1878 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
297 
Asia, from whence have come nearly all our galli¬ 
naceous fowls, the turkey excepted. In the time 
of Solomon, it was an article of merchandise, and 
was brought with ivory and apes from Tarshish to 
Judea. One species of Pea-fowl w r as found by an 
English traveller, Colonel Sykes, abounding in a 
part of India, where large flocks were kept about 
the native temples. Another Eastern traveller re¬ 
lates that from 1,200 to 1,500 were seen by him in 
passes of the mountain, within sight at one time ; 
and he speaks in extravagant terms of the brilliance 
of their plumage. There are three distinct genera, 
which include several species and varieties, such as : 
the Crested, the Black-shouldered, the Javan, the 
Japan, the Iris, the Thibet, the Malay, etc. All the 
domesticated sorts are surpassed by the wild ones 
in beauty. Cuvier says of the Pea-fowl: “ We 
find in its incomparable robe, united, all the bril¬ 
liant colors which we admire separately in other 
birds ; we find all that glistens in the rainbow, that 
sparkles in the mine, the azure and golden tints of 
Fig. 2.— -FERRY AT HIGH WATER. 
the heavens, and the emerald of the field.” White, 
the naturalist, found that the feathers of the 
train do not belong to the tail, but that they grow 
upon the back, the real tail feathers being short, 
stiff, and brown, about six inches long, and serve 
as a prop to support the immense train. By a pe¬ 
culiar muscular action, the long train feathers can 
be erected and spread, and their shafts made to 
strike together, and produce a clattering noise. 
The Pied peacock is white upon the wings, belly, 
and breast; the rest of the plumage is as showy as 
in the other species. Pure white birds are very 
rare, and highly valued, but from the absence of 
the gorgeous coloring of the common kinds, they 
suffer greatly in contrast with the latter. It is not 
until the second year that the difference between 
the sexes becomes apparent. This bird lives from 
20 to 25 years, and reaches maturity slowly. The 
third year the train of the cock becomes developed, 
and it is only when it exhibits its full coloring that 
he is ready to be mated with three or four hens. 
The pea-hen lays her eggs on alternate days, and 
when she has produced five or 6ix, she will incu¬ 
bate, unless the eggs have been removed. She 
makes her nest upon the ground, in a secluded 
place, beneath the shelter of low bushes, long 
grass, or weeds. The maternal instinct is well-de¬ 
veloped in some hens : in others it is so lacking 
that they even destroy their own young, or leave 
them to perish from neglect. The period of incuba¬ 
tion is from 27 to 29 days. The pea-fowls have 
strong local attachments, and they rarely leave the 
place where they have been reared and fed They 
are sensible of kind treatment, and will become 
very tame when gently used and petted. They 
have a habit of roosting high, and will choose an 
elevated place on the top of the highest tree or 
buildings to which they can gain access. When 
but three days old, the chicks are able to reach a 
roost two or three feet high ; and if they can mount 
from one step to another, they will follow the old 
birds to their highest roosting places. The birds 
are naturally shy, and their treatment must be reg¬ 
ulated accordingly. The proper feed for the young 
pea-chicks consists of hard boiled eggs, cracked 
wheat, coarse oat-meal, and bread-crumbs; and 
they will soon hunt after and consume insects and 
worms of all kinds. It is necessary to protect the 
young birds from wet and cold, and they require 
the same care which is needed for young turkeys. 
A Small Ferry-boat. 
We have a number of inquiries for a method of 
crossing rivers by means of a boat that can be 
Fig. 1.— THE FERRY-BOAT. 
drawn from one bank to the other by a rope. We 
suggest the following plan :—Set a post firmly in 
each bank of the river, and attach a rope to each 
post. Make a skiff, or scow, such as would be con¬ 
venient, and attach a ring-bolt at each end, on one 
side, and have a winch with a grooved wheel at the 
middle, as shown at figure 1. The rope may be 
made to iake one turn around this wheel, and by 
working the winch the boat will be easily drawn 
from side to side. When the current is swift dur¬ 
ing high water, and there would be a strong side 
pressure upon the boat, the following plan can be 
pursued, by which much hard work may be avoided. 
