lit QUANTITY, FOB MARKET. 23 



drive away, and keep at a distance, the vermin that so fre- 

 quently assails a setting hen. 



She must have food and water handy, of course. And you 

 should remove her gently from the nest, daily, unless she vol- 

 untarily comes off to feed and roll in the dust-bath every day. 

 But do not fuss with her. She knows her duties best. 



She will sit twenty-one days. At the expiration of this 

 term, the chicks will give you notice of their approach, by 

 their gentle " peep " at first, and then by thrusting their 

 downy polls out through or under the parent's sheltering 

 wings. Still, let hen and brood alone for twenty-four hours. 

 They are all right, and they will do nicely yet, for a full day. 



On the morning following the hatching, remove the mother 

 carefully from the old nest. Clean it all out, and take the 

 debris away. Give her a little more sulphur, or carbolic pow- 

 der, dusted through her plumage. And then commence to 

 feed the youngUngs — as we have directed. 



And just here let us observe that the use of " a little sul- 

 phur powder " is recommended. You can kill every chick 

 that is hatched under your hens, by over-doing even this very 

 simple process. There is no ^necessity for applying sulphur in 

 undue quantities — remember. • . 



Give the hen-mother a dusting with it when she first com- 

 mences to sit, and when she hatches her brood, apply a little 

 of it upon her under-feathers. Not too much — for a surplus 

 will get into the eyes of the chicks and blind them, frequently. 



They cannot see to eat after this, and die of starvation. 

 Whereas, if the sulphur be judiciously apphed to the hen's 

 body, only, (at first) vermin are kept at bay, and sufficient 

 of the dust reaches the down of the tender young chicks for 

 all useful purposes, until they get to be three or four weeks 

 old, and strong in muscle and limb, comparatively. 



My recent volume upon the various " Diseases of Domestic 

 Poultry," treats this subject fully as a speciality, and I must 

 refer the reader of this present treatise to that work for in- 

 formation and advice touching the details of these troubles, 



