102 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



report upon it. Though I am well n'gli broken up at fighting this pro- 

 slavery locofoco party, and am not in eondition to extend to you man}' hos- 

 pitalities, yet I have a few friends, and if you or any of your Club chance 

 to come, as 1 hope you will, nothing would give me as much pleasure as to 

 go around with you and by introducing you to the true men of the shore, 

 make your visit both pleasant and profitable. The route to this place is 

 by Delaware railfoad from Philadelphia to Harrington, Del, Leave New 

 York 6 p. M. to-day and reach here to-morrow at 4 p. M. If your Club can- 

 not come down and see our country, I'll get our farmers (for I am a law- 

 yer) to come and meet you and tell 3'on what a great country we have. If 

 there is any point on which you desire more information, please write me, 

 for I am anxious to fill up the State by just such men as you repi'eseut. 

 Adjourned. John W. Chambers, Secretary. 



September 13, 1864. 

 Mr. Nathan C. Ely in the chair. 



Poultry, can They be Kept in Large Flocks ? 



Mr. Martin A. Reeder, Winchester, Randolph Co., Indiana: "A large 

 proportion of the farmers in this section are very much interested in all 

 your discussions about poultry, for they derive a considerable profit from 

 poultry which is sent alive to the New York market. Some persons have 

 sent very larg:e quantities, dead and alive, of turkeys, geese, ducks, fowls. 

 I propound the following questions which interest a very large number : 

 Will chickens,, fowls, turkeys, &c., remain healthy in large quantities 

 together? (I.)- Would it be profitable to keep 5,000 hens together in an 

 inclosure constructed similar to our country fair gnnicds ? (2.) If so, how 

 niary acres, and whether in cleared or forest lands ? (3.) Are there any 

 such chickeries in operation within your knowledge ? (4.) How have they 

 succeeded ? (5.) 



Mr. Solon Robinson — I have p-oposed the following answers to the 

 questions : 



(I.) Not unless they have a very large range of ground, part of which 

 should be woodland, and the other part frequently plowed and sowed with 

 grass and small grain. Fowls require green food and fresh earth and 

 running water to keep them liealthy. They also require animal food, 

 which they obtain in large quantities when running at large. 



(2.) Not unless the inclosure is a very large one, at least 50 acres, and 

 probably 100, and then the chances of profit are very doubtful. 



(3.) This question is answered in the above. 



(4.) I do not believe there is one in this country. The nearest approach 

 to it is the establishment of the Messrs: Beatty, near Geneva, N. Y., who 

 are not poultry raisers, but poultry feeders. They purchase the birds in 

 autumn, and fatten them for market in an inclosure, just as some men pur- 

 chase and fatten beeves and sheep. In this they are eminentl}' successful. 



(5.) Several attempts have been made in various parts of the count r}' to 

 raise poulliy artificially and have all failed. In our opini(;n, that, like the 

 production of silk, must always be carried on in a domestic way. We 



