IN THE POULTRY YARD. 101 
ing when laid flat and supported in the middle, but to avoid any 
bending I had put up the support previously described, The 
workman now stood between the top and middle rails with the end 
of the panel resting on the end plank of the bench. ‘The first top 
lath was nailed at both ends and the panel shoved along. Asa 
matter of fact, however, the plank was 12 inches wide, so that three 
lath could be nailed before moving the panel. This process was 
carried on until the space between the last picket and the lath be- 
came too small to admit the workman, when he stepped out and 
nailed the last half dozen lath without difficulty. 
Ihave been astonished to see how quickly an expert workman 
can nail up a panel. I had one workman whose labor on the 
panels did not exceed 18 cents each, and yet he was earning fair 
wages. 
It is also surprising to see how rapidly those who are accustomed 
to this kind of work can move one of the breeding yards and 
houses to another spot. The process is as follows: 
Catching the hens: To do this they are all driven into the 
house, gently but quickly, through the ordinary hole that admits 
them. An empty crate is then placed with its open door against 
this hole and the hens are easily driven into the crate, which is 
closed and allowed to stand where it is until wanted. The wires 
or cords fastening the panels to the house on either side are cut. 
It does not pay to spend time untying them. A sharp knife for the 
cord, or a pair of cutting pliers (found in every hardware store) for 
the wire does the business instantly. ‘Two men then pick up the 
house by the handles and walk off with it to the new location. As 
the house has no bottom or floor except the ground, the old nests 
and all the dirt are left behind. The house is then properly 
located, and to those who have done the job before, that is all the 
marking off that is needed. 
The panels are then all cut loose and laid across two poles, each 
about ten feet long and lying on the ground about 34 inches apart. 
These poles serve for a hand-barrow, and the panels must be laid 
so as to balance. As soon as a load is laid on, two men pick 
them up, using the ends of the poles for handles, and carry them 
