No. 4.] MODERN POULTRY CULTURE. 107 



Mr. Sargent. They were kept in equal circumstances 

 with Brahmas and Plymouth Rocks, and we had no trouble 

 with the others. 



Mr. Crocker. Is sickness not owing more to breeding 

 of lice than any other cause except the lack of brains ? 



Mr. CusHMAN. I think there are a great many poultry 

 keepers who have sick fowls covered with lice. They do 

 not realize that there are lice on the birds. I have been 

 called many times to breeder houses where the keeper 

 has had trouble with his fowls, and has done everything, 

 but has not been able to help them. I have found these 

 birds covered with lice. Many poultry keepers make a rule 

 to treat their fowls with Persian insect powder regularly. 



Overfeeding will cause bowel trouble, and there are lots 

 of difi'erent things that will upset a chicken and cause that 

 condition. One could determine the cause better by look- 

 ing at the chickens than in any other wa3^ I am always 

 careful not to feed sloppy food, and to have everjrthing clean, 

 and always fresh water, and have the cups and dishes cleaned 

 every day. Feeding too much will sometimes cause bowel 

 trouble, or a little too much of a certain kind of food. I 

 watch the droppings, and change the food as necessary. 



Mr. Walton Hall (of Marshfield). In regard to laying 

 hens, I would like to know the best possible breed for lay- 

 ers, how many to be kept in one flock, and the best building 

 for their comfort. 



Mr. CusHMAN. There are so many diflerent buildings 

 and so many diflferent breeds I should hate to mislead any- 

 body. A very good building is one about ten by fifteen 

 feet, with an open shed attached of the same size. That is 

 a most excellent building. The very best breed, in my 

 opinion, for producing eggs the year around is the Black 

 Minorca. If you want market poultry, you have to give 

 that up. If you want brown eggs and a nice dressed fowl 

 at the same time, the White Wyandotte cannot be beaten. 

 I consider the White Wyandotte ahead of the Plymouth 

 Rock. If you want market poultry to bring the highest 

 price, you have to have a white or buff fowl. A house ten 

 by fifteen with a ten by fifteen shed ought to keep fifteen or 

 twenty fowls if they have range. You can keep a larger 



