153 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
MANAGEMENT OF FOWLS—PLUCKING 
FEATHERS. 
We have received several inquiries of late, 
respecting the management of poultry, and 
as the following one relates to a matter of 
which almost all fowl breeders are ignorant 
we insert it entire. 
Editor of American Agriculturist: 
Will you please inform me in your next 
number why hens pick feathers frOm each 
other and eat them 1 I have a number of 
hens comfortably housed, and provided with 
everything that from time to time has been 
recommended in the agricultural papers— 
lime, charcoal, pulverized oyster shells, grav¬ 
el, pure water, meat, corn, rye, wheat, buck¬ 
wheat, oats, &c. What is lacking, for the 
want of which they supply themselves, in a 
measure, from each others clothing 1 Some 
of my hens present a very singular appear¬ 
ance, being literally stripped from comb to 
breast. I have watched them repeatedly 
and seen them pluck the feathers from each 
other, and devour them with the keenest 
relish. 
If this inquiry is not too simple for your 
consideration, you will confer a favor and 
satisfy the curiosity of one, and perhaps 
many of your readers, by giving the desired 
information. — 13. Stradley, Fishkill, N. Y., 
February, 1856. 
Remarks. —The above is a habit seldom 
occurring we believe, in any of the breed of 
fowls, and one unknown to the majority of 
poultry keepers, although we doubt not that 
any extensive breeder will at once recognize 
in the description, a great source of annoy¬ 
ance to himself, and of suffering to his birds. 
We think however, that it is capable of ex¬ 
planation, and we are confident it can in most 
cases, be effectually prevented by a little 
foresight. The most disagreeable feature 
in the case, is, its universal occurrence during 
the gradual renewal of the feathers after the 
heavy molt which takes place during Octo¬ 
ber, November and even later—perhaps in 
the coldest part of the winter. At a time 
when the warmest plumage is necessary for 
the comfort of the bird, we may chance to 
see them stalking about, deprived almost 
entirely of any protection from the severity 
of the weather, and in this condition they are 
easily affected by that scourge of fowls, the 
Roup. 
Its origin, we imagine is to be attributed to 
the following cause. The desire of all fowls 
for meat, blood, offal, &c., is well known, 
and this they will always gratify when pos¬ 
sible. We think it is probable then—that 
the raw and bleeding appearance presented 
by them when just recovering from their 
molting, attracts the notice of the others, and 
induces them to pluck the feathers as they 
appear just above the skin. Bleeding follows 
these when torn out, and the particles of flesh 
once tasted excite an appetite that seeks far¬ 
ther gratification. 
And we might also add another cause as 
probable, and as worthy of credit as the above, 
which is the presence of lice on the fowls, 
in pursuit of which the feathers are torn 
away, and the skin lacerated. These pests 
can easily be eradicated by the use of clean 
ashes, in which the birds can dust them¬ 
selves. A little flour sulphur should^ be 
sprinkled over the houses. 
The best remedy to adopt is to separate 
the fowls so affected, and let them feed and 
roost by thems*elves, being careful however 
to maintain at the cold season, an even and 
comfortable temperature in every part of the 
house. Plenty of nourishing, warm food 
should be given them, in fact, as much as 
they will consume. 
For this purpose cracked corn, thoroughly 
boiled and given hot, surpasses any thing 
else that we have tried. Let this diet be 
continued and our chicken fancier will soon 
see in the renewed health of his fowls, that 
his care has not been ill bestowed. In ad¬ 
dition, see that pounded oyster-shells and 
bones together with fresh earth and gravel 
be freely supplied, and that too at frequent 
intervals, and our word for it, he will not 
regret his labor.— Ed. 
QUESTIONS ABOUT GRASSES. 
To the Editor of the American Agriculturist : 
I have often read of a plant called “ Blue 
Grass,” and asking farmers about it, they 
showed me different kinds of “ poa ” { ferti¬ 
lise comprersa et .) May I ask : what kind of 
poa is blue grass 1 
Can you inform me how this grass seed is 
harvested and dressed for sowing 1 
E. Meldahl. 
Parkersburg, Va., Feb. 24, 1856. 
