220 THS FARM 



find your cuemy dead. But you must be careful to shut up the dogs aud 

 cats, as they are equally fond of lard. It is the easiest way to kill any ver- 

 min, as they die very soon. Skunks will kill and eat full-grown diicks and 

 hens, and suck their eggs, whenever they can gain entrance into the poultry- 

 house. 



Road-dust for tlie Heniiery. — Collect a fewbaiTcls of dry earth, road- 

 dust, fine dry dirt in the cornfield or potato patch, or anywhere that is moat 

 convenient. This is a handy thing to have in the fall and winter lor sprink- 

 ling under the roosts and on the floor of the poultry-house. It absorbs am- 

 monia, keeps down smells, and keeps things ship-shape. It will pay to at- 

 tend to this when it can be so easily done. It costs but little, and is a real 

 advantage. 



Tlie Iiang«lia,ns. — There is a prominent feature of the Langshans not 

 possessed by the Black Cochins, which is activity. They come in as an ex- 

 tra desirable breed, between the leghorns aud the sitters, for they commence 

 to lay early, and when about to enter upon incubation are easily broken. 

 They are large in size, fine-boned, hardy, and gi"ow rapidly. Tl|ey are the 

 strongest rivals for public favor that the Plymouth Rocks have, and are just 

 as certain to go to the front as if they had been known for centuries. Their 

 quaUties as a farmer's fowl are good, and they will entirely supersede many 

 other breeds in time. 



Poultry Manure. — Collect the droppings as often as possible, and com- 

 post them with dry dirt. If dry dirt is inconvenient on account of the earth 

 being frozen, use good ground land plaster instead. The mixture of gi-ound 

 plaster and poultry droppings is better than either alone, and the ammonia 

 is thereby saved. A good dusting of plaster over and under the I'oosts, and 

 plentifully scattered all over the floor of the poultry house, conduces to the 

 health of fowls and destroys foul odors. 



How IVests Should be Made—Eggs hatch much better if the nests are 

 made by placing a cut turf, and shovel of mold, sand or ashes in the box or 

 basket, and on this a little short straw, than if straw only is used. In this 

 way a convenient hollow is obtained that prevents the eggs rolling out from 

 under the setting hen. In cool weather the eggs are thus kept of a much 

 more equable temperature than in nests made simply of loose straw. 



To Fatten Gee$ie. — To fatten geese, an experienced practitioner says: 

 Put up two or three in a darkened room and give each bird one poiind of 

 oats daily, thrown on a pan of water. In fourteen days they will be found 

 almost too fat. Never shut up a single bii'd, as geese are sociable and will 

 pine away if left alone. 



Nests of Sa-wdust—To prevent hens from scratching their nests make 

 the nests of sawdust. Do not have the boxes too large— only long enough 

 for two nests, with a partition. Place a little hay on the sawdust until the 

 hens get accustomed to it; also sulphur, to prevent vermin. 



Hens Katlng Eggs — If hens get into the habit of eating eggs, taka 

 enough bran and corn meal of equal parts for one feeding, and enough vine- 

 gar warmed to make the meal wet enough for the heaa to eat. Mix together 

 »iid feed it to the hens. 



