A Poultry Farm in Huntingdonshire. 505 
or three years ago ; and just previously they had been on some 
young seeds sown in a barley crop which had not long been 
harvested. As soon as the ground near the house has become 
much trodden, the house is removed to some other spot. These 
removals take place about every fortnight. The yards at the 
homestead are changed once a year, and the ground which has 
been used as a yard is left for a year without any fowls being 
put upon it, in order that it may become sweet, and freed from 
the taint of the birds. All the houses are scrupulously clean, 
and are constantly lime-washed. The birds, except the young 
chicken, are fed three times a day ; in the morning with soft 
food, consisting of boiled potatoes, mangolds, carrots, or parsnips, 
mixed with barley-flour, which mixture is given warm in the 
winter ; in the middle of the day they are fed with inferior 
corn ; and at night with a full feed of sound maize — the best 
description of that corn only being used, and it is given to the 
fowls whole, and not split. No particular quantity of food is 
given at either meal, but notice is taken whether any of that 
which is given is not picked up, and if such is the case, less is 
given. Occasionally the fowls have green food, and in the 
winter, meat. The meat is boiled horseflesh or beef, and care 
is taken that the meat is that of a sound animal, and of an. 
animal that has been killed, and not of one that has died a 
natural death. The chicken are fed as often as six times a 
day, with all sorts of food, and are most carefully looked after 
by the man in charge and his boy, who are the only labourers 
employed for the poultry. The manure made by the fowls is 
used on the farm as a top-dressing for corn, and is mixed with 
malt-dust or kiln-dust, which is spread over the floors of the 
houses, and absorbs the manure when it is dropped. In this way 
the houses are more effectively cleaned out, and the manure so 
mixed is found to be very efficacious. The poultry and eggs 
are for the most part sold for consumption in London, but; 
occasionally a few of each are sold locally. The following is 
a statement of the receipts from and expenditure upon the poultry 
for the year 1880 :— 
RECEIPTS. 
£ s. d. 
For Eggs and Poultry \ 400 lo m 
sold in London .. / ^^"^ ^" ^" 
., to House IG 1 0 
„ „ Dowden .. .. 2 10 0 
„ „ Others 9 10 0 
„ Manure 27 0 0 
„ Feathers 3 0 0 
£491 11 10 
EXPENDITURE. 
£ s. d. 
Paid for Food 330 0 0' 
,, „ Labour .. .. 55 0 0 
„ ., Eggs 10 0 0 
„ „ Kent 38 0 0 
Depreciation and Kenewal 18 10 0 
Interest 1500 
Balance (Profit) .. .. 25 1 10 
£491 11 10' 