Blue grass is poa pralensis. In the East¬ 
ern States it is generally known under the 
name of June grass, because it ripens the 
latter end of this month. It is the earliest 
ripened grass we have, is very nutricious, 
and from latitude 39° south, in favorable sea¬ 
sons, has a large second growth during the 
latter part of the summer and fall—in fact, 
when the weather is mild, we have known it 
continue to grow/all winter in good limestone 
soils. It is highly prized at the West for 
cattle pasturage. 
It is harvested and prepared for sowing 
much like other grasses. For more particu¬ 
lar information on this point, we would refer 
our correspondent to Messrs. Munn & Bu¬ 
chanan, Louisville, Kentucky. 
A mixture of blue grass, white clover, and 
red top, makes the finest lawn of any grass 
we haye in this country. Pure ray grass is 
the next best.—E d. 
A Stump Pui.ler. —Mr. Luther Hampton, 
of Woodbridge, N. J., dropped into our office 
a day or two since to say that the cheapest 
and best “ stump puller” is to cut down the 
tree, remove the limbs, chain the butt end to 
the stump, and then hitch a team to the top 
of the tree and drive them round. The long 
lever thus obtained will “yank” out any 
stump that does not hang worse than a four 
pronged double tooth. A strong chain will 
be needed.— Ed. 
Benef.it of Snow.— Wm. J. C. Haviland, 
writing from Dutches Co., March 11, says : 
“We are still having very cold weather, but 
the past winter has been just such as we 
want to insure good crops of grass and win¬ 
ter grain, as they have been covered and 
protected by a foot-and-a-half of snow.” 
That is so, doubtless, and it has been not a 
small item of comfort to those who have 
been “ snowed in” for a quarter of the year. 
Pity our animals could not appreciate it 
also.— Ed 
HOW CORN IS RAISED IN BUCKS COUNTY, 
FA-OATS, WHEAT, Ac, 
[A friend sending a club of subscribers 
from Attleborough, Pa., added some account 
of farming, in his vicinity, “ not for publica¬ 
tion,” he says, but the following extract is 
suggestive, and we take the liberty to give it 
in the writer’s words.— Ed.] 
** “ I believe the prejudice against agricul¬ 
tural papers is slowly giving away among 
the farmers of old Bucks, or the lower end 
at least. I find that a considerable number 
read the agricultural papers, but although 
these papers are read, very few I believe are 
induced to change their routine of farming, 
believing their old system the best, which I 
esteem is not a bad one, but susceptable of 
much improvement. 
A sod is broken up for corn, a portion of 
which is generally covered with coarse yard 
or stable manure. Much of this plowing is 
done in the second, or the first part of the 
third month, when practical, which is not the 
case the present season, the ground being 
still under snow and ice. But an opinion 
prevails with many otherwise smart farmers, 
that shallow plowing is best for corn, and a 
large proportion is plowed only from three 
to five inches in depth. That which has been 
plowed early, when planting time ar¬ 
rives is well harrowed, and two shallow fur¬ 
rows thrown together, forming ridges about 
four feet distant, which are marked at right 
angles about the .same distance the other 
way, and the corn dropped [on those ridges, 
and in some instances covered with fine 
compost, but they generally omit the compost, 
and drop a little plaster and ashes on each 
hill after it comes up. The plow and culti¬ 
vator are both used in tending. The last 
dressing is mostly done by throwing two 
shallow furrows to the corn, finishing the 
middle of the row with the cultivator. 
The harvesting is done by cutting it off at 
the ground, setting thirty hills in a stack. 
In this way from sixty to seventy bushels 
are frequently produced per acre, and some 
claim a hundred, but I am not aware that I 
have ever seen that much. 
Corn is followed with oats. A heavy har¬ 
row is run over the ground, which splits or 
pulls out most of the butts, and enables 
the plow to cover them much better. After 
the ground is plowed, the oats are sowed on 
the furrow and harrowed in, and then rolled. 
Product, from thirty to seventy bushels per 
acre. The oat stubble is plowed and har¬ 
rowed, after which it is manured with barn¬ 
yard and such other manure as can be ob¬ 
tained. Some guano is used, and much 
more would be if it could be obtained at 
prices that would answer. 
The ground is again plowed for wheat, 
which is generally sown with a drill,and seed- 
