POUI,TRY DEPARTMENT. 44 1 



is added, the whole will form a crumbly mass, being neither sloppy nor 

 containing dry meal. 



The mornings when I do not bake potatoes as a basis for mash, I have 

 soaked over night in boiling water a quantity of clover heads and leaves, 

 which have fallen off the clover hay as it is pitched out of the mow to 

 feed. I have a clover cutter, but as this plan is handier than cutting 

 the whole hay, I have adopted it. The meal of which the mash is made 

 is compo.sed of two parts of corn and oats ground together, two parts 

 wheat bran, two parts wheat middlings, and one part of either buck- 

 wheat middlings or rj^e shorts and some chopped boiled meat, and 

 frequently to this is added a handful of either oil meal or cotton- 

 seed meal. 



At noon their food consists either of oats or buckwheat scattered in 

 the wheat chaff which covers the floor about four or five inches in depth. 

 At night they are given about all the corn or wheat they will eat. This 

 is also scattered in the chaff, if they have time to scratch it out before 

 they go on the roost, if not, I put it in the trough. I say, about all they 

 will eat, for when they stuff themselves completely full at night their 

 appetite in the morning is not so good as I would wish, and as the morn- 

 ing feed is cheaper than the evening meal, I endeavor to have them have 

 the best appetites, when I can fill them up on good egg-food for the 

 least money. I endeavor to have a constant supply of pure water before 

 them, also a supply of coarse ground bone, ground oyster or clamshells, 

 and — by the way — I much prefer clamshells, for they act partially 

 as grit, besides supplying the lime necessary for the egg-shell and 

 coarse ground charcoal, together with plenty of grit of some kind. 



Heads of cabbage are hung up in convenient places for them to pick at 

 d.iring the daj^ and .specked apples, beets, etc., are frequentl}'' given- 

 I suppose a more varied diet might be given to them, but this 

 seems to agree very well with the constitution of my flock, so I have 

 adopted it. 



The question is often asked, what is the most profitable breed to keep. 

 To this question I always answer, it all depends upon the fancy 

 of the person keeping them, and the purpose for which they are 

 kept. If a person seems to fancy Cochins, or Brahmas, or Langshans, 

 or any of the large breeds, and wants to raise poultry for market, the 

 variety which suits his fancy is the one for him, for he will do better 

 with the breed which pleases him, and there is no very great difference 

 in the value of the different varieties, if meat is what they are looking 



