78 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[Makch, 
Value of Poultry. 
Tbe readers of the American Agriaiiturist who 
have not experimented to ascertain the value of 
poultry as compared with other farm products, 
may think this subject is made rather too prom- 
inent. Ordinarily, enough fowls are kept to sup- 
ply eggs and chickens for home consumption, 
with, perhaps, a small surplus for market, when 
the laying season is at its hight ; but compara- 
tively few regard poultry raising as an import- 
ant item for profit. Yet we believe that with 
few exceptions, those who have taken pains to 
keep correct accounts with fowls, agree that no 
investment pays better on the capital, time and 
labor required, provided always that the work 
be properly done. Mr. J. C. Thompson, Staten 
Island, N Y., gives us an annual account of his 
poultry operations. Here are his figures for 1863 : 
Br. poultry account. Cr. 
Jan. 1, 1863, 100 Hens... $37 50iOld Hens sold.. ..$ 6 00 
Feed for year 130 00 New Slock sold.. 52 00 
Loss— Died and stolen... 12 9o|l81 on hand... 67 87 
17848 eggs 25c. doz.163 50 
Balance Profit 121 87(100 eggs stolen. ... 2 08 
_ Hens died & stolen 10 S7 
$302 321 $302 32 
No account is given of the number of old and 
young fowls killed for home use during the 
year, nor of the manure made, which is quite 
an item. These are estimated as a fair offset for 
the labor involved. Mr. Thompson says the re- 
sult would have been much more favorable, but 
for the loss of several hens stolen, and the eggs 
on which they were sitting, which deprived him 
of early layers to fill the places of those killed, 
and of the non-layers during the moulting sea- 
son. He adds to the above account : 
" Experience satisfies me that a good stock of 
young poultry— 100 head, or 95 hens, and 5 cocks 
— well cared for, will produce 10,000 eggs per 
year, weighing 1250 lbs., 250 chicks averagings^ 
lbs. each, or 625 lbs.— making a total of 1875 lbs. 
of food, besides keeping the original stock 
good.* It will take six pretty good sized hogs to 
give the same number of pounds of food, and 
that of inferior quality compared with poultry 
and eggs, besides much more heavy labor, ex- 
pense and trouble. But I do not advise the keep- 
ing of large stocks, unless there is ample room. 
Small stocks of 10 to 25 that will consume the 
table scraps of a family, can be kept with little 
or no extra expense. 
"Diseases among fowls, and the pest of vermin, 
are the great trouble amoug poultry growers. 
As a preventive of both — my experience is de- 
cidedly favorable in using flowers of sulphur and 
red or cayenne pepper in the food. I use a large 
spoonful of sulphur, and a teaspoonful of red 
pepper to a gallon of boiling water, thickened 
with corn and oats ground together, or corn 
meal, at the rate of 2 lbs. to the gallon, set by 
them when cold, to eat as they please, once or 
twice a week. My stock is principally Leg- 
horn, excellent layers, and not disposed to set ; 
rather wild. Birds not large, but very preco- 
cious, laying when three and-a-half to four 
months old. My experience since March last, 
with Brahma Pootras is decidedly favorable. 
* We give Mr. Thompson's statements and estimates 
as furnished, but caution the reader against taking these 
as a basis for calculating profits. Thus : he estimates for 
95 hens, 10,000 eggs, and 250 chickens which would gen- 
erally require 400 to 500 more eggs, if we allow for 
]<-ss in hatching and chickens. To hatch and "nurse" 
these 250 chickens would require 20 hens at least 3 
months— equivalent to 5 hens for a year. This leaves us 
90 hens to produce 10,500 eggs, or 117 each, or a nesting 
of 12 eggs for every hen once in about five weeks 
throughout the year. This is sometimes exceeded, but 
can not be depended upon by any means. One half or 
two thirds of this will generally be nearer the mark.— Ed. 
They are excellent layers during the winter, 
while they are hardy, quiet, aud very large." 
D. Cummins, Ashtabula Co., O., sends to the 
American Agriculturist the statement below, show- 
ing even better results, taking into account the 
lower price for which the products were sold : 
Dr. Cr. 
