 again next day. As soon as the chicks hatch 

 remove the hen, nest and all, for the peeping 

 of the chicks causes the other sitters to become 

 restless. 



Do not be afraid to use pullets broody for 

 the first time, for sitting. Ihey make just as 

 good sitters then as at any time in their career. 

 To cluck is a natural instinct just as strong in 

 a pullet as a hen. 



I will add a word of warning in regard to 

 handling and testing eggs too often during 

 incubation. The following extract from a 

 lecture on that subject, given by Mr. A. New- 

 port, at Crewe, Eng., is worth reading: "Some 

 people test their ,eggs, particularly white shelled 

 ones, on the 4th day, though a much better 

 practice is to test them on the 7th or 8th day. 

 I ought, perhaps, here to caution against 

 testing eggs too frequently. It is very hard 

 for a beginner to refrain from handling his 

 eggs, but knowing the delicacy of the blood 



vessels that form a perfect maze of Iracery over 

 the yolks, and, knowing that these and a further 

 set, busy absorbing the yolk, are very highly 

 sensitive, he will perceive that the less he 

 interferes with the eggs, the less hkely he is to 

 damage this fragile and delicate interior. 

 Another reason why I object to testing eggs 

 frequently is that in so doing they are held up 

 to the light in an unnatural position and some 

 of the organs inside the egg are being twisted. 

 Again, there is the Hght. To test eggs properly 

 a very clear light is needed to pass through the 

 egg. When testing I have frequently seen the 

 light violently disturb the embryo. It would 

 stand still a moment, then begin to wheel around 

 and, as it w'ere, kick and struggle. That cannot 

 be good for development. Therefore, eggs 

 should be tested only cnce, and that about the 

 7th or 8th day. If very doubtful about them, 

 perhaps a second test might he given en the 

 14th day. 1 should not go beyond that because 

 between the 10th and ISth days is the most 

 critical period in the life <if the embryo. 



LIQUID lice; destroyer 



The following questions have been sent in 

 with a request that answers to them be published 

 in this issue: "Will you try to find out for the 

 chicken raisers' benefit, a liquid lice killer, that 

 can be put on the perches and that will kill 

 the lice while the fowl are sleeping? I use oil 

 of sassafras, but it is too expensive for the 

 little chicks, or the birds on the roost. The 

 hens that are laying will have the lice killed 

 on them by the tobacco stems in the nests, but 

 all others not laying have to be dusted, which 

 requires two persons and is very tedious and 

 expensive. Tobacco ashes are put in the dust 

 baths, but the hens do not clean themselves 

 well." 



In answer to the first question: There are 

 two liquid louse killers on the market — Rust's 

 and Lee's. These can be obtained from any 

 dealer in poultry supplies. Full directions are 



given on the tins. The price is 40 cts. a quart. 

 Try powdered sulphur in the dust baths and on 

 the floor of the coops in which small chicks 

 are housed. W hen the birds arc jjut in their 

 summer quarters see that there is plenty of 

 dry dusting n:aterial in the pens and they will, 

 as a rule, keep^thtmEelves free from vermin. 



WINKERS AT OTTAWA 



At the Fat Stock and I'<jultry Show at Ottawa, 

 March 5 to 9, the largest classes were the Barred 

 Rocks, White Legboins, and W hite Wyandottes. 

 The show surpa.'sed all previous attempts in 

 the quality and in the entries. The first prize 

 Barred Rock cockerel was owned by a young 

 Ottawan, who is employed by the electric 

 company and who keeps fowls as a pastime 

 He has spent a good sum in purchasing eg^:- 

 from the best sources and could have sold hi 

 cockerel at $.30 or $50. He says his fowl return 

 him a profit. The first prize White Wyan- 

 <lottc cockerel, also, was bred and owned by 

 an Ottawan, a member of the staff of the Militia 

 Department, who likewise keeps fowl for recrea- 

 tion and profit. He has tried for first honors 

 for several seasons, and by keejiing at it ha 

 at last succeeded. Nearly all the first prize - 

 for White Leghorns went to an Ottawa man, 

 who has a machine and bicycle shop in the city, 

 and a small farm in the suburbs. He manage^ 

 both with success and says, when he is tired c : 

 the machine work he goes out to his poultr> 

 He has spent considerable in getting the be> 

 stock and is now being reimbursed by bcin 

 able to sell stock and eggs at a high figuri 

 These facts show that any one who will gii. 

 attention to the details of poultry raisinj;. 

 even in a city back yard, can be successful 

 These exhibitors, and others not mentioned, 

 won the honors over the heads of many oU; 

 breeders hitherto considered invincible. Th; 

 should induce some, who do not keep pure-bred- 

 to secure some at once, and so more thorough!) 

 enjoy poultry keeping. 



II 



TKe Herbert Raspberry 



The Earliest, Hardiest, Finest Flavored. 

 Most Productive Red Raspberry. See 

 Particulars in February Horticulturist. 

 40c. each; ft.OO dozen; £25.00 per 100 



The RenfrewNurseries Company, Limited 

 RENFREW, ONTARIO 



HOOD, big 'mealy' 

 potatoes can not 

 be produced without 

 a liberal amount of 

 Potash in the fertil- 

 izer — not less than ten 

 per cent. It must be 

 in the form of Sulphate 

 of Potash of highest 

 quality. 



"Plant Food" and "Truck Farming" are 

 two pnctical books which tell of the success- 

 ful growing of potatoes and the other garden 

 truck — sent free to those who write for them. 



Address, QERMAN KALI WORKS. 



9.T Na.ssau Street, New York, 



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