FEEDING-HOPPER. 51 



sary, therefore, to drive down a stake at each 

 end, and secure it by spikes to the hopper ; 

 but a better plan would be to place it in a 

 separate enclosure, made with posts and 

 rails, in one corner of the yard. This need 

 not exceed ten feet square, and it may be 

 used, likewise, to receive other contrivances 

 for their wants. 



Although it may appear, at first sight, ex- 

 travagant to feed fowls in this way, yet any 

 one who chooses may satisfy himself, by 

 direct experiments, that, after the fowls are 

 in good order, they actually eat less than by 

 any other method that has been devised. 



We come now to the consideration of 

 water > which should be plentifully supplied, 

 and of the best quality. Many persons think, 

 because they see fowls helping themselves 

 to dirty water, and that from the stagnant 

 pools in a barnyard, that the quality of 

 the water is a matter of indifference to 

 them. This is, however, far from being the 

 case ; fowls actually do prefer and thrive 

 best on the purest water. From the well- 

 known injurious effects of salt, there is great 



