No. 4.] POULTRY CULTURE. 35 



more uniformity, so that the Reds now are brought to one 

 color and size standard, and are really fine birds, not only 

 in ogg and flesh production, but also in i)lunia<>e. For 

 some years they were produced only for eggs and meat, and 

 they brought a fine price in New Bedford and Boston mar- 

 kets. They had fine breasts and shanks that were tooth- 

 some, and were much in demand in those markets as dressed 

 fowls. Now we haye brought the plumage to a uniformity 

 in the best flocks, and Ave haye a breed that is worthy of 

 the name. 



Mr. W. IL Glazier. How can an ordinary farmer best 

 know what the best-balanced rations are for poultry raising? 



Professor Brigha:m. In the first place, there is Farm- 

 ers' Bulletin No. 22, written by Dr. Allen, a very careful 

 and practical man, which you can obtain from the Secretary 

 of Agriculture at Washington. In the second place, bear 

 in mind those things I spoke of. Grit you need not 

 reckon in the ratio, but you must have grain and animal and 

 green food. The principal question then comes. How shall 

 I balance the ration ? To do this we must know about pro- 

 tein, or muscle-making food; about fat-producing food, 

 Avhicli heats the body of the fowl, and is stored up as fat ; 

 and we must know about carbohydrates, which is a long 

 word for starch and suofar. 



If you will bear in mind that your food, instead of corn, 

 beef scraps, etc., so far as you have to do with it, is protein, 

 carbohydrates and fat, then for a laying hen weighing from 

 three to five pounds you will need to get one part of protein 

 to four or five parts of carbohydrates or fats. You can 

 figure out the balanced rations for laying hens from corn 

 and beef scraps, and get the right amount of protein ; and 

 then, after you have figured it out, put it before the hens, 

 and ask them if it is all right. If it is not all right, j^ou 

 might say that the State Board of Agriculture must stand 

 aside until you have settled the matter with the hen, and 

 she will tell you whether it is right or not, in giving the 

 eggs. If you find it wrong, you can add a little more of 

 this or that, until you have it balanced according to the 

 hen's science. 



