410 



NEW ENGLAND FAR]MER. 



Sept. 



Thus the verj^ substances, which, accumulated, 

 would destroy all animal life, is converted by 

 a change of form, into the means of nourish- 

 ing and sustaining every form of animal life. 

 "Coticord, Mans., July, 1867. R. 



For the New England Farmer. 



NOTES OK" THE CONNECTICUT VAL- 

 LEY.— No. rv. 

 Conveniences and Cost of Farm-Houses. 

 I think that almost every person on passing 

 through this section of country would be struck 

 with the large size of the farm-houses and 

 numerous farm-buildings . The first query that 

 arises in the mind is, how can it be possible 

 for the farms to keep such buildings in repair ? 

 This question I am still unable to solve. To- 

 bacco-raising may do it in some cases. 



We see many old buildings with the long 

 sloping roof on the rear side, and the short, 

 steep roof in front ; carrying us back to Revo- 

 lutionary times, or to prior periods. Our 

 fathers believed in big chimnies, and had them. 

 In this, as in many other respects, we see evi- 

 dence of the reaction that has taken place in 

 architectural taste. We now occupy the small- 

 est possible space in constructing them. 



I do not fancy the style of the modern built 

 farm-houses of this section. There is too much 

 outside to them, for economy, comfort, or con- 

 venience. In illustration of this, I have a 

 house under my eye that was put up the past 

 summer, with four rooms on the ground three of 

 which are ells, with windows on three sides of 

 each of the ells, and an outside door to each 

 room. With the exception of these outside 

 doors, the rooms above correspond with those 

 below. For summer occupancy this, of course, 

 is all very well. For winter, give me less ex- 

 posed quarters. From the inconvenience of 

 doing the necessary house-work, as well as 

 from'the worse than needless expense in build- 

 in"- and keeping in repair of such structures, 

 deliver me. Think of the weary steps that 

 must necessarily be taken to accomplish the 

 daily duties of a family in such an ill arranged 

 establishment. If a person is ever a subject for 

 commisseration, it is the poor housewife, going 

 into a new house of this description ; where 

 she must inevitably wear herself out in encoun- 

 tering the extra care and toil consequent upon 

 its defects. 



How much of the worn and wearied looks 

 we too often see in farmers' wives are to be 

 ascribed to the want of properly arranged 

 houses — those adapted to their calling — we 

 are, of course, unable to determine ; but no 

 doubt very much of it is traceable to this ciaiise. 

 As a general rule the ease and economy of do- 

 ing the work of a household is overlooked in 

 its planning. 



As a rule that admits of few exceptions, a 

 square house, with an ell, is every way the 

 most economical in cost, and can be made in 

 its internal arrangements the most convenient. 



In a square building we get the greatest amount 

 of room with the least sM//ace,— unless you 

 resort to hexagon, octagon or circular, which 

 few incline to, although strenuouslv recom- 

 mended by some. I hope the day is not far 

 distant when the proper construction of our 

 farm-houses will become to those who purpose 

 buildino', a subject for wise forecast in the par 



ticulars° I have adverted to, viz: economy of - ■ 

 cost, and conveniences ibr doing the work of ■ 

 a family. ^- *^- 



• East Wi7idsor, Ct., 1867. 



POULTRY AT THE PABIS EXPOSI- 

 TION. 

 From an article on this subject by the cor- 

 respondent of the Prairie Farmer, we extract 

 the following paragraphs : — 



There are in all 408 coops, or about 1225 

 fowls, of all the best breeds, viz : Brahmas, 

 Dorkings, Black Spanish, Shanghai, Gold 

 and Silver Spangled Hamburgs, Cochin Chi- 

 na's, Dominiques, Maylay, Bantams, &c. 



The exhibition of geese is not large, but 

 embraces some excellent specimens of the 

 Toulouse, Danube, Egyptian, Barnacle, and 

 Embden varieties. The best turkeys are from 

 an Irish exhibiter of Limerick. Generally 

 these fowls are far inferior to those bred in the 

 States. The show of ducks is very good, 

 embracing the Normandy, Aylesbur}-, Poland, 

 Labrador" Sifflers ( Whistlers, ) and three or 

 four inferior French breeds. 



The show of poultry and form fowls is the 

 the best by far that I have ever seen. The 

 specimens, as I believe, with one exception, 

 were from French poultry yards. The superi- 

 ority of French fowls is well known everywhere 

 and is the result of the love of this people for 

 eggs and fowls for table use. A dinner with- 

 out a fowl of some kind, is considered incom- 

 plete, and at breakfast, eggs, in some form, 

 are considered almost indispensable. The 

 consequence is, as before stated, great perfec- 

 tion in the breeding and management of do- 

 mestic poultry. 



Besides the breeds of hens mentioned above, 

 there are four varieties, all of French origin 

 so far as I can learn, that are not generally 

 known to our breeders, that are certainly 

 worthy of description and should be generally 

 introduced into our country. 



La Fleche— A rf ow. 

 This is the race from which come those fat- 

 tened pullets, so renowned and so remarkable 

 for the firmness and delicacy of llesh, and 

 which are generallv known under the name of 

 Du Mans. This fowl has a large, strong frame, 

 and is very tall. Its plumage is black, with a 

 greenish tinge, without any mixture of color. 

 When voung, the legs near the feet are of a 

 grayisli slate color, which, as they grow old, 

 becomes less deep and rich The beak is 

 strong, and the nostrils very open ; the earlap 



