222 CHICKENS AND DUCKLINGS. 



experience of others, make every needful arrange- 

 ment for the future. I gladly, therefore, contri- 

 bute my mite in further aiding such endeavours 

 with what I may know on the subject. 



Every well-regulated poultry-yard should be 

 able early in April to display a sufficient number 

 of late-hatched chickens to supply the table until 

 those of this year's hatching are ready for use ; 

 and there should also be abundance of eggs for 

 the use of the household and for setting. All 

 superfluous stock should have been disposed of, 

 either by private or public sale, during the month 

 of January, and the different yards made up for 

 the breeding season — say one cock and six hens 

 in each. Already, there should be seen chickens 

 of two months old — perhaps future prize-takers 

 — if not, at all events birds valuable for table 

 use. The work of setting must be proceeded 

 with regularly and rapidly. Give only nine eggs 

 to the hen ; make the nest on a layer of ashes, 

 with hay, under which put a fresh green turf; 

 sprinkle the eggs slightly every day with tepid 

 water ; keep the hen off the nest a quarter of an 

 hour till she feeds, and during that time the 



