330 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



APRII, 1, 1840. 



BIRDS. 



The great and llie good prolecl, and ihe wiiked and the 

 vile destroy. 



The season f<ir the sinning of birds having ar- 

 rived, let us all unite in their preservation and pro- 

 tection. Let every parent discourse to his children 

 on the advantages derived from Ihe feathered 

 songsters in the economy of nature. Tell them of 

 the millions of insects destroyed by a single pair 

 oflittle birds, during the season of rearing their 

 infant fanii'y; and the millions of millions of per- 

 nicous insects which would be the progeny of those 

 thus destroyed if they were suffered to survive for 

 a single year. Inform tlierii of the quantities of 

 grain and grass, and fruit which perish annually 

 by the depredations of the insect tribe, and tliat the 

 birds are the only antagonists which we can 

 avail ourselves of for protection from such insidi- 

 ous invaders of our rights. Remove the smaller 

 birds which keep the insect tribes in check, and 

 the earth would soon become one great desert, un- 

 inhabitable by either man or beast. fi)r the food 

 designed by Providence for sustenance, would be 

 wholly swallowed up or destroyed by the myriads 

 of insects which would speedily cover its surface. 

 Beasts of prey and other invaders of larger growth, 

 skill, and science can subdue or annihilate, but 

 insects set all the boasted knowledge of mankind 

 at defiance, and we have no protection for them 

 but that which is furnished by our little friends the 

 birds. 



Now where is the boy, who knowing that his 

 very existence depends on the industry and vigi- 

 lance of birds, will be wicked enough to kill, and 

 destroy, and persecute, and break down the habita- 

 tions of his friends and protectors. Is there one 

 to be found in this Christian country, who would 

 do this, if proper care was taken to instruct, and 

 enlighten him on this vsry interesting and impor- 

 tant subject .' No, not one. Therefore l^t parents 

 and teachers be alive to this subject, ^rve the 

 rising generation suitable instructio.n, .enlighten 

 them, convince them of the wickedness, the inhu- 

 manity, the impolicy of destroying their best 

 friends, and the great mischief will soon.be stayed, 

 and the birds will once more sing in peace and 

 safety. R,fjkcca. 



Ann HORTICULTURAL REGISTER. 



Boston, Wednksdat, April 1, 1840. 



Insects. — Some kinds of vegetables, as soon as 

 they appear above ground, are very liable to be 

 cut off by insects. The best preventive is to roll 

 the ground immediately after sowing. This should 

 always be done, unless the ground is too wet. 

 The insects are thus deprived of shelter behind the 

 lumps of ear;h — are more exposed to winds, storms, 

 and extremes of heat and cold. Small chickens, 

 turkies, and ducks, the mothers of which are con 

 fined in coops, will destroy many insects in a gar- 

 den. A mixture of dry wood-ashes, lime, and gyp- 

 sum put into the hills or drills, and covered with a 

 little soil before dropping the seed, afford protec- 

 tion to the roots from these insects that prey on 

 these plants. Infusion of waste tobacco, limo-ash- 

 os, soot, cow-dung, elder, and some other leaves 

 will, when moderately sprinkled over the beds, 

 often drive off insects. Grubs may be destroyed 

 by searching for them ; and these insects that ad- 

 here to the leaves, may be destroyed with the leaves. 

 Slugs are said to be enticed by slices of turnips on 

 the beds, and early in the morning may be killed. 



POULTRY M.-iNAGEMENT. 



VVe give the following letter to our readers with great 

 pleasure. The autlior is the distinguished temperance 

 agent, who has sown the seeds of virtue and sobriety 

 brcidcast over Massachusetts, of which the harvest is al- 

 ready abundant. God bless him ! — We understand that 

 he stated in one of his lectures, that he taught his chil- 

 dren to consider him as the handsomest man in the world. 

 Don 't let Iiim insist upon our signing that creed withput 

 some qualification ; because we think we have in the 

 course of a pretty extensive acquaintance, seen one or 

 two men quite as handsome. But then if " handsome is 

 as handsome does," we must admit that he does a great 

 many things vety handsomely, and a great many very 

 handsome things. Witness this essay upon poultry man- 

 agement. Though lie has a great deal to say about eggs, 

 he very properly says nothing about egg nogg or nmlled 

 wine. These are ungracious abuses of these excellent 

 gifts, against which he eloquently protests. H. C. 



To the Editor of the New England Farmer : 



Dear Sir— At your request I furnish for ytiur paper a 

 few remarks on the subject of chickens. 



1 . Never allow more than twelve hens to one rooster : 

 a smaller number, say eight, would perhaps be better. 



2. Never allow the roosters to go together : they are 

 very jealous, and always pugnaciously interfering with 

 each other's rights. The strongest lead away the hens: 

 the consequence is, the eggs are fewer and do not hatch 

 well. Hence the universal complaint tliat a larger num- 

 ber of hens are not as profitable, in proportion, as a small- 

 er number. 



3. Chickens require a good deal of water to soften their 

 food, and gravel to grind it. They also require animal 

 food. In winter they often cannot get water, nor gravel, 

 nor insects or worms They are well fed, it may be, 

 with grain, yet do nut lay. Supply their natural wants. 

