THE MATURE FOWLS 



thoroughly recognized than it seems to be at the present time. 

 It can be planted as early in the spring as the ground can be 

 worked; as soon as the roots begin to grow, it can be thinned 

 to about six inches apart and the tops fed to the. poultry, alter- 

 nating it with the lettuce. After the roots have reached a con- 

 siderable size, and the crop of lettuce is, perhaps, exhausted, 

 the outer leaves of each root can be broken off, without in any 

 maimer retarding the growth of the root; in fact, we think it 

 increases the size of the mangeUwurzel to break off a certain 

 amount of these outer leaves. 



It is thus available for green food well into the sunmier, 

 and when the roots have, attained, a good size, they also pan 

 be fed to the flock, and it is a delight to the heart of every true 

 lover of poultry to watch with what seemng relish the hens 

 will attach a big, jviicy, white-meated mangel-wurzel, eating it 

 out to a mere shell. In our opinion, it is the one ideal food, 

 being absolutely tasteless and thereby imparting no disagree- 

 able flavor to the eggs, as a continued diet of cabbage or onions 

 will invariably do, and the flock never seems to tire of it. It 

 is easily kept in any root house or, cellar where there is no danger 

 of freezing and is always at hand, in a convenient form for 

 their daily ration of green food during the winter and early 

 spring months. We always endeavor to have at least a ton of 

 mangel-wurzels every fall, and now that we know their value, 

 would hardly do without them. 



Another good green food for winter is the cabbage. They 

 make an excellent food if not fed too Uberally, for the reasons 

 above stated, and we feed them in conjunction with the mangel 

 wurzel. The hens do not relish them, however, as they do the 

 latter. 



We also feed, in the mash, cut alfalfa or clover leaves, as 

 these are rich in protein, and therefore good egg-producing 

 food, and if you are unable to supply the cabbage or mangel- 

 wurzels, the alfalfa and clover is the best substitute you can 

 find. But raise the mangel-wurzels if you can. One trial will 

 convince you that you can scarcely do without them. 



•'WE HAVE FOUND NOTHING BETTER FOR CHICKS THAN 

 LETTUCE" 



Not only is this green food necessary to the adult fowls, 

 but brooder chicks, which are confined in yards, should also 

 have their daily ration of green stuff. We have found nothing 

 better for chicks than lettuce, as the leaves are very tender 

 and if a bunch is fastened up where they can pick it, they will 

 dispose of it in a very short time. They should have it every 

 day, particularly if they are confined in runs. This vegetable 

 is easily grown and by planting the seed a few weeks apart 

 in the spring, a succession of fresh green food can be had all 

 svmimer. It helps the chicks to digest their grain ration, there- 

 by keeping them healthy and active, and is just as necessary to 

 their growth as the heavier foods. It also adds bulk to the 

 ration and consequently saves the necessity of feeding a higher- 

 priced food, thereby cutting .down the cost and adding to the 

 profit. 



Try the different "foods" if you wish to; some of them are 

 excellent for the purpose for which they are intended, and the 

 most of them are like the old lady's medicine — they will do no 

 harm even if they do no good — but in your experiments with 

 them, do not forget that all-important necessity to the health 

 and growth of your flock — ^green food. 



Under penalty of incurring the. editor's displeasure by mak- 

 ing this article too long fof convenience, we nevertheless wish 

 to speak of one more matter, which, although it might be made 

 the subject of' another article, yet is so closely ponnected with 

 this question of green food, that it may well be combined under 

 the same head. We refer to the poultryman's garden. 



THE POULTRYMAN CAN HAVE A GOOD GARDEN 



We often hear it said, "You cannot raise chickens and a 

 garden, too." This, under ordinary circumstances, is doubtless 

 true. But here again, with the exercise of a little forethought 

 and planning, and with scarcely any outlay of money, the ob- 

 stacle can be overcome and the poultryman can have a good 

 garden. It is only necessary to protect the garden for a few 

 weeks in the spring; when the yoimg vegetables are just com- 

 ing up, at which time the chicks do the most damage. And 

 where one looks to his poultry for his living, and not to his 

 garden, it is much better to fence his garden away from the 

 poultry than to fence his poultry away from the garden. In 

 other words, protect your garden so the chicks cannot damage 

 it, and let them have their liberty. Here is our scheme: 



THE GARDEN SHOULD BE ENCLOSED 



Our vegetable garden is a plot of ground approximately five 

 rods square, situated just north of our dwelling, the driveway to 

 the bam running between the garden and the house grounds. 

 Around this garden plot we set posts, nailing to them at the 

 ground a foot wide board. From the board to the top of the 

 posts we have stretched such pieces of wire as we have hap- 

 pened to have; some of it being four feet, and some being two 

 feet wide, and in the latter case, we have stretched one above 

 the other, fastening the edges together, making it four feet. 

 This gives us a five-foot fence, which is plenty high enough for 

 all purppses. A wide gate admits horse and wagon when we 

 wish to manure the ground for spring planting. 



As soon as our brooder chicks are well feathered, we re- 

 lease them from the runs and allow them liberty of the ten 

 acres. The foot wide board sitting close to the ground pre- 

 vents them from getting under into the garden, and they are, 

 by that time, too large to jump through the meshes of the wire, 

 and after trying it a few timtes they give it up. 



By this method we are able, not only to grow all the let- 

 tuce, etc., required for them while in the runs, but are also 

 able to have an abundance of all kinds of fresh vegetables for 

 our own use during the early summer. As soon as everything 

 is well up, say by the first of July, we let the chicks have the 

 Uberty of the garden also. The only vegetable they attack is 

 the lettuce and this is by this time so large and thrifty that 

 what Uttle they eat does not hurt. They spend most of their 

 time hunting bugs and worms and thus prove more of a ben- 

 efit than a nuisance. Besides all this, they have their liberty to 

 roam where they please and are much more healthy and vigor- 

 ous than they would be if constantly confined in yards. You 

 can raise chickens and a garden, too, by adopting this plan, 

 and both yourself and your chicks wiU profit thereby. 



IN FAVOR OF TRAP-NESTS 



TRAP-NESTS STRONGLY INDORSED BY ONE WHO 

 HAS TESTED THEM— RESULTS MORE THAN PAY 

 FOR EXTRA WORK— MANY PET THEORIES EXPLO- 

 DED—TRAP-NESTS NOT NECESSARY DURING 

 WHOLE SEASON — INTERESTING FACTS DISCLOSED 



F. J. WEHRMEYER 



Get along without trap nests? I would as soon get along 

 without any poultry as to attempt it. Scarcely a day passes 

 but that we sing their praises, and each one is looked after 

 and for, as some special blue-ribbon bird would be, or as an 

 engineer on a fast train sees to it that his watch is in good 

 running order. 



101 



