PROFITS OF POULTRY. 
201 
layers of carboniferous rock, covering the face of 
valleys and mountains of more than half of the 
surface of the globe, without designing it for ben¬ 
eficial purposes. The sun and air decompose such 
rocks on the surface, the rains wash off the parts 
decomposed, carries it into the valleys, where it 
mixes with various other matters, and the carbon¬ 
ic gas supplies vegetation with more than 60 per 
cent, of its food. If only a fraction of one per cent, 
of lime were found in the soil of the globe, then 
must the evident wisdom and benevolence of the 
Supreme have been overruled. As this is impos¬ 
sible, the probability is that man has misinter¬ 
preted his operative action. 
Even granting the absurd theory of Mr. Dana, 
that “ there is but one rock and one soil,” his an¬ 
alysis of that rock and soil is anything but correct; 
and if he obtained his information from the ge¬ 
ological surveyor of Massachusetts, then must we 
decide that the surveyor was, to say the least, a 
very incompetent analyzer. Mr. D., page 8, clas¬ 
sifies the primitive rocks, as granite, gneiss, sien- 
ite, greenstone, porphyry, basalt, &c. Let us see 
whether these rocks afford 89.28 silex, and only 
85 of one per cent, of lime. 
Primitive granite is composed of silex, 68, al¬ 
umina 14, lime 2.33, potash 9. Granite is com¬ 
posed of silex, mica, and felspar, and the above 
analysis is taken on the supposition that each are 
in equal quantities, but it is well known that the 
felspar is generally the predominating material, 
which would lessen the proportion of silex ma¬ 
terially, and increase the alumina and lime. 
Gneiss contains much less silex than primitive 
granite, more alumina, and more oxide of iron. 
Sienite is distinguished from granite by the pres¬ 
ence of hornblende—this mineral contains 42 silex, 
12 alumina, 11 lime, 2.25 magnesia, 30 oxide of 
iron. Red felspar is the predominating material 
in sienite—components 62 silex, 17 alumina, 3 
lime, 13 potash. 
In greenstone the hornblende predominates, silex 
and mica are rarely found in it; the felspar is in 
this mineral always green or greenish. See com¬ 
ponents as above. 
Porphyry is a compound rock, varying much in 
its base and in its mineral structure, containing 
quartz and felspar in a crystalline state. 
Basalt varies much in its properties, it gives 
from 42 to 56 silex, from 15 to 30 alumina, from 8 
to 10 lime, and from 8 to 25 iron. 
In my next I shall review Mr. Dana’s chemistry 
of soil. Wii. Partridge. 
PROFITS OF POULTRY. 
I noticed in the last number of the American 
Agriculturist, some queries propounded by a cor¬ 
respondent over the signature of “ H. C. M.,” in 
regard to the profits from, number of eggs obtain¬ 
ed, and amount of food consumed by a given num¬ 
ber of fowls per year. 
Now, sir, in the first place, I would recommend 
to your correspondent to try the experiment him¬ 
self, even if it be on a small scale, say from 12 to 
20 fowls. Keep an accurate account with them, 
charge the cost of the fowls, the food they con¬ 
sume, and all expenses attending them. Keep an 
accurate account of all the eggs obtained, all the 
chickens raised ; and at the end of the year credit 
the eggs, and the stock on hand, and the queries 
will be answered. But, as he probably wishes to 
avail himself of the experience of others, and jump 
into the business at once, I will endeavor to grat* 
ify him by giving the result of some of my experi¬ 
ence. 
When I first moved on to my farm, I kept about 
300 fowls, which were allowed to run and roost 
where they pleased, annoying me in the gar¬ 
den, destroying my grain, and soiling my imple¬ 
ments, and from which we did not obtain over 1000 
eggs and about 60 chickens, during the year. I 
then built me a poultry-house, and enclosed about 
one fourth of an acre of ground with a picket fence, 
between six and seven feet high, placed the fowls 
in it, and commenced keeping debit and credit with 
them. In six months and seven days we obtained 
from 60 hens 2655 eggs. The year following, 
from the same number of hens we obtained over 
4000 eggs. 
Hens that are well fed, and attended will aver¬ 
age about 90 eggs each per year ; and they will 
consume about 38 quarts of grain, in proportion as 
follows, per head, in the same time. 
The amount consumed within the year, of the 
different kinds of grain, was 
91 bushels of wheat-screenings,-21 c_$19,11 
6 
a 
rye, .. 
.62*... 
. 3,75 
11 
a 
millet,. . 
. 6,87* 
2 
a 
corn,. . 
. 1,12* 
3 
ct 
barley,. 
.. 1,50 
2 
a 
Indian meal,.... 
_ 100 - 
115 bushels.$34,36 
Amount of eggs and poultry sold was.56,79 
Leaving a balance of only.$22,43 
We were more fortunate last year, as will be 
seen from the following. Our stock consisted of 
84 fowls including cocks; 3 turkeys, 7 geese, 2 
ducks, and 2 guinea-fowls, which was of course 
much increased in the spring and summer by the 
young reared. They consumed 
71 bushels wheat-screenings,.... 
15 c. 
.$10,65 
4 « 
millet,. 
.50 . 
14* “ 
corn,. 
301 « 
oats,. 
. 7,26 
8 « 
potatoes, boiled,. 
.25 . 
. 2,00 
127f bushels. 
We obtained 4152 eggs, average 1 c. 
.41,52 
80 fowls, sold for... 
47,15 
32 bushels manure, sold 
at 18f. 
, 6,00—94,67 
Profit,..$66,59 
These fowls were confined in a yard and allow¬ 
ed as much grain as they would eat, it being kept 
constantly before them, changed often, and in the 
winter boiled potatoes were fed to them warm, and 
occasionally animal food. They were plentifully 
supplied with lime, gravel, and water. Some ql- 
lowance, however, must be made in regard to me 
amount of sales, as many of the fowls were of 
fancy breeds. 
