THE DOLLAR HEN FARM 
On sand lands, with water near the surface, each farmer 
may drive sand points and pump his water by hand. In this 
case running water is not possible, but the pipes or flumes 
may be arranged so that fresh pumping flushes all the drink- 
ing places and also leaves them full of standing water. The 
simplest way to arrange this will be by wooden surface 
troughs as used in the fluming scheme. The only difference 
is that an occasional section is made deeper so that it will 
retain water. 
A more permanent arrangement may be made by using a 
line of three-fourths inch pipe. At each watering place the 
pipe is brought to the surface so that the water flows into a 
galvanized pan with sloping sides. This pan has an overflow 
through a short section of smaller tubing soldered to the side 
of the pan. The pipe line is parallel with the fence line, the 
pans supply both fields. By this arrangement the entire plant 
may be watered in a few minutes. The overflow tubes are on 
one side. Using these tubes as a pivot the pans may be swung 
out from under the fence with the foot and cleaned with an 
old broom. Where the ground water is deep a wind mill and 
storage tank would be desirable. 
Outdoor Accommodations. 
The hen house is a place for roosting, laying and a protec- 
tion for the feed. The hen is to live out doors. 
On the most successful New England poultry farms, warm 
houses for hens have been given up. Hens fare better out of 
doors in Virginia than they do in New England, but make more 
profit out of doors anywhere than they will shut up in houses. 
If your climate will not permit your hen to live out doors get 
out of the climate or get out of the hen business. 
There is, however, a vast difference in the kind of out-of- 
doors. The running stream with its fringe of trees, brush and 
rank growing grass, forms daylight quarters for the hen par 
excellence. Rank growing crops, fodder piled against the 
fences, a board fence on the north side of the lot, or little 
sheds made by propping a platform against a stake, will all 
help. A place out of the wind for the hens to dust and sun and 
be sociable is what is wanted, and what must be provided, 
preferably by Nature, if not by Nature then by the poultryman. 
The hens are to be kept as much as possible out of the 
houses, in sheltered places among the crops or brush. They 
should not herd together in a few places but should be separ- 
ated in little clumps well scattered over the land. These hid- 
ing places for the hens must, of course, not be too secluded 
or eggs will be lost. 
60 
