424 BOAKD OF ACiRICrLTUKE. [Pub. Doc. 



the houses well littered Avith dry leaves, which al^sorb all the 

 moisture in the dr()p})ings, find that I can let the dropjnngs 

 remain for Aveeks and yet leave the house free from bad 

 smells, and, as the dr()p})ing-s are hidden in the leaves, 

 cleaner to look at than half the houses I see that are cleaned 

 daily. In winter I have let my houses go Avithout removing 

 the dropi)ings for several months. 1 don't advise others 

 either to do Avithout dropi)ings boards or to let their houses 

 go so long uncleaned, unless they are sure they can control 

 the situation. If there is nuich looseness amono- the foAvls, 

 it will not do at all to let droppings accumulate. With some 

 kinds of litter the droppings cannot be alloAved to accvunu- 

 late. Dry leaves I have found better than anything else, if 

 one has them in sufficient (juantity to keep the litter ahvays 

 deep on the iloor of the houses. In England many farmers 

 use peat moss, and allow droppings to accunuilate in it for 

 nearly a year. In Rhode Island the colony-plan ])0ultry 

 farmers set a board on edge on the Hoor just forward of the 

 outer roost, and throw dry earth, a fcAv shovelfuls at a time, 

 from the other side of the floor on the accunuilating dro})- 

 })ings. This accumulation of earth and droppings is re- 

 moved once or tAvice a year. Poultry manure normally is 

 of such character that if one takes })roper care of it Avhere it 

 falls in the house it is not necessar}' that it should be 

 promptly removed ; and the small farmer, taking advantage 

 of this fact, can arrano-e his roosts and their surroundings 

 so that he can clean AAdien convenient. He is not recjuired 

 to choose between taking time to clean the houses daily or 

 haviui:; houses in condition to be ashamed of. 



Poultry kee})ing ought to be an important feature on ever}' 

 farm, and a pleasant feature of farm work. It may be, if 

 the farmer Avill only study to adapt his stock and his methods 

 to the capacity of the farm under conditions satisfactory to 

 him. 



