64 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



[ April, 1879. 



not expose the birds to cold draughts ; but the all- 

 important condition is to keep the chicken bedroom 

 tli^roughly clean. Every week let the droppings, 

 wherever found, on the floor, or the shelves, front of 

 the nests, or in the nests, be scraped up and removed, 

 and then, with ground plaster or dust sprinkle the 

 places so cleaned, not with lime, as many do, for 

 that liberates the ammonia and brings out an un- 

 healthy smell, but with plaster,that absorbs the am- 

 monia, locks it up and keeps down unhealthy, offen- 

 sive smells. See that you have at the door every 

 morning, before the chickens come out, fresh water, 

 for many will go immediately and take large drinks 

 of it. Many places have we visited where cholera 

 broke out, and too often the above conditions h.id 

 been omitted. In some cases the droppings had not 

 been removed for weeks,and water was|uever seen near 

 the chicken house. A pump or creek was noTfar oft', 

 and if fowls could not go there it was their fault if 

 they got sick. In most cases tliey got to the 

 barnyard first and slaked their thirst on manure 

 water. In plain English, how long would the human 

 family survive if they slept for months in near prox- 

 imity to their own excrement, or drank water 

 poisoned with cow and horse dung» Cholera, fever- 

 yes, the plague— would soon make every farmhouse 

 as silent and as tenantless as some of the chicken- 

 houses get to be. — rhiladelp/iia Record. 



Nest for Sitters. 



All sorts of contrivances are resorted to by experi- 

 menters, to render what they 'consider their sitting- 

 nests for hens the most comfortable, convenient, and 

 best adapted to the purpose. The simplest and the 

 most natural plan in our experience, is to rest the 

 sitters upon the ground — whenever this method is 

 practicable. A slight hollow in the hen-house cor- 

 ner, upon the earth-floor, is a good place to set a 

 hen in. Fill this spot with soft hay, and place the 

 hen upon nine or eleven eggs, and if she is undis- 

 turbed duriug-.he three weeks of her confinement, 

 there, she will generally do well with fertile eggs. 

 If the nests are made in boxes, the bottom should be 

 covered with a fresh cut gi'ass-sod, or with two 

 inches of damp earth, upon which straw or hay 

 should be scattered before the eggs are set on. This 

 box should be thoroughly dean at the start, and the 

 hen may well be dusted (through the under-feathers 

 of breast and flanks,) with powdered sulphur or 

 carbolic power, to keep her free from lice while sit- 

 ting. This precaution will keep her steady to her 

 work, and render her condition much more comfort- 

 able during the three weeks occupied in incubation .— 

 Town and Country. 



Eggs from Different Breeds. 



A corresponnent of the Ohio Fanner says: "After 

 repeated experiments with the difl'erent varieties of 

 fowls, and comparisons with others who have ex- 

 perimented in the same direction, I have concluded 

 that tlie layiuj capacities of tlie principal varieties 

 are about as follows : 



Light Brahmas and Partridge Cochins— eggs, 7 to 

 the pound ; lay 1:30 per annum. 



Dark Brahmas— 8 to the pound ; 120 per annum. 



Black, White and Bufi' Cochins— 8 to the pound ; 

 12.5 per annum. 



Plymouth Rocks- 8 to the pound ; 1.50 per annum. 



Houdaus- S to the pound ; 150 per annum. 



La Fleche— 7 to the pound ; 130 per annum. 



Black Spanish— 7 to the pound ; 140 per annum. 



Lcuhorus- 9 to the pound ; KiO per annum. 



Hamburgs— 9 to the pound ; 150 per annum. 



Polish— 9 to the pound ; I'Jo per annum. 



Bantam — 10 to the pound ; 90 per annum. 



Fowls Eating Feathers. 

 Confinement and want of occupation are among 

 the chief causes why fowls eat feathers. The former 

 is often inevitable in winter, but the latter can be 

 avoided by burying some of their grain food in sand 

 and allow'ing them to hunt for it, which will afford 

 them pastime and healthy occupation. Give them 

 some green food, fresh meat two or three times a 

 week, burnt bones, oyster shells, charcoal, clean 

 water and a clean hennery, and if all this doesn't 

 cure them of the habit, follow Lewis's advice and 

 wring their necks, for they are incurable. 



