i89i 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
279 
Poultry Yard. 
Will your hens eat “ animal meal ? ” 
How do you pick out the best layers ? 
Is Kaffir Corn profitable poultry food ? 
Where do you get your poultry meat ? 
How large a roosting place is required 
for 75 hens ? 
Hop-kiln Incubator.— In a Mendocino, 
California paper this item occurs: “ D. G. 
Pitner has now 6,000 eggs hatching in his 
hop-kiln, which he is using as an immense 
incubator. He is adding more eggs every 
day, and expects to have 8,000 in before the 
kiln is full. Everything has gone on nicely 
so far, and the indications are that this 
novel hatching project will be a success.” 
The quantity of eggs aud chickens pro¬ 
duced in California is astonishing. They 
are usually planned for a “ second crop ”— 
that is, to supplement some other crop or 
operation, but the business is usually done 
on a large s cale. _ 
WHERE ARE THE EGGS ? 
We want a little more light on the subject 
of eggs in winter, and after reading The R. 
N.-Y.’s article on Mr. Wyckoff’s hennery, I 
am more than ever puzzled by a case in 
point. A young friend of ours built a hen 
house on a plan very much like the one de¬ 
scribed ; the care and management were 
the same and the feeding was according to 
the best approved methods, including skim- 
milk, lime, oyster shells, etc. He is pains¬ 
taking and intelligent, a thinking and 
working farmer, who wished some re¬ 
munerative employment for himself and 
his hired help during the cold months in 
our Canadian climate. The fault cannot 
be in the breed, as he has Plymouth R icks, 
Dorkings aud Wyandottes, both hens and 
pullets raised fairly early. But at this 
date (March 18th) only one of his hens is 
laying out of a flock of over 40, and that 
one has only begun lately. “They have 
eaten what would have fattened a couple 
of steers,” he said the other day, “and no 
returns.” What can be the fault ? If any 
Rural readers have had a like experience, 
or can give any reason for the failure of 
his hens to lay, I would be glad to hear 
from them. With the same treatment our 
hens have given us about 50 dozen eggs 
since the middle of January—not a large 
profit, but better than nothing. Our hen¬ 
nery was an old stable, and is colder than 
our friend’s, and our hens have certainly 
not been more carefully tended. What 
has caused his failure ? ANNIE L. JACK. 
Chateauguay Basin, Canada. 
R. N. Y. “We want to know” what 
you think._ 
ABOUT SKUNK FARMING. 
Two weeks ago the R. N.-Y. asked for 
information regarding skunk farming. 
We learn that there are a number of quite 
successful skunk farms in the country. 
We hope to have an illustrated account of 
one of the largest before long; in the 
_ meantime these notes are printed. 
Not a Desirable Neighbor. 
I presume there are very few persons 
who can tell anything about the industry 
from actual experience, and I can simply 
give the result of a visit to one of the 
“ farms ” in Livingston County, N. Y. 
Shortly before my visit the “ farmer ” had 
moved farther away from the village, 
according to the expressed desire of the 
authorities, so, unfortunately, there were 
no skunks on the premises at the time 
when I went there, although the imple¬ 
ments were to be seen. The place con¬ 
tained about six acres, but, the “ farm ” 
was about four rods square, and would 
accommodate about 50 skunks. The tight 
fence was made of upright boards six feet 
long—four above and two below the sur¬ 
face. The soil was heavy, and possibly 
with a lighter soil the boards might have 
to be set deeper to prevent the animals 
from burrowing under. Their sleeping 
apartments were made by nailing together 
four planks or boards forming a long box 
with openings along one side. Their food 
was largely animal, with table scraps, etc. 
