1891 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
143 
green food every day in the year—one bushel of beets per 
day, cut fine, in winter, and green grass in spring ; in sum¬ 
mer Swiss chard is good, the leaves growing again when 
broken. All refuse cabbage, and other vegetable matter 
that is not decayed, are used. One bushel of green cured 
clover hay is cut very fine and cooked. A mixture of the 
feeding ration is mixed with this, boiling water being used 
if no milk can be obtained. At one time much larger 
quantities of clover hay were used, which largely reduced 
the cost of feed per day, but it largely reduced the egg 
product and was abandoned. It is too bulky, and the hen 
cannot eat enough of it to supply nutriment for heavy egg 
production. Charcoal contains no nourishment, but pre¬ 
vents fermentation, or bad effects from overeating. There 
Is no economy in keeping a pullet in such poor condition 
that it will be a year before she begins to lay. April- 
hatched pullets should be “ pushed ” for all they are 
worth, and begin laying in the fall. The hen that is laying 
should be crowded to the utmost capacity, and during the 
moulting season the growth of feathers is a great drain 
on the system, which requires plenty of food to keep the 
hen in condition, and hasten the growth, so that she can 
begin laying again. 
Excitement costs food and eggs; keep no males to 
worry, except in breeding-pens. A lot of young chicks 
were sorted over and all the males that could be 
distinguished were put in a pen by themselves. Unlimited 
amounts of corn were fed them until killed. The pullets 
and a few males that could not be detected at the time 
were fed wheat and other nitrogenous foods. The corn- 
fed males, when killed, were a mass of yellow fat, and had 
small bones. The others were as heavy, but were all 
muscle, and had bones twice as large. They were in much 
the best condition for health and breeding purposes. 
How the Hens are Fed. 
The following tables give the ration that has given the 
best results for egg production for 600 hens. 
1. Morning, by weight, all they can eat of the following 
mixture: One-half bran, one-fourth corn and one-fourth 
oats, mixed with hot water or milk, together with one 
by means of stairs, through a trap-door which is closed at 
night. Nothing mars the looks of a group of fine fowls 
like a background of filth and dirty roosts. Fig. 57 shows 
the nests and dirt boxes. The nests have a slanting hinged 
cover and an alley behind them for entrance. When the 
cover is shut, the nest is darkened and a hen will 
seldom eat the eggs in such a nost. Under the nests, which 
are opposite the windows and two feet irom the floor, are 
the dust boxes which are filled with sand, gravel, ground 
bone, shells and road dust. The feeding trough is V- 
shaped and a section of eave trough with board ends 
^tnd short legs, makes the best drinking vessels. 
A building 12 feet by 60 feet will give plenty of room for 
100 hens, divided into three flocks, and need not cost over 
$75. The yards should be long for ease in plowing, and a 
row of plum trees down the center will furnish shade and 
the finest fruit. The yards are plowed up to loosen the 
soil for the hens, to cultivate the trees and to keep the 
places clean. Preparations are being made to build more 
houses, and the flocks will be increased to 1 000, and what 
the business will become only time will reveal. 
C. E. CHAPMAN. 
NOTES FROM THE RURAL GROUNDS. 
Trials of New Potatoes. 
For many years past The R. N.-Y. has tried all the new 
potatoes sent to it for trial or announced in catalogues. 
They have been planted in the rich soil of its garden, and 
concentrated fertilizers have been used in liberal quantity 
—fertilizers analyzing high in nitrogen, potash and phos¬ 
phoric acid. It was assumed last spring that nothing 
would be gained by the use of additional fertilizers, so 
that the trials made for 1890 were allowed to depend upon 
the accumulated fertility of the soil. From a few exper¬ 
iments made, not yet reported, it appears that the ad¬ 
dition of nitrogen would have materially increased the 
yield, giving additional proof—if proof were needed—that 
nitrate of soda and ammonia salts do not remain in the 
soil from year to year. The trenches, as in years past, 
Van Ornam’s Earlifst, from Van Ornam Brothers & 
Co., Lewis, Iowa. Four pieces planted. Yield 10 pounds, 
or at the rate of 605 bushels to the acre. Eaten August 18. 
Flesh white, quality perfect ; fine-grained, pure-flavored. 