Literary and Personal. 



Agriculture.— Speech of Hon. A. S. Paddock, 

 of Nebraska, in the Senate of the United States, 

 Monday, February 10th, 1879, on the resolution 

 oftered by Mr. Davis, of West Virginia, instructing 

 the Committee on Agriculture to consider and report 

 on what ought to be done by the General Government 

 to foster agriculture. 19 pp., 8vo. Good. "Hope 

 something may come of it." 



The Farmer's Magazine and Patron's 

 GciDE.— The March number of the first volume of 

 this journal has reached our table. It is a sixteen 

 page quarto, well gotten up both in mechanical 

 execution and literary merit, embracing a somewhat 

 wider scope than mere agriculture and domestic 

 economy. With our experience in this field of 



journalism we sincerely wish that so able an effort 

 may find a very large vacancy to fill. Published 

 monthly by Faulkner & Wood, No. 17 North 

 Tenth street, Philadelphia, at $1.00 a year. Of 

 course, as its title in part implies, it is in the interest, 

 specially, of the " Patrons of Husbandry," but is 

 not exclusive. 



Hiram E. Lutz, manufacturer of Philadelphia 

 poudrette. Factory Thirty-first street and Gray's 

 Ferry road ; office 1136 Market street. Price, ?25.00 

 per ton. His motto is, " Feed the land and il will 

 feed you ;" and he invites the attention of farmers 

 and truckers to a series of facts contained in his 8vo. 

 pamphlet of 20 pages, in which he fully describes 

 the quantity and mode of application to corn, pota- 

 toes, wh«at, rye, buckwheat, oats, peas, beans, car- 

 rots, onions, melons, squashes, grass, turnips, cot- 

 ton, tobacco, &.C., &c. If it was not (or pondrette the 

 Chinese nation would soon starve, but by means of 

 this fertilizer they feed the latid ajtd it feeds them. 



Thurber's Bee-Keeper's Almanac and Refer- 

 ence Book for 1879. H.K. &F. B. Thurber & Co., 

 West Broadway, Reade & Hudson streets. New Tork. 

 This is a royal octavo pamphlet of 62 closely printed 

 pages, with paper covers, containing not only a 

 "calender of monthly management," and the pro- 

 ceedings of the last "National Convention of the 

 Bee-Keepers' Association," but also a large amount 

 of other matter, descriptive, historical and statisti- 

 cal, relating to bees, bee-keeping, bee supplies, ex- 

 ports and imports, and apiarian productions, and 

 general intelligence on this subject. As this work is 

 published for gratuitous distribution all who are in- 

 terested in apiculture may obtain a copy by merely 

 asking for it. One of its special merits is, that its 

 statistical statements are authentic, being extracts 

 from official documents in the bureaa of statistics at 

 Washington, and attested by the chief's of bureaus. 

 To our apprehension it sheds a practical light on bee 

 culture that no progressive apiarist can afford to de- 

 prive himself of without jeopardy to his pecuniary 

 success. 



Frances Dunham's circular of apiarian supplies 

 for 1879, Depere, Brown county. Wis. This is an 

 8vo. pamphlet of 8 pp. in paper covers, illustrating 

 various styles of hives, implements and machinery 

 used in bee-keeping, with practical instruction on 

 the subject. Accompanying this pamphlet were two 

 small sections of the artificial comb foundation, 

 made of beeswax, which in their structure are very 

 perfect, vieing in execution with nature itself. What 

 ought to commend this pamphlet, and the good in- 

 tended to be accomplished by it, is the fa«t that the 

 author and proprietor of the works is a lady. The 

 report of the Northeastern Bee-Keepers' Association 

 of Wisconsin, says ; " Mrs. Fannie Dunham exhi- 

 bited a specimen of comb foundation, made on a 

 machine of her own invention, the peculiarity of 

 which consists in making the base of the cells very 

 thin, and using more wax in the sides of the cell ; 

 also, making the face of the foundation compara- 

 tively true and smooth, instead of fallowing the in- 

 dentations of the base." We commend our pro- 

 gressive bee-keepers to the implemental inventions 

 of Mrs. D., and especially to send for a copy of her 

 late circular, believing it may be greatly to their 

 material advantage. 



