30 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Jan. 



This Congress was a gratifying success, and, in 

 our opinion, its meetings will give a needed im- 

 pulse to the development of the agricultural and 

 industrial resources of the entire tiouth, and direct 

 the awakened enterprise and energies of the people 

 there so as to lead to the best results. 



There is no good reason why the South should 

 not, with all the people working to one end, with 

 its high capabilities of soil and climate, with new 

 and improved modes of culture, and the opening 

 ap sources of profit hitherto unknown there, 

 prosper in the future to a greater degree than it 

 ever did in the brightest days of the past. 



Loss IX Wheat Raising. — New England far- 

 mers who have to figure pretty closely to find a 

 profit in the result of their farming operations 

 during the past year, may, perhaps, — on the prin- 

 ciple that "misery loves company"— experience a 

 sort of melancholy satisfaction in comparing notes 

 with those who till the rich soils of the Western 

 prairies. The following "account current" is fur- 

 nished to the Prairie Farmer by a Missouri far- 

 mer, with his wheat crop on four and a half acres, 

 on which "New York Premium Wheat" was 

 drilled in, Septembef 2, 1869 :— 



Plonghxg, say $7 00 



Harrowii g. say 2 00 



Drilling, iucluding hire of drill 3 00 



S ,ed 8 0) 



Heaping, say 4 CO 



Bindirg and shocking, say 4 00 



HcacRiug, eay - • « 4 00 



ToraBhing 5 00 



Interest on valne of Imd and taxes .... 21 00 

 Hauling 75 loads manure, applied before bar 



rowing 27 00 



Total expense $35 00 



Credit by 75 bushels by thrasher's measure, 

 sold chiefly fjr eeed, and remeagurwd 

 only 71 buohtls $84 00 



Loss $1 00 



For the New England Farmer, 



POULTRY. 



Be&t Breeds, Care, Management, Profits, &c 



An Essay read b fore the Concord Farmers' Club, 



by BE^JAMIN W. Brown, Wov. 3, 1870. 



There seems to be no branch of domestic 

 economy less understood by farmers in gen- 

 eral, than that of profitably raising poultry. 

 Perhaps, if we look into this subject a little, 

 we may ascertain some of the causes of the 

 unproticableness complained of, and more es- 

 pecially by those who keep poultry in small 

 numbers. 



Most people think that fowls must pick 

 their own living around the house and barn, 

 roost in an old shed or out in the open air ex- 

 posed to storms and wind, and yet yield a 

 good supply of eggs. I have found that fowls 

 which have to roam about all day in search of 

 food, have little time or inclination to lay eggs ; 

 and any one who expects to realize profit Irom 

 poultry managed in this way, may as well ex- 

 pect to get rich raising asparagus, strawber- 

 ries, potatoes, corn or vegetables, and not take 

 any care of them. 



1 would like to ask any one of those gentle- 



men who finds fowls so unprofitable, if he 

 would expect his cows to be a source of profit 

 if allowed to run at large, in the highways, 

 and get a living as best they could ; or his 

 swine to fatten if not taken care of and fed 

 regularly ; or his horses to perform daily la- 

 bor ; or even to do a day's work himself, if 

 treated in such manner as he is wont to treat 

 the fowls ? Many people labor under the im- 

 pression that because the fowls find a few flies, 

 worms, «&c., to feed upon, they will get their 

 whole living in this way, and be a source of 

 profit besides. But I have found that in or- 

 der to pay well, fowls as well as all other do- 

 mestic animals, must be properly cared for 

 and fed. 



One complaint is that they destroy every- 

 thing about the garden and house, and are a 

 trouble in many ways. In answer to this, I 

 should say, give them a place to stay in, the 

 same as you do your cattle and horses, and 

 they will not trouble your garden. The whole 

 secret of success is in giving poultry plenty of 

 feed, both grain and flesh. During the sum- 

 mer months they will provide themselves with 

 animal food, but in the winter months they 

 should have plenty of meat of some kind. 

 Best Breeds. 



This is a question on which there is a great 

 diversity of opinion, and 1 have hardly found 

 two persons wlio agreed. I have had several 

 different kinds, — the old fashioned small hens, 

 the White Dorkings, the Black Spanish and 

 the Brahma Pootras, and am well satisfied that 

 for laying, rearing young and for the market, 

 the Brahma Pootra fowls are the best. 



The White Dorkings are very good layers, 

 but do not grow as large as the Brahmas. 

 Having heard a great deal about the Black 

 Spanish fowls as good layers, I purchased two 

 of them, and in one year I was satisfied that 

 they would not do for me. They did not 

 commence laying until nearly spring. They 

 are very small fowls and lay small eggs. 

 They would never roost with the rest of the 

 hens, but get as high up as possible, and I 

 could not keep them in my hen yard, where 

 the rest of the fowls would never get out. 

 When dressed for market their flesh is very 

 dark colored, and anything but inviting to the 

 eye. 



A great objection urged against the Brah- 

 mas is that they are more inclined to set than 

 any other breed. It is possible that such is 

 the case ; but I found last winter that my 

 Brahma pullets laid more eggs than any kind 

 I had, and wanted to set more also ; but I 

 found that I could break them up in two days, 

 and they would go to laying again, while the 

 other kinds would not commence laying again 

 for a month or more. 



In the market no one can deny the fact that 

 the JSrahraas are the best, for they grow very 

 fast, and when dressed are yellow and look 

 very well indeed. Another advantage is that 



