IN THE POULTRY YARD. 67 
besides the fowls, it was found very advantageous to have a large 
kettle for cooking their food. In doing this the flue in the poultry 
house was thoroughly heated, and from the large amount of material 
it contained, this heat was not all gone until morning. A sheet iron 
pie would have cooled in ten minutes; this remained warm for as 
many hours, and since the cooking had to be done anyway, all the 
heat thus saved was so much clear gain. ‘The food was cooked but 
once a day, the fire being started after dark. ‘The animals then 
had a warm supper, (except the chickens, which had whole grain) 
and the kettle was again filled and allowed to. stand till morning. 
Even after a cold wintet’s night the contents of a well covered 15 
gallon kettle will be warm in the morning, and every animal on the 
place can have a warm breakfast. 
It will be seen that the flue runs close to the front wall, and con- 
sequently crosses the path of the chickens when they come in to 
roost. Two passages were therefore made through the brick work ° 
and under the flue so that they might go out and in at will. 
The floor was a solid plate of adode, constructed by first spread- 
ing over the ground a thick layer of coarse gravel and broken 
stones, and then covering this with moistened clay which had been 
well worked. The clay was then beaten solid and forced down 
amongst the gravel and its upper surface was smoothed off. When 
dry it was so firm and hard that a blow from the heel of a coarse 
boot made no im. ression on it. ‘This floor was covered with dry 
earth finely powdered Dry earth at once absorbs the Croppings of 
the.fowls, and prevents their becoming a nuisance. Every day or 
two the surface is well raked over so as to mix the droppings with 
the dry soil, and a thin coating of the same fine earth is scattered 
over the surface. Fifteen minutes suffices for this operation, and 
when the accumulated earth and droppings are wanted for any of 
the crops, they can he easily removed and the whole house 
cleaned. 
The entrance to the house was by means of a door on the west 
side, opening directly out of the alley way that ran along next the 
-back wall, and just. behind the nest boxes. . This brought the roof 
rather low, perhaps, but we never found it inconvenient, and the 
