556 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER, 
June 20,1896. 
TABLE POULTRY. 
To our oft-repeated advice to rear more chickens and produce 
more eggs, simply because home-raised produce of this kind is 
always in high demand—commands a higher price than the 
imported article, and, best of all, is always profitable—we have 
been told many a time that if every farmer went into this 
branch of farming largely there would be a glut in the market 
and down would go prices. Mere argument, and nothing more, 
is such talk; the glut appears as far off as ever; chickens and 
“ eggs from our own farm ” are dearer than ever. 
On June 8th we were asked 9s. and 123. a couple for chickens 
in Leadenhall Market, those at 9s. being miserable little spring 
chicks not half grown. On the same date the price at Francis’ 
Stores, Clapham, was 14s. and IGs. a couple; at a fashionable 
West End poulterer’s they would be much dearer. Taking the 
Leadenhall Market prices as a safe guide, we give them as 
reasonable, having regard to the fact, well within our own expe¬ 
rience, that higglers will give 7s. to Ss. a couple to the breeder 
for well-grown spring chicks nine or ten weeks old. We have 
known them do so at the cottage doors of our own workmen 
in Sussex. Judging from the appearance of the chicks on 
sale at Leadenhall, most of them are sent to market as pur¬ 
chased from the breeder, because of the demand and high 
price. But there can be no doubt that when the chickens are 
raised early, and are well managed, they may be rendered much 
more profitable. 
It is well known that healthy, kindly chicks, will lay on 
2 lbs. of flesh in three weeks if shut up and crammed; flesh, 
too, that is quite flrst-rate in quality, and which has been 
pronounced by competent judges to be better, both in colour and 
flavour, than that found on chickens not so treated. Ground 
oats, milk, and Australian mutton fat. imported for soap-making, 
and costing 30s. per cwt., is the fattening mixture that answers 
so well. 
Failures with early eggs and early broods are probably more 
owing to a common want of proper accommodation, of really 
good poultry houses, than anything else. Not half enough 
attention is paid to the provision of warm, light buildings ; 
of adequate shelter for poultry in winter. Among other causes 
of failure are the keeping of young broods in the foetid atmo¬ 
sphere of a close coop for ten or twelve hours at night, coops 
left on the spot too long, food thrown on the ground and eaten 
soiled by the excrement of the fowls. Not only should the 
coops be placed on a fresh, unsoiled part of the farm every 
year, but they should be moved daily, and be well ventilated 
always. They can be made quite safe from foxes without 
being shut in so closely as to exclude fresh air. Shelter, 
thorough cleanliness, pure water, fresh air, wholesome food, and 
proper feeding are the points which in the main bring success. 
At one time our greatest difficulty was the serious mortality 
from gapes; a little attention showed that it could be 
altogether prevented by placing the broods as they were 
hatched right away on fresh land free from taint. This was 
at an old home farm where the mortality among quite young 
chickens from this disease every year had become so great 
that it was a difficult matter to rear chicks at all. 
In breeding for table poultry avoid what are known as 
show birds. We want plump, hardy chickens, and get them 
by crossing carefully selected Dorking hens with an Indian 
Game cock. Without care in selecting the hens there may— 
there often are yellow-skinned chickens, but with healthy 
white-legged hens we have from this cross chickens with 
white skin, remarkably plump breasts, and with very little 
waste. Have a change of cock birds every year, as it is 
certain that in-and-in breeding leads to much of the loss 
and disease among farm poultry. When the chickens are not 
sold off or used quite young the sexes should always be 
separated, and also kept apart from other fowls. On home 
farms, especially where birds that are exceptionally large in 
size are much valued for the household supply if they are 
as plump and tender as only young birds can be, it always 
answers to do this, and from a yard of cockerels so kept apart 
really flne birds are always forthcoming. 
Such systematic management as we have indicated is a 
very different thing to the ordinary rough and ready practice 
that prevails among most farm poultry. With a proper system, 
and the exercise of due care and forethought, table poultry of a 
superior kind ought to be forthcoming in such abundance as to 
cause a full home supply, and a profltable sale at market. 
WOEK ON THE HOME FAEM, 
Now that cows and cattle are out of the yards, let the first opportunity 
be taken to thoroughly cleanse the interior of all buildings used for them. 
