36 Profitable Poultry Keeping. 



tried most successfully, and on a fairly large scale, with very 

 heavy crops, and the birds kept in perfect health, though 

 the runs are smaller than we like to see. We do not see why 

 farmers should not make poultry one of the series in the 

 rotation of crops, as by this means the land would get well 

 manured by the fowls, and before being used again for them 

 would be sweetened by the produce grown thereon. This is 

 a subject we shall return to again, as it is worthy of fuller 

 consideration. If the small poultry keeper is unable to 

 give these double runs, it will be better to lay down the 

 one run he has in gravel, as it can be more easily renewed, and 

 is less liable to contamination than earth. But as our subject 

 is the houses, we must insist that if he uses an outhouse or 

 any of the things we have already named, he will see that 

 it is watertight above, dry below, properly ventilated, and 

 comfortable. If he has to build a house he can follow the 

 directions we give in the next chapter. 