This comes from the same lot of seedlings as Burpee’s 
Extra Early. It is a good keeper. General shape of Early 
Rose, though less inclined to pink skin. There were 51 
tubers in all, 32 large. It ripens with or a trifie before Earls 
Rose. 
Dreer’s Standard from H. A. Dreer, Philadelphia, Pa. 
Three pieces planted April 16, as were those above reported 
upon. Yield, 9X pounds, or at the rate of 766.33 bushels to 
the acre—20 large, 9 small. Resembles the R. N.-Y. in 
shape, oblong, flattened. Few eyes, not prominent. A 
showy, solid-looking potato, often russeted. Eaten October 
1st. Of the best quality. Flesh white, crystalline, fine. 
Pride of the West from P. Henderson & Co. Five 
pieces. Yield at the rate of 605 bushels to the acre. In 
appearance it closely resembles Ideal. Seed badly sprouted 
and shriveled. Ovate, truncate, much flattened, buff skin 
with pink about the eyes—24 marketable, 15 small. White 
flesh ; perfect in quality. 
North Pole, from A. W. Livingston’s Sons, Columbus, 
O. Five pieces. Yield 5 % pounds, or 242 bushels to the 
acre. White skin, round, a trifle flattened, few eyes. 
There were 17 large, 43 small, Eaten October 25. White 
flesh, mealy outside, fine-grained within. 
LEARNED OF NECESSITY. 
How to Pasture Kansas Hogs. 
We Western farmers read over and over again that hogs 
should not be fed on corn alone, that they should have 
pasture and mixed feed; but, as a rule, hogs in Kansas and 
Nebraska are fed corn only and are confined in small pens. 
They are in thick dust when it is dry, in deep mud when 
it rainp, and in filth always. There are reasons for this. 
When one reads of “ hog pasture,” he always thinks of a 
clover field fenced with a good board or rail fence, such as 
are found in our central and eastern States. Few Western 
WYCKOFF’S MODEL HEN-HOUSE. Fig. 56. 
[ INTERIOR OF MODEL HEN-HOUSE. Fig. 57. 
pint of salt, two quarts of charcoal and one bushel of 
clover hay cut fine. If there be no milk add 16 pounds of 
chopped meat and one bushel of beets cut fine. 
2. Noon, whole grain by measure. Two parts oats, one 
buckwheat and one wheat; give one quart to 50 hens in 
chaff. 
3. Night, the same as No. 2, all they will eat. 
4. Drink, milk or pure water. 
For chickens, a cake made of sour milk, salt and soda 
made thick with sifted feed and baked, also cracked wheat. 
Houses for the Hens. 
Mr. W. prefers the ordinary one-story building because 
it compels constant attendance, which insures cleanliness. 
Fig. 56 represent a model hen-house with a southern ex¬ 
posure. The walls are laid in mortar on top of a trench 
which is filled with broken stones. This drains the bottom 
and keeps out rats. The lower story is 6X feet high and 
the upper three feet to the plate. Common hemlock 
lumber lined with tarred paper and ceiled up with 
matched hemlock inside of that, is used. The tarred paper 
gives a permanent odor which is repulsive to vermin. 
There are no ventilators. They let out the warmth and 
cause a draft. All the fresh air needed will work in 
around the doors and windows. But few of the latter are 
needed. They make the house too warm in summer and 
too cold in winter. There are not enough sunny days in 
winter to pay for them. Inside there should be just as 
few things as possible, and all should be loose so that they 
can be taken down, carried out and washed, scoured and 
soaked In kerosene, to rid them of vermin. Fig. 58 shows 
the manner of attaching roosts in the upper story. The 
cross sticks are fastened to rafters by a bolt and with 
the poles can be raised up and fastened while the 
floor is being cleaned. The poles are young saplings of 
proper size stripped of the bark. This leaves no hiding- 
place for lice. The fowls are above the carbonic acid gas 
which settles to the floor, and below the warmer, odor¬ 
laden air. The droppings being on a board floor, are always 
dry and by the aid of plaster and road dust every thing can 
be kept sweet and clean without being cleaned out too 
often. During the day the fowls remain in the lower 
earth-banked room and have a smaller space in which they 
can keep warm at night. The hens reach the upper room 
were dug about six inches deep and three feet apart. Two 
inches of soil were raked back and the pieces (two to three 
strong eyes) were placed upon this one foot apart. 