 Give them water, gravel and animal food, such as fat 

 meat, liver, or indeed any kind of fresh meat. Keep 

 them warm, not permitting tliem to become i.hilled, and 

 they will lay as well in the winter as during uny other 

 season. 



i. Do not permit your bens to setat different times, or 

 rather only a few at a time. This causes broods of differ- 

 ent ages, and the younger are usually injured ordeprived 

 of a fair quota of food by the older. When your hens 

 manifest a disposition to set, let them remain on chalk 

 eggs until as many as you intend to set are ready. Then 

 place fifteen eggs under each hen. Select your eggs by 

 holding them up to the light. Those which have bluish, 

 watery specks in them had best be rejected. They do 

 not hatch as well, nor are their chicks as healthy as the 

 eggs that have n(t blemish. 



5 When the young are liatching do not interrupt the 

 hen. When hatched, feed them with Indian meal, with 

 a large proportion of pounded egg shells. Hens that set 

 " out," as it is called, generally have healthy chickens. 

 I often have examined their nests, aiid seldom found any 

 remains of the shells in them. The little ones eat them 

 up. I have found that egg shells greatly advance their 

 growth and health. 



6. If all the little chickens could be taken from the 

 hen and kept in a room warmed by a stove, I am satis- 

 fied from experiinents, that they would do much belter 

 than to be with the hen. 



7. Never allow the young chickens to get wet, nor to 



become cold. See that they are supplied with ground 

 worms (fishing worms.) They will repay you for this 

 trouble. 



8. Three times a year, at least, grease the head, throat, 

 and under the wings of your chickens. A very small 

 proportion of precipitate added to the lard is of service. 

 You will never have your hens troubled with lice if you 

 follow this rule and keep the hen-house clean. 



9. Never allow your chickens to be without food. I 

 have often been asked what is the best food to make hens 

 lay.' I have made several and repeated experiments to 

 decide this question. The result is, give your hens and 

 rooster, (who by the way requires as much, nay more at- 

 tention than the hens,) water, gravel, and animal food, 

 and they will lay as well on one kind of food as on anoth- 

 er Potatoes, corn, wheat, rye, oats, buckwheat, barley, 

 and any thing that they will eat, will do. Boiled food is 

 cheapest and best for hens, especially if kept up all the 

 year, as they should he. I have followed the above rules 

 ever since 1 owned chickens. We have always had 

 more eggs than was required lor use ; and our chickens 

 have never had any epidemic among them. With the 

 exception of moulting season, that is when they shed 

 their feathers, with judicious management, hens will lay 

 for 260 days in the year. 



10. Hens lay well and do well for four years How 

 much longer they would continue fruitful I know not. 



1 1. There is a great difference in hens. Some breeds 

 lay every day, until they empty the ovary. Others twice 

 in three days. Others only every other day. The Cre- 

 ole breed are the best layers I have seen, except a breed 

 at Judge Burr's, in New Jersey, called Booby chickens. 

 They lay everyday, Eggslarge ; chickens strong, large 

 and of quick growth. Hens set well 



12. Never frighten nor chase your chickens, unless 

 they get into your garden. In that case 1 have found 

 that the crack of a whip more effectually deterred tliem 

 than any thing else, from venturing into forbidden ground. 

 I do not know why it is, but they seem more afraid of 

 the smack of tbe whip than any one would suppose who 

 has never tried it. 



If these remarks are not deemed sufficient, any other 

 in addition will be cheerfully made when required, by 

 Yours, respectfully, 



THOMAS P. HUNT, 

 WroMi.-iG, Penn. The Drunkard's Friend. 



MAGNIFICENT INDEED ! 



TJie following product of pork, as the annual return of ( 

 one farmer, thougli not all on one farm, is probably unri- j 

 vailed in New England or Old England. These were J 

 all fatted the last year and sold as staled Total weight, | 

 44,303 lbs. Our respected friend at Lexington is now ; 

 distanced ; for which we frankly say we are not sori-y, j 

 because we know he will not be sorry ; and for the sim- i 

 pie reason that he will rejoice in any new stimulus or in- , 

 centive to agricultural improvement. When we publish- .i 

 ed his account, we supposed he had reached the top of i 

 the tree; and we knew a good many snatling fellows i 

 who were trying to look at him, (though the eyes of < 

 such folks seldom leave the ground,) and crying out ' sour \ 

 grapes.' What will they say now ! Here is a Rhode i 

 Island farmer who has planted his feet upon kis shoul- ; 

 ders, and stands a full length above him. All we can .] 

 do is to pray the Supreme Court of the United States, I 

 when they come to decide the disputed boundary line be- 1 

 tween the two States, by all means to take this good man • 

 and his farms into Massachusetts. We want him. We ( 

 must have him, — though what is to become of our little i 

 sister, if we take him away, we do not very well see. But ' 

 then why should wc desire to rob Rhuda of her jewels .' ■ 

 It would not be just. Let us wear brighter if we can. 



H. C. i 



