November, 1912 
. FEEDING FOR WINTER EGGS 
By E. I. FARRINGTON 
HE singing hen is the hen that lays. 
And the singing hen is the happy, con- 
tented, busy hen. Given a dry, wind-proof 
house, with plenty of fresh air and sun- 
shine, the mental condition of the hen will 
depend largely upon what she is fed, and 
how. Judging from her actions, a hen lives 
to eat, but from her owner’s point of view, 
she eats to lay. The question of feeding, 
then, is of the greatest importance when 
Winter eggs are the aim. 
It must be assumed that the flock is made 
up of well-matured pullets which have been 
carefully grown, or else of hens not over 
two years old. There are no feeding for- 
mulas which will extract eggs from hens 
which are in no condition to produce eggs. 
Hens like variety. Moreover, they dif- 
fer in their tastes. Monotony in diet is sure 
to result in a smaller consumption of food, 
while the object of the feeder is to make 
the birds eat as much as he can. The more 
food swallowed, the greater the egg crop, 
provided other conditions are right and that 
the food is eaten with zest. The standard 
poultry grains are wheat, oats and corn, but 
it is highly desirable to add a litle Kaffir 
corn, millet seed, barley and sunflower seed 
as appetizers. A tested and satisfactory 
combination for a regular Winter feed con- 
sists of three pounds of wheat, two pounds 
of corn, one pound of oats and one-half 
pound of buckwheat. This latter grain, 
which is heating, is to be given only in 
Winter. 
Now if these grains are set before the 
fowls in pans, either mixed or separately, 
where the hens may eat as much as they 
like at any time, they will consume less than 
they will if the ration is buried in a deep 
litter so that they will be forced to hunt for 
it. There are other reasons why litter feed- 
ing is very desirable. Exercise is imper- 
ative and there is no better way for the hen 
to take it than in feeding herself. It is the 
way Nature intended her to take it and the 
way which appeals most strongly to her in- 
stinct. By scratching in the litter all day, 
she keeps herself warm even in the coldest 
weather and in an open-front house. And 
instead of stuffing her crop periodically and 
then waiting until it is empty to repeat the 
operation, she keeps it partly filled all the 
time, which is the natural way and the way 
she would do if she were roaming the fields 
under a midsummer sun. 
The litter itself should be at least six 
inches deep and preferably of rye straw, 
more of which should be added from time 
to time until it is soiled and broken into 
bits, when it should be removed. Leaves 
make fair litter, but pack quickly and need 
to be loosened frequently with a fork. 
Chopped cornstalks make a litter which the 
hens like, for parts of the stalks will be 
edible. Clover chaff contains seeds of 
which the hens are fond. The depth of the 
litter must be made to depend upon the 
kind of birds kept. Leghorns are not able 
to work in litter as deep as that which will 
furnish the heavier Plymouth Rocks just 
the right amount of exercise. If the litter 
i Mam =X 
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| 
AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS / “EMITUS 
pe aai@ produce furniture after the manner of the 
brothers Adam, Thomas Chippendale, Thomas 
: ji Sheraton—names which are names to conjure 
U with i in furniture—it is needful to think their 
SSIES thoughts and to feel their moods. 
This is why many of our period pieces are not copies 
but correct interpretations. Our master designers and 
master workers know the spirit of the old masters and their 
motives; such men are not copyists. They express the thought of lasting 
charm and constant beauty in rich woods. Because we want you to know 
that your purchase is an expression of the motif which actuated these old mas- 
ters and will stand the test of time, we zm/ay our shopmark in each piece. 
Ask that it be shown to you, for it means that Berkey & Gay furniture is 
For Your Children’s Hetrlooms 
UR dealers, with the displays “‘ Oieicnincre: Furniture,” 
SERBS 
on their floors and our beau- is the title of our famous de 
tiful portfolio of direct photo- luxe book, which gives the 
gravures, enable you to choose from _ history of period furniture and much 
our entire line, wherever you may _ interesting and valuable information 
live. concerning its uses. You will enjoy 
For bedroom, dining-room, living- reading the book; we will mail it to 
room or library our period pieces you for fifteen two-cent stamps. 
offer distinction and charm; and We will also send 
our ‘ Flanders,’’ a style which we ‘“‘ The Story of Ber- 
originated and developed, demon- key& Gay.” Ifyou 
strates the real richness of our Am-_ have a boy he will 
erican wood—oak. find inspiration in it. 
This inlaid mark of 
Berkey & Gay Furniture Co. 
honor identifies to you each 
178 Monroe Ave., Grand Rapids, Michigan Ce ERONG ee 
b . = 
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Popular Handbook for Cement and Goncrete Users 
By MYRON H. LEWIS, C. E. 
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HIS is a concise treatise on the principles and methods employed in 
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I. Historical Development of the Uses of Cement and Concrete. IJ. Glossary of Terms Employed in 
Cement and Concrete Work. III. Kinds of Cement Employed in Construction. IV. Limes, Ordinary and 
Hydraulic. V. Lime Plasters. VI. Natural Cements. VII. Portland Cement. VIII Inspection and 
Testing. IX. Adulteration; or Foreign Substances in Cement. X. Sand, Gravel, and Broken Stone. 
XI. Mortar. XII. Grout. XIII. Concrete (Plain). XIV. Concrete (Reinforced). XV. Methods and 
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XX Concrete in Docks and Wharves. XXXI. Concrete Construction Under Water. OSU Con- 
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crete Mausoleums and Miscellaneous Uses. XXXVI. Inspection for Concrete Work. XXXVII. Vw ater- 
proofing Concrete Work. XXXVIII. Coloring and Painting Concrete Work. XXXIX. Method for 
Finishing Concrete Surfaces. XL. Specifications and Estimates for Concrete Work. 
MUNN & CO., Inc., Publishers 361 Broadway, New York 