Early Telephone (third year’s trial), sent by F. R. 
Phoenix, Delavan, Walworth County, Wis. Five pieces 
planted AprjJ 16, yield 14 pounds, white, very shapely, 
oblong, somewhat flattened, few eyes—a splendid potato. 
The above yield was at the rate of 677 bushels to the acre. 
There were 35 large, 26 small. Eaten October 15. White 
flesh of the very finest quality. As previously reported, 
there is more than one kind of this name. 
Burpee’s Extra Early, from W.A. Burpee & Co , Phil¬ 
adelphia, Pa. Four pieces planted. Seed much sprouted 
and shriveled.Yield 10 pounds, or at the rate of 605 bushels 
to the acre. Dug August 13. They are as early as Early 
Rose. Buff skin, shape variable, inclining to oblong-flat¬ 
tened. Eyes medium in number and prominence. Many 
small—71 in all, 32 marketable, three decayed. A few 
large and pronged. Eaten September 1. Flesh white and 
of excellent quality. 
Bill Nye, from Peter Henderson & Co., N. Y. Six 
pieces planted. Dug, August 16. Yield at the rate of 
403.33 bushels to the acre. It is as early as PI. Rose. 
Buff skin, rather long, oblong, flattened, few eyes, not 
prominent—78 in all, marketable 40. They averaged under¬ 
size. Eaten August 19. Nearly white flesh; not as dry as 
some, but of fine quality. 
Vick’s Perfection, from James Vick, Rochester, N. Y. 
Four pieces planted. Dug, August 13. Probably a few 
days earlier than E. Rose. Resembles E. Rose. Yield 7% 
pounds, or at the rate of 453.90 bushels per acre—45 in all, 
28 marketable. Eaten August 16. As to quality it is 
simply perfect. 
Seedling from Geo. K. Higbie, Penfield, N. Y. Said to 
be a cross between Pearl of Savoy and Nova Scotia Rose. 
Fourteen pieces planted. Yield at the rate of 622.23 to the 
acre. It is a late variety. It may be described in appear¬ 
ance as an Early Rose, though averaging longer. Large 
tubers, 106; small 66. Eaten October 28. White flesh, 
mealy and of fine quality, THE H. N.-Y, by request) names 
this the Higbie, 
farmers have clover and very few have fences that would 
turn hogs. 
The drought last year found me with a large number of 
hogs and very little corn—not more than one-third enough 
to fatten them. Many of our farmers fed what corn they 
had and sold their hogs half fatted or as “stockers” at a 
very low price. I concluded to try a different plan. In 
August I sowed a field to rye, using 1>£ bushel of seed 
per acre. A few days later there was a rain and by Sep¬ 
tember 15, It was good pasture. The next thing was to 
keep the hogs from straying and troubling neighbors. I 
was advised that they would stray off; that they would 
root up all the rye, etc. The first day they were turned on 
the rye I watched them a little and as soon as they were 
well filled we put them in their pen and gave them grain. 
After the first few days the pen was left open all day so 
that the hogs could come and go as they liked. 
There was always a supply of clean water in the pen and 
grain every night. I soon found that hogs having plenty 
of good feed and water would not stray, nor did they de¬ 
stroy anything. The grain ration consisted of corn, oats 
and rye ground separately and fed sometimes mixed and 
sometimes alone. It was always scalded one meal ahead ; 
that is, the night’s feed was scalded in the morning. It 
was never allowed to stand longer. From October 1st we 
gave all of this ration they would clean up and a light feed 
in the morning. On December 1st they were penned up 
and fed all they would eat up clean. By January 1st they 
were ready for market. Not one of them was “ off feed ” 
a single meal. The cost of feeding was not more than one- 
half what it would have been had they been fed corn at 
the ruling price. When butchering time came I had an¬ 
other proof of the value of our experiment. The meat 
proved to be of a very superior quality. There was less 
lard than in corn-fed hogs. There was a better mingling 
of “fat and lean,” and the meat was of excellent flavor. 
I never had hogs that took on flesh so rapidly by any other 
way of feeding. 
The early fall pigs have had the run of the rye all winter 
with a little grain and are thrifty and healthy. They 
never stray. We keep only gentle stock. I think many 
Western farmers could do likewise with profit to them¬ 
selves and pleasure to their hop. w, v. .tag^son, 
