96 THE HOME POULTRY BOOK 



A spray pump is a great convenience as well as a 

 saver of time. An air sprayer, which may be pur- 

 chased for less than eight dollars, is especially de- 

 sirable, for it may be charged with a few strokes of 

 the plunger and then slung over the shoulder by a 

 strap, while the operator guides the stream in any 

 desired direction and regulates it with a thumb 

 screw. Whitewash may be used in this machine, 

 if it is mixed thin, and the amount of time needed 

 to cover the walls greatly reduced. Incidentally, a 

 spray pump may also be used to advantage in the 

 garden when insect pests make their appearance. 



When the no-yard system is followed, the floor 

 must be kept covered with litter at all times, for 

 the hens must be induced to exercise. And of 

 course there must be water always at hand, for 

 each laying hen averages to drink half a pint a day 

 when the weather is warm. The water dish ought 

 to be refilled several times a day in Summer, if this 

 is feasible, in order that the hens may find the water 

 palatable. In Winter, the water is likely to freeze 

 after a short exposure to the cold. Water as warm 

 as the hand can be borne in it may be given, in 

 order to lengthen the time which will elapse before 

 it turns to ice. 



