18G6.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
285 
I have devised a plan to accommodate them 
Winter and summer, which I have tried to make 
plain by the accompauyuig rude sketches. 
Scantlings, 3x4, are made into oval shape, as 
HEK ROOSTS. 
shown enlarged, with a pin in each end, so that 
they will turn on the supports. A number of 
them are then titted in inclined sujiports, as is 
shown, and can be adjusted with their broadest 
or narrowest surfaces uppermost. In this way 
the careful and humane poultry keeper may give 
his fowls, without trouble, such roosts as they 
prefer througli the varying seasons, and secure 
them against frozen feet in the severest weather. 
The plan of inclined supports for the roosts 
seems to be the most economical as regards 
room. Each row of fowls is a little behind and 
a litlle above the one in front, and they are 
out of the way of each other. The past is the 
first winter during which my fowls have not 
frozen their feet more or less, though the 
mercury has been as low as 38" below zero." 
Feeding Boxes for Chickens. 
Authorities disagree somewhat about the de- 
sirableness of feeding boxes for chickens, but it 
is often a matter of convenience when fowls are 
confined in close quarters. It makes fowls lazy 
when they are wanted to forage for their own 
food and pursue insects, if they have all that 
they want to eat at home. We give drawings 
of two styles of feeding boxes, which are very 
easy to make, and very good. Take any small 
box, such as a candle or soap box, knock it to 
pieces carefully, and put it together again after 
cutting the pieces where necessary, and prepar- 
ing other pieces for the bottom, or for the slant- 
ing pieces as may be needed. Fig. 1 shows a 
sectional view of one form, in which the food 
is exposed on the outside of the box ; and this 
is the best form for indoor use. In this ar- 
rangement there is provided a slanting false 
bottom coming to the bottom about an inch or 
less back from the front, and the front comes 
to within about 
half an inch from 
the bottom. This 
leaves a space 
across the entire 
front for the grain 
to flow out, and it 
is prevented scat- 
tering by the edge 
which is nailed 
on the projecting 
front of the bot- 
tom. The top of 
the box is made to lift off, and is also strength- 
ened by cleats on the underside, which are so 
placed as to prevent the sliding of the covers. 
This plan is very similar to one sent us some time 
since by J. A. H., of Scarsdale, N. Y., which 
Fig. 1. 
suggested the form which we describe, and 
which in practice is found to work admirably. 
The other form, fig. 3, has the advantage of 
keeping the grain away 
from the rain, so that 
tlie box may stand in 
the j-ard. The whole 
front is open, and the 
birds may walk in, or 
standing outside reach 
in, according to the 
depth of the box. A 
convenient size for this 
style of Ix)x is 2 feet 
high, 3 feet long, and 1 
foot deep. The false bottom comes, as seen in 
the figure, within about an inch of the back angle, 
and a cleat is nailed 3 or 4 inches in front of 
where the grain pours out. These boxes should 
be set up a little above the ground, or lliey may 
be hung up on a fence or partition, upon 
nails passing through holes in the back. 
Another Farm Gate. 
We have presented within a few months past 
several excellent forms of farm gates. Some are 
very cheap, and some less so, but more conve- 
nient. The plan which we now give was sent 
some time since to the Agriculturist, by Ros- 
well Cook, Wayne Co., N. Y., and is durable 
and convenient. The only parts liable to es- 
pecial wear being easily removed. He says of 
it : "I have used such an one at my barn-yard 
for eight years without any trouble or expense, 
except the removal of one pin through the 
wheel." ".They may be made of light or heavy 
lumber as you please — I use hemlock. I take 
three pieces 2x4 inches for uprights; one bot- 
tom board is 8 inches wide, the other boards are 
5 or 6 inches wide. On the opposite side I put 
a board at the bottom to hold the wheel pins, 
and one at the top so that the uprights will clear 
Hints About Fences. 
We have given elsewhere in this volume of 
the Agriculturist the views of several practical 
men about the cheapest fences that will turn 
common stock, several of their plain patterns 
were not ill-looking. Yet their good looks 
were no recommendation, utility being the only 
thing sought. We seek beauty in our horses 
and cattle, in our mowing machines and farm 
wagons even, and farm fences need be no ex- 
ception. We have had this subject in mind for 
some time, and have taken a good look at any 
neat fence patterns we may have seen, and 
made a sketch now and then, the result of which 
we now give our readers. The cost of these 
fences we cannot state with any accuracy, and 
if we could, it would be of but little advantage, 
for the price of stuff and labor varies immense- 
ly in different parts of the country. The posts 
are supposed to be made all of good seasoned 
stuff, tarred and sanded, set fully two feet in 
the ground. The rails, either of sawed 2x3- 
inch, or 3 X 4-iuch stuff, according to the span 
of the lengths, or the desired strength of the 
fence. They may be made, also, of 3 or 4-inch 
poles with the back one split in two pieces. The 
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3JX XOJi; JJJJLJj n 3- 
FAKM GATE. 
the stakes when the gate is run back and forth. 
The gate runs on two wheels, cut from hard- 
wood plank, a little thinner than the uprights, 
so that they will turn freely between the boards. 
They should project 3 or 4 inches below the 
bottom boards. The wheels run on li-inch 
pins. The stakes or posts at the side by which 
the gate slides, should be 5 inches apart. It is 
well also to have two similar stakes for the gate 
to run into to give it firmness. I use no fasten- 
er, if any one wishes this he may nail a block 
upon the track plank which the wheel will roll 
over when it shuts. This will hold the gate 
where you want it." [Our engraving varies a 
little from the description at the latch end, but 
it will be understood. The objection to this ar- 
rangement is that in winter the wheels may be 
obstructed by snow or ice. A modification of 
the plan might be to have the axils of the wheels 
run through the posts, and the bottom-board 
run upon them. — Ed.] 
Figures 1 aud 3. 
paling and ornamental pieces are best made of 
red cedar, though almost any of our common 
woods will answer. These are nailed to tlie 
rails and to each other, or they are bound on 
where they cross one another with galvanized 
iron wire. Figures 1 and 3 are 
simple and easily made, as in- 
deed are 3 and 4, but figures 5 
and 6 are a little more compli- 
cated, yet stronger in proportion, 
and would exclude pigs and 
geese, and perhaps other poultry 
veiy well. There is general com- 
plaint that rustic work, and fen- 
ces of this kind, soon fall a prey 
to dry wood borers of two or 
three kinds. Oneof the most suc- 
cessful makers of this kind of 
work in this neighborhood in- 
forms us that he soaks all his wood fcjr use with 
the bark on, in sulphuric acid (oil of vitriol), 
diluted, but still quite strong. This entirely 
prevents the damage by insects. We think a so- 
lution of sulphate of copper or blue vitriol, espe- 
Figures 3 and 4. 
cially if the wood were long soaked, or if tlie 
solution were hot, would be as good to keep 
out borers, and it would kyanize it and thus 
defend the wood better against decay. It can 
