January, 1914 



THE GAKDEJN AND FIELD. 



377 



no time for selection on this side, 

 and as fur us we know, experts, 

 traj) nests, ami layinj; competitions 

 are unknown l)lessin<;s in the land 

 of the H'eathen Chinee. Also where 

 has some of this "natural" layiuj; 

 gone to. Looking- up ftlr. Dunni- 

 clff's Ilawkesbury figures we limd 

 that 150 first year hens averaged 

 for the ten years 169 eggs, seventy- 

 two second year hens 141 eggs, 

 and six third year hens 123. On 

 first year laying with a nett value 

 of 10/9 it is fourth on the list 

 against White I,eghorns ri/ii. On 

 second year laying its nett value 

 is 21/- against 20/9. At 'the end 

 of the third year it is 30/7 as 

 against 30/2. In autumn-winter 

 la}Ting w'e gather from the same 

 source they are a long way ahead 

 with an average of 63 against the 

 White Leghorns' 42. On the table 

 side they probably read better than 

 they actuallv are as a breed. It 

 is the one weak spot in their re- 

 cord. The best hens Mr. Dunni- 

 clifE writes, " are of medium size — 

 4% to 5 lb. — fairly close in fea- 

 ther, line in bone and with no in- 

 clination to either reachiness or 

 legginess," that is a good useful 

 bird. It is quite big enough for 

 trade use, though small for what 

 the home table poultrv t'^rower likes 

 for his own table. If that was the 

 average bird it could give the 

 Leghorn some points on table 

 values, but Mr. Dunniclifi mentions 

 that there is a tendency to bring 

 down these weights to 3 lbs. and 

 less. In that case, of course, the 

 avearage " Chinese " Langshan is 

 no better and no worse than the 

 average farm 'reared WTiite Leg- 

 horn. It is a pity because there is 

 certainly room for a bird of the 

 type Mr. Dunnicliff considers the 

 best of those which appeared at 

 the competitions. On weight of 

 eggs it is quite safe as the aver- 

 age runs about 26 ozs. to the 

 dozen, one of the best on the list. 



♦ 



Odd Jobs. 



There are some things necessary 

 for the successful management of 

 poultrv, which, not coming in the 

 usual daily joutine, like feeding 

 and watering, are apt to be neglect- 

 ed. The old maxim', " Never put 

 off until to-morrow what vou can 

 do to-<day," may be taken literallv 

 in the case of poultry k'eeping, for 

 the putting off of really necessary 

 work from day to day is likely to 

 result in much loss and disappoint- 

 ment. 



An item of first importance 

 amongst the minor details of the 



poultry man's work is the tho- 

 rough cleaning at regular periods 

 of the drinking dishes and feedmg 

 troughs. Alauy of the infectious 

 diseases prevalent among poultry 

 ai-'e encouraged, and in many cases 

 spread, bv neglecting the simple 

 precaution of washing out the ves- 

 sels used for these purposes. Drink- 

 ing dishes, which should be made 

 either of earthenware or else of 

 enamelled or galsanised metal, 

 ought to be washed not less fre- 

 quently than once a week by a 

 thorough application of soap and 

 hot water, and afterwards rinsed 

 with fresh water in which some 

 permanganate of potash has been 

 dissolved. In order to prevent the 

 birds scratching any filth into the 

 water, the dishes should be raised 

 a few inches from the ground, a 

 couple of bricks laid of their edges 

 making a good stand, provided the 

 dishes are of such a character as 

 to prevent the birds upsetting 

 them' easily. 



The grit-boxes should also have 

 their turn in the water, and the 

 old grit taken away, swilled clean, 

 and then dried before being return- 

 ed to the box, as poultry do, not 

 relish having to pick wet grit. 

 Whilst on the subject of washing, 

 mjention may be made of the ad- 

 visabUitv of occasionally dressing 

 the feet of the birds. By washing 

 the feet and shanks in soapy water, 

 and then giving them a rub with 

 a mixture composed of one part 

 kerosene to two parts sweet oil, 

 much of the trouble with scaly 

 legs can be avoided, besides giving 

 the birds more comfort and a 

 greatlv-improved appea'rance. 



For the coating of the exteriors 

 of coops and poultry houses, and, 

 indeed, for all woodwork, there is 

 nothing to beat creosote for 

 cheapness and ease of application. 

 This is an extract of tar, possess- 

 ing most of the latter's useful pro- 

 perties and without its most ob- 

 jectionable feature, namely, that of 

 forming a dose attachment for 

 everything coming in contact with 

 it. 



Creosote is less costly than 

 paint, which is in itself a consider- 

 ation wheTe much of this work is 

 necessary. When used on new 

 wood it gives almost a mahogany- 

 stain. , It should be applied in a 

 hot state, to enable it to tho- 

 roug-hly soak into the wood. It is 

 also one of the very best materials 

 for the destruction or prevention 

 of vermin. If the perches and nest 

 boxes, and, indeed, all fittin-'S, are 

 dressed with creosote about every 

 three months, red mites and other 



kindred evils wi'l be almost a 

 minus (juantity. It shoiild be 

 worked well into all cracKS, cre- 

 vices, and knotholes, and when th« 

 coops to be treated are built on 

 the sectional svstcm, they should 

 be taken to pieces in order that 

 the creosote may be worked well 

 into the quarterinjis. Chicken coops 

 with fixed bottoms should have a 

 second ajjulication of creosote as 

 soon as the first has dried into 

 the wood, and all loose bottoms 

 and ilronts should be well cleaned 

 and coated on both sides. If the 

 coops are then whitewashed, and 

 afterwards kept in decent condi- 

 tion as regards cleanliness, there 

 will be little fear of a d saster 

 through thte medium of insect 

 pests. 



♦ 



Food Affecting Flavour of 

 Eggs. 



An experiment was conducted by 

 the North Carolina Experiment 

 Station (U.S.A.) to determine the 

 effects of food fed to the hen upon 

 the flavour of her egg, and the 

 results are worth recalling, since 

 they throw a light upon the sub- 

 ject. Cut wild onions — bulbs and 

 tops — were given in mash to the 

 hens. At the beginning of the 

 trial haU an ounce per head was 

 fed daily to the hens of difierent 

 breeds, but no noticeable flavour of 

 onions could be detected until the 

 fifteenth day, when a slight 

 " onion " flavour was perceptiole. 

 Then the amount of onions fed was 

 doubled for four days and after- 

 wards discontinued. The eggs laid 

 during theste four days savouired so 

 strongly of onions that they could 

 not be eaten, but the flavour be- 

 came less noticeable day by day 

 after the feeding onions had been 

 stopped untn a week had elapsed, 

 when no foreign flavour was notice- 

 able, ft would seem, therefore, 

 that flavour can be read.ly impart- 

 ed to eggs by feelmg, but that 

 different foods which are not so 

 strongly flavoured as onions might 

 probably be fed without impart- 

 ing any distinct flavour to the 

 eggs. 



♦ 



" Does m.y playing the piano 

 annoy you, papa ? " asked the 

 daughter. " Oh, no, daughter ; go 

 right on," replied the parent. "It 

 prevents me hearine a lot of your 

 mother's conversation ! " 