The white fur on a skunk skin detracts 
proportionately from its value, so it would 
pay to stock the farm with “thorough¬ 
bred ” animals with “ black points.” I saw 
a bale of peltry produced at this farm, and 
there was very little white on the skins, 
though some were entirely white. Although 
The R. N.-Y. stated the other day that 
skunk oil had no value in medicine, yet 
large quantities are purchased by druggists 
at $L per pint in Western New York, and 
sold as a specific for throat and lung 
troubles. c. H. T. b. 
Suffolk County, N.Y. 
The Blacks Most Profitable. 
There is a successful “ skunk farm ” in 
West Bloomfield, Ontario County, N. Y. 
The animals are pastured on a hill side 
inclosed by a good fence of common height 
with the bottom boards well set down into 
the sod. In each corner of the field some 
boards must be laid on the top of the fence, 
as otherwise the animals could climb out 
by the help of the converging sides. They 
are easily cared for, and their feed consists 
of refuse carcasses from the neighborhood, 
together with what they can procure on 
the hill or get from the cellar and garden. 
This industry attracts many visitors who 
are pleased at the sight, and many go 
among the animals without molestation if 
they are peaceful sightseers only. The 
animals I saw there were mostly fine, 
plump, black ones, whose pelts bring a 
good price. w. B. R. 
The Friend of a Skunk. 
Before the passage of the unwise scalp 
bounty law by the Pennsylvania Legisla¬ 
ture, we were but little troubled by field 
mice, but they are now doing immense 
damage to the clover fields and also injur¬ 
ing all other crops. The loss from all the 
poultry destroyed by hawks, owls and 
skunks in the last 25 years would not equal 
that due to the damage done by field mice 
during the la3t year. Although the bounty 
law has been repealed, boys continue to 
hunt skunks for their skins until they are 
well nigh exterminated. The further de¬ 
struction of these useful animals should be 
prohibited, with, perhaps, the exception of 
such as may be trapped or killed in or near 
poultry yards, say within 300 feet. I have 
a 20-acre field of bottom land that is badly 
infested with white grubs aud wire-worms 
(elaters). In all parts of it one can see a 
great many small holes two or three inches 
deep where our friends have taken out 
worms; these are said to be the work of 
skunks. The crows—about 50—also visit 
this field. Perhaps they make the holes ? 
I think it pays to feed the crows and black¬ 
birds until the corn is big enough to take 
care of itself, but one must always keep 
plenty of feed in the field as they will do 
great damage in a little while if the feed 
runs out. J. A. H. 
Carlton. Pa. 
Skunks for Pets. 
Several subscribers refer us to the skunk 
farm of Mr. A. Freeland, of Calhoun Co., 
Mich. From an account of this “ skunk- 
ery ” printed in the Chicago Herald, the 
following extracts are taken : 
Mr. Freeland started his business with 
one male and eleven females, and at the 
end of one year found that he had seventy- 
two other skunks, both male and female, 
in addition to the original lot. This rapid 
increase gave him a suggestive hint of the 
possibilities of skunk culture. So he 
didn’t kill off any of his capital, but in¬ 
vested it, and at the end of three years finds 
himself in possession of nearly 1,400 
skunks, besides those he has killed. The 
skunk’s fur is soft and fine, and many a 
dainty girl who would flee in horror from 
the loathsome animal winds lovingly about 
her white throat the fur of the same little 
beast. The black fur is in most demand, 
$1.70 being paid for a skin. When the 
“ kits ” are a few days old Mr. Freeland re 
lieves them of their offensive-defensive 
weapon, and they grow up unconscious of 
the obloquy under which their kindred 
rest. They are no longer tainted, and make 
excellent pets, for they are pretty creatures 
with their long, silky hair and bright eyes, 
not unlike a weasel, to whose family they 
belong. A pair of these pets brings from 
$10 to $20. Lying in the show windows of 
business places they form novel attractions 
and make the hit that wide-awake adver¬ 
tisers desire. In due time they will usurp 
the throne of the pug dog in my lady’s par 
lor, and why not ? They are far prettier 
than his snarling pugship and without 
viciousness. 
