from a photograph of an average Yama Black Minorca Egg. 
AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 
Do you want to produce 4) 
on your farm the largest | 
hen’s eggs known? 
Yama Black Minorcas 
will do it 
34 ounces to the dozen. ounces to the dozen. 
OME YEARS AGO WE WERE PERHAPS WHERE 
YOU ARE TODA Y—what kind of chickens to keep— 
and where to get a start with the right kind. We have 
tested seven varieties, have had our experiences—and for eggs 
Black Minorca. They have all the good qualities of the egg 
laying varieties of chickens (non-setters, etc.) and the size of 
the birds themselves makes them more desirable for the table 
than the usual small egg layers. They have one of the longest 
breasts of any variety, which insures an extra amount of 
white meat. 
Yama Black Minorcas are the Aristocrats 
of the Poultry World 
We have a thousand females—every one a beauty—and for our breed- 
ing pens we have selected about two hundred, including all our prize 
winners. Last season we did not care to sell eggs from our prize stock— 
now we are ready to give you the very best to be had in Minorca blood. 
$10 for a setting of 15 eggs. Carefully packed. Infertile eggs replaced. 
WE NEVER BRED A HEN THAT .WAS WORTH $10,000.00 
and never expect to—BUT—we do win first prizes wherever shown. 
Twice we have exhibited our Minorcas in Madison Square Garden, 
New York, and won— 
In 1910—FIRST PEN. 
In 1911—FIRST PEN—FIRST COCK—SECOND HEN—THIRD 
PULLET—FIFTH and SIXTH COCKERELS—and the competition 
there is the keenest, you know. Send for Mating List. 
YAMA FARMS Yama-no-uchi, Napanoch, N. Y. 
NEWTON COSH, Manager Poultry Department 
Reterences: Security Bank, New York; First National Bank, Ellenville, N. Y. 
From a photograph of the average first-class egg. 
as & 
March, 1912 
expedite the cleaning of the house as well as 
the work of covering the bottom with fresh 
sand. Poultry-house doors should always 
be built to swing out; otherwise the ac- 
cumulation of litter within will make neces- 
sary a wide board at the bottom over which 
the attendant will have to step every time he 
enters and which will interfere with the 
use Of a wheelbarrow. When there is a 
door between two pens it should swing 
both ways in order to have it most con- 
venient and it is well to have such doors 
also wide enough to permit the passage of a 
wheelbarrow. 
HINTS ON HOUSE FLOORING AND 
INTERIOR FINISH 
EW parts of the house attract more 
attention than do well finished floors 
and fine trim. This article will give infor- 
mation as to the best woods to use for the 
different rooms both for the floors and the 
finish, and will also tell in language which 
can be understood by the non-technical 
reader how flooring and interior finish is 
sawed ; for the manner in which it is sawed 
makes a vast difference as to its wearing 
qualities in either case, and also in the ap- 
pearance of the finished material. 
QUARTERED OR PLAIN TRIM AND FLOORING. 
There is a large difference between 
“plain” and “quartered” material. I knew 
a man who greatly admired oak as a wood 
for flooring and interior finish. When he 
built his house he specified “oak” finish 
for a number of the rooms; and also for 
those same rooms “oak flooring.” He was 
very much disappointed when the house 
was completed to discover that he had in 
both instances “plain oak.” Let me ex- 
plain what is meant by “quartered.” It re- 
fers to the manner in which the wood is 
sawed. It is beyond the scope of this article, 
as I explained in the introduction, to go 
into technicalities, so I will simply state 
that “quartered” material allows the beauty 
of the grain to show, and its wearing quali- 
ties are much increased. My friend who 
ordered “oak finish and flooring” did not 
know of the different methods of sawing, 
and he also did not know that “red”? and 
“white” oak can be purchased. Conse- 
quently when he specified “oak finish and 
flooring” he used very indefinite language, 
and “plain” trim and flooring were given 
him. He should have ordered for both 
trim and flooring, “quartered white oak 
flooring and trim” ; and if he were willing to 
pay for the best possible material, he should 
have further specified that it should be free 
from all defects. Such material is usually 
called “clear,” and is the best obtainable. 
When you order be sure to settle these 
points; 1f you do not you will undoubtedly 
receive the less expensive kind, as my 
friend did. 
OTHER WOODS USED FOR FLOORING AND TRIM. 
Another friend had in his specifications 
that all the floors in the house he was build- 
ing were to be “North Carolina pine.” But 
it was not stated that the “rift” or “comb 
grain’ flooring was to be used, consequently 
when the flooring began to wear he found 
that he had been given what is known as 
“flat” flooring. If he had purchased the 
“rift,” or “comb grain” as it is also some- 
times called, he would have had material 
which would not have “checked” and made 
dangerous splinters, which are likely to 
cause injury to the occupants of the house 
in addition to spoiling the appearance of 
the flooring. Like the “quartered” oak we 
just mentioned such flooring is sawed in a 
manner so that this will not happen. It is 
by far the wisest plan to purchase such 
flooring, for the additional cost will soon 
