60 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ January 20, 1SS3 



domestic fowls, would there not evidently be a double benefit in 

 such arrangement ? It is for the solution of this problem that 

 M. Giot has invented his moveable hen-house. 



The interior of the hen-house resembles that of ordinary fixed 

 hen-houses. Its size differs according to the quantity of poultry 

 which you may desire to put in it, and it is mounted upon wheels 

 like a carriage, in order that you may shift it about more easily. 

 It is moved by manual labour, or with the help of a horse, 

 according to its size or the condition of the soil which it 

 traverses. It is desirable to have it furnished with a door, which 

 can be closed at night in districts where there is reason to dread 

 the ravages of vermin. If there are thieves in the neighbourhood, 

 it may be necessary to place a watch-dog in charge of the 

 " colony." 



The results of this system are numerous. Chief of these is the 

 destruction of insects to the advantage of edible fowls, the more 

 complete destruction of insects, and the preservation of the 

 fowls in much better health than in enclosed courts. 



Eor persons who desire to try this system, the following mode 

 of procedure may be recommended : — About the middle of 

 March, if the weather is favourable, the moveable hen-house may 

 be placed in the field. Its inhabitants should receive one-fifth 

 part of their food in corn, this being necessary to correct the 

 effects of the course of worms and grubs to which they are at 

 first apt to devote themselves too exclusively. During harvest 

 and in autumn they have no need of such additional diet, at 

 least in ordinary cases, but they may occasionally require water. 

 At the end of October the spring regimen should be returned to, 

 and on the first approach of frost the hen-house must be sent 

 back to the farm. 



During the ploughing season it is necessary to follow day after 

 day the course of the plough, in order to destroy with certainty 

 the larva? turned up by that operation. After harrowing, it is 

 profitable to do the same thing, in order to allow the fowls to 

 piok up the grains which they find on the surface. 



Several objections have been made to this system, but ex- 

 perience appears to have refuted them. Some farmers had 

 expressed a fear of seeing their poultry wander ; they know now 

 that there is no danger of that. At the end of some days the 

 birds know perfectly their own house in all its travels. Others 

 maintained that hens, from their scratching propensities, would 

 do more harm than good in the sown lands, where it was 

 recommended to place them after the harrows. It is true the 

 hen scratches, but it can scarcely be said that she is invariably a 

 scratching animal. Thus in a court, often very small, where her 

 eye cannot discover food necessary for the satisfaction of her 

 hunger, she naturally scrapes up the soil ; but allowed to go 

 freely in open fields, she soon loBes that habit. It is sufficient, 

 then, in order to insure the safety of the fields of sown grain, 

 that the fowls should not be permitted to remain too long on the 

 same spots ; for the habit which they have of digging-up the soil 

 and half burying themselves there, for the promotion of their 

 digestion, can do no harm to the crops if they are moved 

 sufficiently often to prevent them burrowing repeatedly in the 

 same place. 



It is even observable that in the stations of the hen-house the 

 crops are superior, owing, without doubt, to the better mixture 

 of land with the manure and feathers which these animals leave 

 there! 



In respect to spwn fields, M. Giot reports to the effect that he 

 had tried such a structure as is here described, and that be was 

 surprised to find that the hens had carefully picked up all the 

 grubs that made their appearance one morning after rain, along 

 with aU the grains of corn that had been left uncovered by the 

 operation of the harrow, but that they never once attempted to 

 scratch up those which had been properly deposited in the seed- 

 bed. — (Scottish Farmer.) 



THE WHEN EAMILT. 

 Under this heading I wieh to include all those English 

 warblers that remain with ub through the winter. They are the 

 Golden and Eire-crested Wrens, the Common, Jenny, or Puggy 

 Wren, the Stone Chat, the Dartford Warbler, the Robin Red- 

 breast, and the common Hedge Sparrow, known by a variety of 

 sobriquets, as Molly, Dunnoek, Shufflewing, Hedge Accentor, or 

 Fauvette d'Hiver. These are all soft-billed or insect-feeding 

 birds that remain in this country through the whole of the year. 

