1863.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
130 
Says she, ‘Jacob, ’spose I should say it was no 
use to clean up the kitchen, because you come 
in from the cow yard twice a day, and some¬ 
times more, and dirty it all up ! I have follow¬ 
ed you with a broom and a mop for thirty years, 
and that roost is gwine to be cleaned, if I do it 
myself.’ Well, ye see, there want no more to be 
said arter that. I got a lot of new poles for’em 
to sit on, white-washed top and bottom, and 
made it look like a parlor.” 
“ I guess your poles is the trouble,” I said. 
“ That aint possible, said Jake, for I made the 
poles small on purpose so they could hold on.” 
“There is where you made your mistake. 
You see the perch wants to be so large that the 
hen won’t have to hold on. The hen is a phi¬ 
losopher, and knows more about taking care of 
herself than Jake Frink, any day. She belongs 
to a warm country, and her feet are the most 
susceptible to the cold of any part of the body, 
and most likely to be damaged by the frost. 
You will see her standing on one foot in cold 
weather, with the other drawn up among the 
feathers getting warm. After a little while, she 
will change position, and warm the other foot. 
If it were not for this process of warming, both 
feet would soon be frozen, and she would grow 
lame and die. If hens have large perches, say 
four or five inches in diameter, their toes are 
completely covered with the feathers as they 
roost at night, and they sleep comfortably and 
securely. If the perches are small, the toes are 
left out, and freeze in very cold weather. This 
makes them lame, and of course affects the gen¬ 
eral health, as a frozen limb would in larger 
animals. Sometimes the toe sloughs off, and if 
the freezing process is not repeated, the bird re¬ 
covers. But if Jake Frink is the owner of the 
birds and does not know what the matter is, 
the toes are repeatedly frozen, and the hens die 
in a very strange and mysterious manner !” 
I left Jake standing with his mouth open, as 
this bit of philosophy got into his head. It was 
so plain that he could not help seeing it. But 
wiser men than he are every day violating the 
plainest principles of common sense in their 
management of domestic animals. Then - bod¬ 
ies are as much subject to law as our own, and 
if we do not regard these laws in providing for 
them, health is impaired, and oftentimes life is 
destroyed. There is as much philosophy in hen¬ 
roosts as there is in human dwellings, and we 
must know something about the habits of hens 
before we can suitably provide for their health. 
Not long ago I was asked to come over and 
see Mr. Spooner, our minister. I began to think 
of my transgressions at once, and tried to recall 
what scandal I had uttered that I should be sent 
for. I was put at my ease when I found out that 
it was my profession and not his that was to be 
called into service. I may as well say that I 
have considerable of this work to do around 
H«okertown, and I don’t see why it is not just 
as honorable to doctor hens as it is to doctor 
men. The only fault I have to find is, that folks 
don’t send for me until it is entirely too late. 
Mr. Spooner complained that his hens died 
strangely. He took the best care of them, gave 
them a variety of food, grain and meat, and 
pounded oyster shells for them, and bones; but 
they would droop, run at the mouth, swell in 
the head, and die. Some times they dropped 
dead from the roost. I suspected in a minute 
what was the matter, and led the way to the 
hennery, where I found a large quantity of ma¬ 
nure sprinkled over with lime. The smell of 
ammonia was about as pungent as a hartshorn 
bottle. He had heard it said that lime was good 
to cleanse roosts, and had used it without stint. 
In such an atmosphere, in a close warm room, 
the hens died of course. I ordered cleansing 
and a layer of dry muck to be changed once a 
month. Since then the minister has had plenty 
of eggs of his own raising. I could afford 
to throw in the fees, for before my visit, Mrs. 
Bunker’s egg basket was often emptied at the 
parsonage, and no questions asked; since then, 
it has been like carrying coals to Newcastle. 
Hookertown, ) Yours to command, 
March 20 th, 1863. ' Timothy Bunker Esq. 
For the American Agriculturist . 
Care of Fowls. 
Nearly two years experience with about 34 
hens, gives me, “ in as great proportion,” the 
same advantages in eggs and chickens as Mr. 
Thompson obtained from 75, as stated in the 
March Agriculturist (page 75). There is, howev¬ 
er, this in my favor, that during the whole time 
only three of my hens died. Warmth, ventilation 
and cleanliness, with frequent greasing of the 
roosts, are pretty sure safeguards against vermin. 
My poultry house is thoroughly cleaned e*ery 
week, well swept, and fresh loam scattered over 
the floor. Sometimes, if the smell be offensive, 
T scatter a few handfuls of lime dust (which 
is always on hand) under the roosts, and sprinkle 
with a watering pot; this is a great purifier. 
[Plaster would be better.— Ed.] The droppings 
saved during the year with the loam added will 
average from twelve to fifteen barrels. 