The best wash for the walls of such buildings consists of three parts of 
quicklime and one part of salt. This gives a surface as hard as cement, 
and to any part at all difficult of access it can be applied by means of a 
syringe or garden engine, We do this to the interior of pigstyes fre¬ 
quently, and also take special care to have a clean dry floor, preferably 
of concrete, so as to avoid risk of cramp, especially to young pigs. 
These are jobs that the workmen can do on wet days very much to the 
purpose, and we make it a rule never to suffer the interior of any 
building used for live stock to become offensive or unsightly from filth. 
Sheep require close attention now, so that any case of fly-striking 
may be dealt with at once by a free use of Cuff’s dressing. They should 
be seen twice daily, and be looked over quietly and carefully. To the 
practised eye fly attacks are generally evident by the restlessness of the 
sheep, so that a careful look round may suffice, but if there is the 
slightest doubt let the sheep be at once got into a fold and examined 
closely. 
The safety of drilling Cattle Cabbage and Kale is very apparent as 
the weather continues so dry, thinning and hoeing being all that i& 
required ; then, too, the plant has no check from being transplanted, and 
if the soil is really as rich as it ought to be the plant is well nourished, 
and grows away without material harm from drought. On tte other hand, 
where the plants have to be transplanted from a seed bed, the check in 
such dry weather is so severe that they are long in becoming established, 
and make way so slowly as to be a backward crop at best. 
Both these green crops are so very useful that it is worth while 
giving attention to the best way of cultivation. It is mere waste of 
time to sow or plant them in poor land, as they do no good, and only 
cause waste and disappointment, but then it is obvious enough that 
any failure of the kind indicated is owing very much to imperfect 
culture. 
METEOEOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
Oamdkn Squark, London. 
Lat.51° 32'40" N.; Long. 0° 8' 0" W.; Altitude 111 feet. 
Date. 
9 A.M, 
In the Day. 
Rain. 
1895. 
June. 
Barometer 
at 32°, and 
I Sea Level. 
Hygrometer. 
Direc¬ 
tion of 
Wind. 
Temp, 
of soil 
at 
1 foot. 
Shade Tem¬ 
perature. 
Radiation 
Temperature 
Dry. 
Wet, 
Max. 
Min. 
In 
Sun. 
On 
Grass. 
Inohs. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
Inchs. 
Sunday .. 
9 
30-019 
71 8 
61-5 
N. 
62-0 
83-7 
52-0 
118-9 
44-8 
— 
Monday .. 
10 
29-906 
61-1 
57-1 
N. 
62 9 
72-3 
58-1 
106-2 
54-1 
— 
Tuesday .. 
11 
30 007 
61-9 
52-0 
N. 
61-9 
71-8 
49-1 
123-8 
42-2 
0-050 
Wednesday 
la 
30-050 
56-9 
49-1 
N.W. 
61-3 
65-7 
46-4 
116-9 
42-2 
— 
Thursday.. 
13 
30-205 
58-7 
48’9 
N.W. 
60-0 
68-2 
42-9 
116-8 
36-1 
— 
Friday 
14 
30-109 
57-3 
46-9 
N. 
59-9 
68-8 
48-9 
118-9 
43-9 
— 
Saturday .. 
15 
30-237 
53-2 
4(3*0 
N. 
60-0 
66-8 
42-2 
122-8 
34-4 
30-076 
60-6 
51-7 j 
61-1 
71-0 
48-5 
117-8 
42-5 
0-060 
REMARKS. 
9th.—Sunny and rather oppressive ; stormy looking clouds about sunset. 
10th.—Overcast almost throughout, but gleams of sunshine in afternoon. 
11th,—Frequent gleams of sun in morning ; alternate cloud and sunshine in afternoon; 
rain at night. 
12th.—Generally fine and sunny, but spots of rain about 1.30 P.M., and a slight shower 
about 4 P.M. 
13th.—Generally sunny in morning, but cloudy afternoon. 
14th.—Alternate cloud and sunshine throughout. 
15th.—Oool and generally cloudy in morning ; sunny afternoon. 
Another week of drought, the seventh in succession, with less than 0'20 inch of rain. 
Temperature almost identical with the average.—G. J. Btmons. 
