ALTERNATIVE RUNS 229 
it ought to be considerably larger. Certainly 200 birds will be 
very crowded even in two-thirds of a half-acre in the summer-time, 
but we are here making the most of the available ground, and if it 
were to be cut into two equal parts, as is usually done, the over- 
crowding would be much greater. 
With the grass all eaten up and the ground heavily manured, 
say about the end of September, the birds should be removed to 
the smaller run. The ground would then be dug over or ploughed, 
and either resown with grass or planted with cabbage or other 
green stuff suitable for poultry. 
The smaller run during the cold months will not be so crowded 
as the large run was during the summer months, and it will be found 
that one-third of the available space will work out satisfactorily 
from October to the end of March. 
It must not be supposed that I am advocating the keeping of 
a flock of 200 fowls permanently on a half-acre of ground. If a 
whole acre is available, so much the better, but even then two- 
thirds of the whole acre should be allowed the birds during the 
season when they are looking for natural food out of doors. One 
half-acre is the minimum on which 200 birds may be kept. One 
large egg-farmer has laid out his ground on the principle of 400 
fowls to the acre, and has found it quite practicable when attended 
to in the manner I have suggested. He, however, divides his acre 
into two equal parts, one on the south side and one on the north 
side of the house. The south side is used in winter and the north 
side in summer. Small doors from either side of the house give 
access to the different runs. By these means one half the land 
gets a rest from the birds for six months out of the twelve, and 
during the ‘‘resting ” period it is ploughed, harrowed and sown 
with a green crop. The ploughing allows all the manure to drain 
deep into the soil, and a strong crop of green stuff results. The 
growing of the crop sweetens and cleans the soil, and of course 
there is the green stuff waiting for the birds to eat. The alter- 
native run therefore serves a twofold purpose. 
The only other plan is to remove the houses to fresh land, and 
that, of course, is expensive and otherwise undesirable. It does 
