CHAPTER XVIII 
WHITE WYANDOTTES 
« Sam,” said I, «I am going to start this poul- 
try plant from just as near the beginning of 
things as possible. I want you to dispose of 
every hen on the place within the next twenty 
days, and to burn everything that has been used 
in connection with them. We’ve cleared this 
land of disease germs, if there were germs in it, 
by turning it bottom-side up; now let’s start 
free from the pestiferous vermin that make a 
hen’s life unhappy. No stock, either old or 
young, shall be brought here. When we want 
to change our breeding, we’ll buy eggs from the 
best fanciers and hatch them in our own incu- 
bators. It will then be our own fault if we 
don’t keep our chickens comfortable and free 
from their enemies. This is sound theory, and 
we'll try how it works out in practice. Cer- 
tainly it will be easier to keep clean if we start 
clean. Not one board or piece of lumber that 
has been used for any other purpose shall find 
place in my hen-houses. Eternal vigilance 
makes a full egg basket; and a full egg basket 
means a lot of money at the year’s end. I will 
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