No. 4.] POULTRY ON SMALL FARMS. 423 



or other get all the wa.st(> green >stuif from the garden ; but 

 in giving it I can cojisult my own convenience, knowing 

 that they can get good green grass whenever they choose to 

 pick it, and will not siift"er if 1 tind other things of more 

 importance to do, and neglect giving them special feeds of 

 vegetables for a long time. Quite a number of farmers I 

 know handle fowls by methods very similar to those I use, 

 the essential thing being to avoid conditions, a ration, or a 

 routine that keei)S the attendant constantly at the beck and 

 call of some feature of the system. 



In ofrowinjr vounj; chickens I cannot now make as satisfac- 

 tory an ap})lication of the ideas described, because I have no 

 guard against city cats, and keep chicks in coops while small ; 

 but a few years ago, when located where cats were no 

 trouble, we gave the chicks the run of a small* orchard, fed 

 them a mash in the morning, kept cracked corn standing 

 before them all the time, and gave other feed or not through 

 the day, as happened to be convenient. 



Given the right conditions, one can do this with both old 

 and young fowls. The suitable conditions are found on 

 almost all small farms, when either the fowls kept are given 

 ample yard room, or the land which can be utilized for 

 fowls is not stocked so heavily that its natural facilities fail. 



I think we have disposed of the problem of feeding and 

 waterins:, indicating how it can be done and the farmer left 

 free to give the Avhole day between chore times to other 

 farm and field work. Another problem that causes some 

 trouble is keeping houses and yards clean. When the fowls 

 are given large yards, the work of caring for them is very 

 nuich reduced. The large yard on soil of the sandy charac- 

 ter conmion throughout New England does not become foul. 

 The droppings are well distributed over it, and the rains 

 disintegi'ate them and leach them down into the soil, where 

 they nourish the roots of the grass and trees. With the 

 large yards, too, it is easier to take care of the houses, for 

 the hens are in them less, droppings do not accumulate so 

 rapidly, and it is not so necessary that there should be regu- 

 lar and frequent cleanings. 



I use no droppings boards, and, by keeping the floors of 