Agriculture of Pennsylvania, containing the 

 reports of the State Board of Agriculture, the State 

 Agricultural Society, the State Dairymen's Associa- 

 tion, the State Fruit-Growers' Association and the 

 State College for 1878. The whole forming a royal 

 octavo volume of 625 pages, with 33 full page plates, 

 and 63 other illustrations distributed througli the 

 letter press; besides, a large chart 24x30 inches, 

 with one hundred figures, illustrating the Guenon 

 Classification of Escutcheons of male and 

 female cattle for dairy stock, both for milking and 

 breeding. The whole work is creditable to the agri- 

 cultural interests of Pennsylvania, but really, with- 

 out making an invidious comparison, the report of 

 what is known by the " State Agricultural Society," 

 would make a very poor show if it were not sand- 

 wiched in between the State Board and the State 

 Dairymen's reports. On the whole, we don't know 

 but what this consolidating these reports may be the 

 best and cheapest plan for bringing them out and 

 confining them within proper limits. Barring some 

 unnecessary details in the State Agricultural report, 

 we consider this the best volume on agriculture and 

 stock that the State has ever published. 



A DESCRIPTIVE catalogue of Select Roses, offered 

 for sale by Ellwanger & Barry, Mount Hope Nur- 

 series, Rochester, New Tork, third edition. This is 

 an octavo of 32 pages, with a superb colored illustra- 

 tion of the celebrated rose, the Duchess of Edin- 

 BURG — a crimson Tea Rose — and is No. 5 of their 

 series of catalogues of roses. This is not a mere 

 catalogue, or a promiscuous list of roses, as the 

 name would seem to imply, but a perfect hand-book 

 on rose culture, giving descriptions, names, modes of 

 culture, when to plant, what to plant, pruning, peg- 

 ging down, protection, mildew, insects and the man- 

 ner of their expulsion or destruction. Also advice to 

 correspondents, prices for roses, transportation by 

 mall and express, together with a most admirably 

 classified and arranged list of species »nd yarieties, 



both old and new. The two grand divisions: 1. Sum- 

 mer Roses. 2. Perpetual, or Autumnal Roses. 

 After which follow classes, sections, families, genera, 

 species and varieties, giving not only the common or 

 proper name, and the technical names, but short 

 descriptions of each variety; giving their origin, 

 their colors, and many other matters interesting to the 

 amateur rose culturist, besides a hundred other little 

 matters connected ■s\ ith this beautiful floral subject. 

 Ellwanger & Barry's spring list of plants for 

 1879, including green-house, hot-house and bedding 

 plants, and also lists of prices ; 20 pages octavo, in- 

 cluding a paper read before the Western New Tork 

 Horticultural Society, on " The best hardy roses for 

 general cultivation, and how to grow them, by 

 Henry B. Ellwanger." This catalogue is as skill- 

 fully classified as' the one on roses, and every plant 

 is accompanied with instructive and explanatory re- 

 marks. 1\ie\\- dollar collections, ^enihy mail, postage 

 paid by them, are especially worthy the attention of 

 amateurs. Either 5 flowering begonias, 8 chrys- 

 antheniums, 8 coleus, 8 fuchsias, 8 zonal, 6 double, 

 or 6 scented geraniums, 8 heliotropes, 6 hardy 

 phlox', 8 basket plants, 12 verbenas, 5 salvias, or 6 

 violets sent for one dollar. Ellwanger & Barry's sui>- 

 plementary list of New Fruits for 1879, including 

 new peaches, new pears, new seedling grapes, new 

 strawberries, &c., &c., is also worthy the attention 

 of fruit-growers. When we wield our pen against 

 nurserial tramps, as we are sometimes compelled to 

 do by our victimized patrons, be it known that we 

 never mean Ellwanger iC" Barry. Their reputation 

 is too dear to them to send out irresponsible agents 

 with unreliable stock. 