Mr. Freeland contracts with the neigh¬ 
boring meat markets for all their waste 
material, for which he pays 40 cents a 
month. This, with an occasional Indian 
meal pudding, furnishes the table of the 
luxurious domesticated skunk, Mr. Free¬ 
land is a humane man and believes in the 
efficacy of a painless death, so when he 
thinks that a skunk’s skin is more valu¬ 
able to him than its contents, he entices 
the animal into one of the little coops, 
where he chloroforms it. The skin is deftly 
stripped from the little carcass and soon 
becomes a pelt ready for market. There is 
plenty of fat on the sides of these well-fed 
skunks, all of which is carefully stripped 
away and prepared like lard, forming skunk 
oil. Fort Wayne, lnd., is the present mar¬ 
ket for the hides, though other markets 
can be supplied as the industry extends. 
The plan of using “ deodorized ” skunks 
for pets is really said to be seriously 
thought of and this advertisement may be 
expected in the leading papers: 
“ The best blooded skunks of black, star 
and striped variety, for sale at moderate 
prices. Pedigree furnished at a slight ad¬ 
ditional cost.” 
SfaTE andTerRiToRY.'They' 0 , 
will LOflO A Ton OF HAY l:Nf 
5AUNUTES . load Loose(jAAif* 
I IT LOADS 
(GREEN GLOVER 
f»\BE§T 
Take it all around, so many friends have 
started up to defend the skunk that we 
are led to believe him a much maligned 
auimal. Of course we refer to the “de¬ 
odorized” specimens! 
The Skunk’s Defense. 
It is true that skunks sometime rob hen 
roosts, just as dogs kill sheep and cats de¬ 
vour chickens; but generally speaking 
this beast is preeminently the friend of the 
agriculturist, destroying more beetles, 
grasshoppers and other injurious insects 
than are done away with by all other ani¬ 
mals beside. It also devours great num¬ 
bers of mice. 
The fore feet of the skunk are armed with 
long claws, which he employs in excavat¬ 
ing his burrows and digging for mice. He 
also has a fine set of sharp teeth, but his 
chiet weapon of defense lie3 in the secretion 
of a pair of glands which are embedded in 
a mass of muscle that serves to compress 
them so forcibly that the fluid contained 
may be ejected more than 15 feet. The 
secretion is a clear fluid of a golden yellow 
color; its odor is so pervading that it has 
been known to be wafted recognizably a dis 
tance of 20 miles. So powerful are the 
fumes of this secretion that persons who 
have breathed them at close quarters have 
been known to lose consciousness, the tem¬ 
perature of the body falling and the pulse 
slackening. Death would doubtless result 
if the inhalation were prolonged. Persons 
—myself among the number—have suffered 
from contact of this acrid liquid with the 
eye, the circumstance causing intense pain 
and setting up a violent inflammation. 
Reliable accounts are given of entire loss 
of vision from this cause. On the other 
hand, the secretion has been found to be an 
efficacious remedy in asthma, whooping 
cough and spasmodic croup. The glands 
in which this fluid is secreted may be 
quickly removed when the animal is young 
It was for many years believed, even by 
naturalists, that the scent of the skunk 
was its urine, but this is not true, the se¬ 
cretion being made by a pair of special 
glands. Nor is it true that the animal 
scatters its scent with its tail. Further¬ 
more, it is not the fact, as is commonly 
believed, that a skunk is always ready to 
spatter any one who chances to come within 
range. On the contrary, the beast waits 
until it is hurt or very seriously frightened 
before it emits the secretion.—Post. 
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HAIL COLUMBIA!” 
The Columbia Chilled Plow Is the lightest draft, 
easiest to handle, strongest and most durable, does 
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Address COLUMBIA PLOW WORKS, 
Copake Iron Works. 
Mention this paper, Columbia County, N. Y. 
Readers of The R. N.-Y. will please the 
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Mention this Paper 
