MANUAL ON POULTRY. 31 



in the latter were infested with mites daily for many days in suc- 

 cession, those in the former were entirely exempt from them. 



After nests have once been used by sitting hens they should be 

 thoroughly renovated. The material of which the nests are made 

 should be entirely removed, and either burned or thrown into the 

 manure pile. 



In -addition to the house, there should be a shed with southern 

 exposure, under which the fowls may shelter themselves from cold 

 wind and rain. This shed should be provided with dust-baths of 

 dry earth mixed with ashes into which flower of sulphur is occa- 

 sionally sprinkled. 



The droppings of both animals and birds furnish a fruitful source 

 of disease ; hence the importance of extreme caution in removing 

 promptly all droppings from the house and frequently using disin- 

 fectants about the houses. 



This subject will be further treated under its appropriate head, 

 and extracts from recent scientific investigations given. 



INCUBATION AND MANAGEMENT OF CHICKS. 



If practicable, sitting hens should have a separate apartment 

 where they will not le disturbed by others seeking nests; but this 

 can seldom be arranged on the farm. The next best arrangement 

 is to provide woven wire gates, or doors, for the nests occupied by 

 sitting hens, to prevent intrusion from others, and at the same time 

 afford ample ventilation. With this arrangement it will be neces- 

 sary to remove the hen once a day to take food. No inconvenience 

 will arise from this if the hens are as gentle as they should be. It 

 will not be necessary to keep the door of the nest closed regularly 

 unless there are other hens disposed to intrude upon the sitters. It 

 is well, however, to have ready a means of protecting them when 

 necessary. 



Eggs should be marked when placed under the hens in order 

 that those laid after she commences to sit may be readily distin- 

 guished and promptly removed. The number of eggs to be put 

 under a hen will depend upon the season of the year and the size of 

 the hen. In winter, when the temperature is so low that the par- 



