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BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



to keep not over one or two hundred hens, we would say: 

 take the best three or four acre lot on your farm, near the 

 house, but on the best tillage land. Build a good house for 

 the number of hens you wish to keep exactly in the center of 

 the lot. Divide this lot as in Fig. 9, into four j)arts, sur- 

 rounding the poultry house, and one corner of each coming 

 to the house. Number these lots 1, 2, 3 and 4, and on the 

 first year fence No. 1 with a good portable poultry fence. 

 The first year turn all the hens into lot No. 1, also put all 

 the droppings from the house on this same lot. The second 

 year change the hens to No. 2, and repeat the process with 



Fi(i. 9. — An ideal poultry plant for the small farm. 



droppings. Also plant and raise, without buying fertilizer, 

 the richest garden you ever saw on lot No. 1. Seed this lot 

 to grass late in the fall. The third year change hens to lot 

 No. 3, and repeat the process as before, raising garden on 

 No. 2, and cutting big hay on No. 1. The fourth year 

 change hens to No. 4, garden on No. 3, and mow Nos. 1 and 

 2. The fifth year begin again on No. 1, and so continue 

 over the rotation, with always a clean, fresh poultry pasture ; 

 always a rich garden and heavy grass to cut; big poultry 

 ])rofits from each of the three crops, unreckoned and unal- 

 lowed; and an independence such as you had never known 

 before; and if Biddy should give you $1 or more in clear. 