Jan. 1,1863, 113 Hens. $14 131955 Doz. Eggs $148 02 
28 Cocks 3 50(151 lbs. Chickens... 7 55 
1 Bbl. Ground Bones. 2 151141 Fowls on hand.. 21 15 
18 Spring Chickens... 2 70| 
Grain fed 58 29l 
Animal Food 9 13 
Freight and Cartage.. 3 OSl 
Balance— Profit 83 S2 
$176 72' $176 72 
" All the cocks except four were confined by 
themselves, and killed for the table before the 
first of April. But three fowls have died during 
the year. The eggs were nearly all sold in 
New- York, by Josiah Carpenter, netting me an 
average of 15i cts. per doz. The live fowls 
are estimated at the price here. My hen-house 
is 18 by 26 feet, one and a half stories high. It 
was built of plank as tight as could be without 
using a plane, and then clapboarded. Cellar 
under the whole building with brick walls, 
plastered on the inside. The building stands on 
a side hill sloping to the south, and the cellar is 
as well lighted as the rest of the building, hav- 
ing three, and the rest of the building seven 
windows of 14 square feet each. The cellar has 
a cistern in the north end, that is filled from the 
roof, and from which the water flows by means 
of a cock into a trough extending the whole 
length of the cellar, and discharges outside 
through a pipe connected with the trough. The 
first floor is partitioned into four rooms, three 
with slats to be opened or closed at pleasure, 
for laying or sitting hens or other purposes, and 
the fourth one in the north end is small, with 
tight partitions, and used as a granary. The 
upper story is the roosting place, and is parti- 
tioned off with slat-work into two rooms to be 
open or closed as below. There is also a venti- 
lator in the roof. The yard is rather small (for 
land is scarce) twenty by fifty feet, enclosed with 
pickets ten feet high. M3 7 manure is prepared 
for the garden by adding to it as it lies on the 
floor under the roosting poles, about once in two 
weeks, ground charcoal to compose one-tenth 
of its bulk, also what ashes we have to spare, 
and the sweepings of the first floor which is 
sprinkled with plaster. I then throw on some 
grain and with shovel or hoe stir it up a little, 
and the hens do the rest, thproughly mixing 
and deodorizing the whole mass, and rendering 
it as easy to handle as so much dry dirt. I con- 
sider the manure for my garden and the conve- 
nience of always having fresh eggs to use, and 
fowls to kill for my family, as paying me for all 
trouble. As to food I give them a variety, mak- 
ing the staple article, that which is cheapest." 
«-. « » » — -. 
"Sticking to the Old Ways"— A Striking 
Illustration. 
Many methods in vogue upon the farm and 
in the garden have no better foundation than 
the fact that " my neighbors or my father al- 
ways did so." Take all the notions about plant- 
ing, sowing, etc., accordiug to the stage of the 
moon, for example. Here is a story that illus- 
trates how a custom may be perpetuated. A 
few years ago an inspector general, on visiting a 
provincial European town, found a soldier keep- 
ing guard over a ruined building in the suburbs. 
On asking why, he was referred to the sergeant ; 
the sergeant referred to the lieutenant, and the 
lieutenant referred to his captain, who in turn 
stated that he was only keeping up the custom 
of his predecessor, who left this as one of the 
military duties of the place. Further inquiry 
at the war department showed that this custom 
had prevailed for seventy years, and that it origi- 
nated on this wise : Originally, some soldiers' 
mattresses belonging to the town garrison were 
stored in this building. The door happening to 
need painting, a sentinel was detailed to do 
guard duty, to keep the green paint from being 
injured. Before it was dry, the officer of the 
guard was hastily called elsewhere, without time 
to change or call in the sentry. His successor 
finding the guard there, kept him in his place, 
supposing there was good reason for doing so, 
and hit successors practised the same thing up 
to the time of the inspector's visit. — About as 
good reason this, as can be given for many 
rites, ceremonies, and practices now in vogue. 
Power Cider Mills— Borden's Concen- 
trated Apple Juice. 
The apple crop of the United States if prop- 
erly economized, might he a source of great 
wealth. "Well picked and packed winter apples 
bring most remunerative prices, but the care 
and patience required to bring them to market 
in prime order will not be taken by many 
people. Dried apples sell well, but much labor 
is spent upon them — so much, that the market 
is never overstocked. -Cider and vinegar are 
also products of the orchard which command a 
ready sale. Still we see yearly, what must 
amount to hundreds or even thousands of 
bushels of apples that might make cider, rotting 
under the trees,and who can calculate the amount 
in the whole country. One reason why more ci- 
der is not made, is hinted at in the following 
letter from a correspondent of Essex Co., Mass. : 
POWER CIDER MILLS. 
" None will deny that the old creaking cider 
mill, with its single rickety press, ought to be 
superseded, but the tedious slow work can not « 
be lessened by the multiplication of slower and 
more tedious hand-mills. Water or steam is a 
better motive power. In this vicinity two mills 
driven by water, have been in successful opera- 
tion for several years, and last season another 
was erected. They are rapidly coming into 
favor ; no better proof of their success need be 
given, than that farmers go a long distance, 
passing the old mills to patronize these. Not 
only is time saved, but more juice is obtained 
per bushel, and the cider is cleaner and better 
than where every man makes his own, at the 
old fashioned mill. What required two men 
most of three days, can be done by one in a few 
hours at these mills, with a little more expense. 
No new process is pursued, only the powerful 
agent, water, quickly and easily does the grind- 
ing and pressing. The machine for the grind- 
ing is of the grater form, and each mill has two 
large hydraulic presses, of about one hundred 
bushels capacity. All the work is done by the 
owner or manager, as in grist mills, and a fee of 
of 25 to 33 cents is charged per barrel, which is 
paid in apples, cider, or cash. Nine bushels are 
allowed per barrel of 32 gallons. Farmers have 
only to back up their load of apples at one door, 
where they are measured, leave then- barrels at 
another, and in a few hours they are gauged 
and filled, or if they are willing to take the 
cider made from the apples of others, the bar- 
rels are filled at once. In the busiest part of 
the season, lots in less quantity than a full 
press are not made separately, unless by special 
agreement and extra charge, for it is economy 