Two ropes should be provided, one fastened to 
each end of the skiff, and each fastened to the post 
upon either bank. When the stream is to be 
crossed, the forward rope is pulled until the boat 
is in the current, when it is made fast, while the 
other rope is left to run out as it may. The boat 
is, of course, carried down stream in a direction 
across the river until it reaches the opposite bank ; 
when out of the strong current, it may be hauled 
up to the post and made fast. In returning, the 
same method is pursued. 
An Egg Tester. 
The accompanying engraving represents a con¬ 
trivance for testing the freshness or fertility of 
eggs, useful in the household or to the poultry- 
fancier. It consists of 
a small handle, with a 
cup attached to it; 
around the cup is fast¬ 
ened a frame of sheet- 
tin, or stiff card-board. 
This frame has a hole 
in the center, of the 
shape and size of an 
egg, and a strip of 
black ribbon, or cloth, 
is fastened around the 
frame, projecting a lit¬ 
tle beyond the inner 
edge. To test theregg, 
it is placed in the cup, 
so as to fill the space 
in the center of the 
frame, the edge of the 
black cloth or ribbon 
fitting close to the shell. 
When the egg is held 
close to a bright light, 
the light passes partly 
through the egg, and 
shows a fresh or infertile one to be perfectly clear, 
while a fertile one that has been incubated two 
days will show the embryo, as in the engraving. 
Infertile eggs may then be taken from the nest. 
EGG TESTER. 
A Cheap Pig-Pen. 
In response to inquiries, we present a plan of a 
convenient pig-pen that will cost less than $25, ex¬ 
clusive of labor. Niue posts of cedar or chestnut 
are set in the ground one foot, and projecting as 
far above the surface; arranged as in figure 1. 
Sills of 4 x 4-in. are laid upon the posts, with a 
cross sill in the center, and halved together at the 
joints. No wall posts are used, the 6tout board ¬ 
ing being made to serve the purpose. The- 
structure is 8 feet each way, or can be altered to 
suit the ordinary length of boards when built. To 
put up the walls begin 
at the bottom, fasten¬ 
ing on the corner 
boards first and nail¬ 
ing their edges firm¬ 
ly together. Strips of 
2x4 serve as plates. 
Floor beams of 2 x 6- 
in. are laid upon the 
sills, 16 inches apart, 
and the floor upon _ 
these. For a roof, Fl S' OF PIfl * ras - 
rafters of 2 x 4-in. stuff are placed 4 feet apart, 
upon which three 12-inch boards are laid, one at the 
peak, one at the eaves, and one between these two. 
The roof boards proper, 8 feet, long, are put on 
lengthwise of the rafters, and battened. Spaces for 
the doors and windows should be left or cut in the 
boards as they are nailed on. There should be two 
small windows, placed as thought most desirable. 
J (L 
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( 
SriTrnfmi 
y 
Fig. 2.—VIEW OF PIG-PEN. 
The interior division should be as shown at figure 
1. The feeding place is at a, in which is a trough, 
with a sloping board in the passage, c, by which to 
pour in the slop. A sleeping-room is at b; the 
partitions of which should be 4 feet high. A few 
looso boards will be required for a floor in the loft 
to make a space for stowing corn for feed. The 
building is raised one foot from the ground for tlm 
sake of avoiding rats and other vermin. A sloping 
gangway leads to the yard; into which it is also 
convenient to have a gate from outside. 
A Lock-up Nest Bos, 
It frequently happens that a nest box that wil2 
lock up is desired. Such a box may be made 3 feet 
square and 18 inches deep, which will be largo 
enough for two ne6ts. The door is at a. At b is at 
partition extending half through the box, and at 
the inside of this are two nests about 8 inches deep. 
A SECURE NEST BOX. 
16 inches long, and 12 inches wide. These are seen 
through the side of the box, which is partly removed 
for this purpose. For small breeds of poultry, the 
box may be made considerably smaller. Such a, 
retired nest as this exactly meets the instincts of 
the hen, and it becomes very acceptable to her* 
Farm Experiments.— There has never beeta 
so much experimenting by farmers as there is the 
present year. Great facilities for this kind of in¬ 
vestigation have been given of late, and the tone of 