A word about feeding. I am of opinion it is 
great economy to boil the meal. My plan is, 
to boil, about once a fortnight, a half bushel of 
cracked corn, stirring for an hour. At the same 
time, boil in another kettle a half bushel of small 
potatoes; when soft, pour off the water, mash, 
and mix thoroughly with the meal, then pour the 
whole into a tub or barx-el. It keeps sweet, 
and cuts like cold mush. I give them plenty of 
this, varied now and then with a few handfuls 
of grain, cabbage leaves, oyster shells, and 
bones broken small. There has been no lack of 
eggs during all the Winter. W. Wilson. 
Suffolk Co., N. Y. 
--» .-—-- —-- 
For the American Agriculturist . 
Cost of Keeping Poultry. 
The appearance of my report on poultry in 
the March No. of the Agriculturist, page 75, has 
led to many inquiries as to cost of keeping. 
The answer is : one peck of corn per day, for a 
hundred head, in Winter; in Summer less will 
do. Corn being the staple food for poultry, the 
calculation is based on its cost. I prefer and 
use wheat screenings. A variety of grains is 
desirable; no damaged grains should be fed. 
The cheapest food is corn and oats ground to¬ 
gether in equal parts. Two pounds of this stir¬ 
red into one gallon of boiling water makes ten 
lbs. of stiff food. It may be fed warm, not hot.. 
Staten Island , N. Y. J. C. THOMPSON. 
Desirable Breeds of Fowls. 
John E. Abbott, Kennebec Co., Me., writes 
concerning different breeds of fowls: “Com¬ 
mon hens will yield good profit, but more can 
be obtained from many of the improved varie¬ 
ties. In deciding what breed is best, it must be 
taken into account whether eggs or chickens are 
most desired. ‘ Every-day layers,’ as they are 
called, are commonly considered to be superior 
to others in laying qualities. A few of the best 
of these I will briefly describe. B/aclc Spanish. 
—Bather above the medium size. Their combs 
are single and very large. The hen’s comb falls 
over on one side. Few fowls surpass them in 
the number, or size of the eggs. Their chickens 
are hardy. Leghorns .— These fowls bear a strong 
resemblance to the Spanish, except in color. 
Those who have kept them, think that they are 
better layers. In a report which was published 
in the Transactions of the Middlesex Co. (Mass.) 
Agricultural Society, for 1861, Mr. I. H. Felch, 
of Natick, stated that ‘for six months, the White 
Leghorns averaged 95 eggs per hen; the Blue 
Leghorns, 80; the Brahmas, 77; and the Black 
Spanish, 74 These two breeds, Leghorn and 
Spanish, seldom set; so that it will be necessary 
to keep some other variety for raising chickens. 
Dorleings .—For rich, juicy flesh, 'the Dorkings 
are generally placed at the head of the list. 
They are not hardy, and are only fair layers. 
These two things will prevent^their being in 
great request. Brahma Pootras .—Full grown 
Brahmas will weigh from 18 to 22 pounds a 
pair. Though not equal to the Dorkings for 
the table, their flesh is of excellent quality. As 
layers, they are highly valued. They commence 
laying when young — usually at the age of six 
months. The only fowls that come up to them 
in size, within my knowledge, are the Chitta- 
gongs. There appears to be but a slight differ¬ 
ence between these and the Brahmas. Any one 
of these different breeds, excepting perhaps the 
Dorking, will almost invariably give better sat¬ 
isfaction than common fowls.” 
-«>-«-O P ' ■ > -C»- 
Bee Keeping in Minnesota. 
Samuel Bates, Winona Co., Minn., sends to 
the Agriculturist a very favorable account ot 
success in bee keeping in that locality. He se¬ 
lected a site with reference to the business in a 
valley adjoining the Mississippi River, and 
where plenty of basswood trees were growing 
on the adjacent islands in the stream. The bees 
find abundant pasturage, and the quality of 
honey is superior. Early swarms frequently 
make a hundred pounds per hive. Swarms com¬ 
ing as late as the middle of August, which 
would be deemed worthless at the East, will 
gtore from twenty-five to forty lbs. of honejn 
Mr. Bates wintered his bees in a house, 25 feet 
long, 5 feet wide, 6 feet high, covered with 
matched boards, and well ventilated at top and 
bottom. It is entered by a door at the end. The 
hives are set in tiers one above the other on 
bars extending lengthwise of the house. Each 
hive is raised a short distance from the bottom 
board, to allow ventilation. As warm weather 
approaches and the bees become uneasy, the 
door of the house is opened at night and shut 
early in the morning, to keep them as cool as 
possible until a favorable day comes for setting 
them out. If there be snow on the ground, 
straw is scattered about the hives for them to 
alight, on. Mr. B. thinks some winter shelter 
is indispensable to suceesful bee-keeping in that 
region, where the cold is often intense. Many 
have failed in the attempt to keep them the year 
round in the open air. 
The Age of Hoeses can not always be 
known by their teeth. “Ebersol,” writing from 
Ottawa, Ill., says he saw some neighbors at 
work upon an old horse, “making him over.” 
Having cast the animal, they filed his teeth and 
brought them to resemble those of a young 
horse. He was afterward sold at a good figure 
in consideration of his youth ! The imposition 
is not new! Sharpers have long practised it. 