 Some frequent the woods and heaths, while others prefer the 



gardens and cultivated lands. Flying from tree to tree, or cree 

 ing along the hedges, they are continually hunting for their dai 

 food, eating an immense quantity of insects in all stages of th« 

 development, from the egg to the perfect insect. Thus they ve! 

 greatly contribute to check the rapid increase of these deva 

 tators, and, consequently, confer an immense amount of got 

 on mankind. Nor is there one of the whole family that can 1 

 accused of doing injury, on which account they should be strict 

 preserved and protected. 



There is no fear of their becoming too numerous. Their foa 

 being always insects, they suffer severely in winter ; and gre 

 numbers perish from cold and starvation in frosty weathe 

 When the earth and bushes are covered with snow, or all thin| 

 bound hard by king Frost, these poor little famishing bir( 

 become very tame, and, driven by hunger, approach the houses 

 pick up any crumbs or such food as they can eat to sustai 

 life, till better times arrive, at which season numbers fall a pn 

 to boys and cats, or die from cold and exhaustion. Under sui 

 circumstances it is pleasing to Bee the children instructed I 

 collect the crumbs and scattered fragments to give to the pot 

 birds — it speaks of a kindly feeling, and an appreciation of tl 

 Bufferings of the brute creation. But this reflection is foreign I 

 my present papers, and I must dismisB the subject for the mo 

 sordid one of profit and loss. It is with respect to the pros at 

 colts — concerning the good or injury rendered by birds to tl 

 gardener and agriculturist — that I have penned these article 

 to endeavour to undeceive those that practise poisoning ar 

 indiscriminate destruction of these little creatures, each 

 which has a good office to perform, and, as far as I am able, 

 point out the benefit each may confer ; nor do I omit to mentit 

 those cases which are known to me, where any of them comm 

 an injury, or give an annoyance. 



In the present instance I am not aware of any one of tl 

 above-named birds doing any damage whatever, though it h 

 been stated by some that the Robin does sometimes eat a fe 

 currants. On the other hand, they all feed on insects whenevl 

 they can procure them, and when these fail them they mul 

 die. This, then, being the case, any person having a gardal 

 plantation, or land, must, unless blinded by prejudice, regail 

 them as profitable tenants, and for his own sake desire to preBer I 

 them through the winter, that they may be able to assist I 

 keeping down the rapid increase of insects in warmer weathfl 

 It is, therefore, evidently to the occupier's personal interest I 

 protect the Wren family, and even offer them food in white 

 that he may insure their more efficient service in summer. 



Although I urge my petition more particularly in favour 

 this class of birds, still there are many others equally deBervin 

 even among those that it is impossible to deny do some injur; 

 or cause some annoyance; and I believe that the majority do 

 greater amount of good than ill. 



Some persons think and argue, that since the destruction! 

 Hawks and birds of prey has been so general, that small bill 

 have become too numerous ; but I consider such reasoning 

 being somewhat erroneous, for I believe the Hawk's mission, an 

 indeed, that of most carnivorous animals, is to destroy the age 

 the maimed, and the diseased, and thus keep the stock healthy 



That Hawks when sharp set, will chase and kill healthy bin 

 I do not deny. Many persons, no doubt, have witnessed tl 

 fact ; but very few Hawks will give themselves the trouble ai 

 fatigue of a long flight, when food is to be procured on easi 

 terms, for 'a small bird naturally flies for protection to a hed|l 

 or bush, where it can eaBily baffle its pursuer. I do not thill 

 old birds in possession of health are often destroyed byHawll 

 certainly not so frequently as these theorists would desire us I 

 believe ; though young birds may often contribute to the Hawll 

 bill of fare, yet, I suspect he would prefer the young chicken I 

 Partridge, which could not escape by flight, or lead him I 

 uncertain chase. 



In my opinion, it is the abundance or scarcity of food th 

 will regulate the number of birds. When any colony of birds ha 

 so reduced the insects on which they prey in one district th 

 living becomes difficult, they must die-off or migrate to oth 

 localities. It is the struggle for life that will ever hold t: 

 balance in Nature. — B. P. Beent. 



Peodt/ctiow oe Was. — Prof. Leuckart has recently express' 

 the opinion that for the production of wax, pollen is of rata 

 more significance than honey; the latter or its equivalent is 

 course always indispensable, and the former may at times fol 



