A POULTRY COMPENDIUM. 55 



breeding pen must "match in the show-pen" or they will 

 be disqualified, no matter how fine each bird may be by 

 itself. 



The cocks now must be kept by themselves, and the 

 pullets also by themselves in order to keep the plumage 

 perfect. They must be well fed, not gorged but given 

 all they will eat up clean, regularly three times a day. 

 Rice boiled in milk is excellent for one meal. Whole 

 wheat, cooked in this way is also good. Boiled potatoes, 

 mashed with either of these grains, is perhaps the very 

 best food for one meal a day that can be given. 



Give a small quantity of sunflower seeds daily to in- 

 crease gloss of plumage. Feed meat sparingly. 



If you have white or light-colored fowls wash them 

 from twelve to twenty hours before shipping. Take an 

 ordinary wash-tub, fill the tub with warm water (not hot) 

 so as to cover the back of the bird ; use pure white 

 soap ; rub the bird well with the soap on all parts that 

 appear soiled ; rub the feathers hard but do not break 

 them. When you have thoroughly washed the bird, rinse 

 him in another tub of cold water, previously provided. 

 After draining put the bird into a clean coop and place 

 in a warm room to dry. 



For dull combs a good rubbing with brandy is recom- 

 mended to restore their brightness. Ear-lobes of a yel- 

 low shade may be made over into a winning white by 

 touching them up with whiskey ; turpentine is also used 

 for this purpose. 



Cages are generally provided by the societies, but if 

 you must provide your own cage paint on the inside, 

 for white bodied birds, a dark green or brown ; for dark- 