The Diseases of Live Stock, and their most 

 efficient remedies, including horses, cattle, sheep and 

 swine. Being a popular treatise, giving in brief and 

 plain language a description of all the usual diseases 

 to which these animals are liable, and the most suc- 

 cessful treatment of American, English and Euro- 

 pean veterinarians ; together with anatomical and 

 physiological explanations, alphabetical and classi- 

 fied lists of the drugs used in veterinary medicine 

 and their doses, a large collection of valuable receipts 

 and formulas for condition powders, liniments, 

 washes, drenches, &e.,&c. By Lloyd 'V.Tellor, M.D. 

 Published by H. C. Watts & Co., Philadelphia, Pa. 

 In addition to the recitation of the foregoing title, 

 which is an epitome of the work itself, we may be 

 permitted to add, that this is an excellently executed 

 volume of 467 pages, royal octavo, handsomely bound 

 in muslin. The quality of the paper and the letter- 

 press are unexceptionable, and its contents such as 

 ought to commend it to all veterinary surgeons, stock- 

 men, and in fact to any one permanently possessing 

 a single animal. The classification and general ar- 

 rangement are admirable, and of easy and intelligent 

 consultation ; divided into four parts, as follows : 1st. 

 General principles of veterinary medicines— five chap- 

 ters. 2nd. Diseases of the horse— eleven chapters. 

 3rd. Diseases of cattle, sheep and swine — intro- 

 ductory remarks and six chapters. 4th. Hygiene 

 and medicine— three chapters. Including a number 

 of appropriate illustrations, and a copious alphabeti- 

 cal index. In short, it is a "ready-made horse and 

 cattle doctor, at your service, sir," and the greatest 

 difficulty involved in the question it presents, so far 

 as we are able to judge, is how any stock dealer 

 and owner can afford to be without it. 



The Phrenological Journal.— In our reading 

 of The Phrenological Journal and Science of Health 

 for April, we were struck by the general tone of the 

 magazine. Its aim is to elevate, and it is pure In 

 character iu every department, while entertainment 

 and instruction are skillfully blended, so that its 

 matter is exceedingly interesting from beginning to 

 end. Indeed the Phrenological Journal is a capital 

 illustration of what can be accomplished in the way 

 of making science pleasant to the general reader. 

 The first sketch is that of the Rev. Dr. Fair, an 

 Episcopal divine of distinction in Baltimore. Then 

 comes a very interesting description of the Chinese 

 at Home, in which the reader finds many features 

 that are entirely new to him, and bearing closely 

 upon the special work of the Phrenological Journal. 

 The installment of "Brain and Mind" furnishes 

 clear and definite applications of the science to the 

 delineation of moral qualities. An interesting article 

 is that of " Poe and Rachel." Elizabeth Thompson, 

 the English lady who has suddenly leaped into fame, 

 occupies a place in this number, with an excellent 

 portrait. Our young people will certainly be inter- 

 ested in the opening chapters of " Uncle Jimmie, the 

 Cripple," a short serial which is pleasantly written. 

 Real Teachers and Real Teaching, ore some views 

 of a veteran pedagogue, now a New Tork editor. 

 The great work of Moral Reform is represented this 

 time by Mr. William Noble, of England, and an ap- 

 preciative sketch of him is given, with a portrait. 

 Miss Coleman discourses upon the "Diet of Man" 

 in her usually pleasant and careful manner. All the 

 departments are replete with amusement and Instruc- 

 tion. Tlie smaller type especially abounds in valu- 

 able hints to the reader. The Journal is published 

 now at ?2.00 a year, 20 cents a number, with a choice 

 of Premiums to each subscriber. Address S. R. Well* 

 ifc Co., Publishers, 737 Broadway, New York. 



