APRIL S 
and three-twelfths dozen for the year, be¬ 
sides raising forty chickens. Counting the 
chicks at half a dollar apiece, about the 
price of ordinary fowls, and making the 
average price of eggs at 18 cents per dozen 
for the year, these six hens paid for them¬ 
selves, for all their feed, and for the feed 
for the chickens, for the year, and gave mo 
a balance of 913.50. 
rJjitp dkonomit 
suitable non-conducting substance. The loo 
will form very slowly at first, but after the 
bottom is covered It will congeal more rap¬ 
idly. After a sufficient quantity of ice has 
boon formed, the sawdust, may bo put on, 
covering thickly around the edges, so that 
as the ie» molts the dust will fall down and 
protect It. 
loo formed in this way will keep better 
than if sawed and packed in the usual way; 
yet there is more waste and trouble in get¬ 
ting it up for use. 
The 800 cubic feet of ice that 1 now have 
in my ice-house, has not cost me over one 
day’s labor all told; and the first cost of 
lifting up was less than five dollars. Taking 
into consideration the trifling cost of filling 
an ice-house, and tho bettor 
conditions for keeping, I con¬ 
sider this modo of saving Ice 
worth a practical test by all 
i who have running water and 
sufficient fall. 
LADY GWYDYR'S POULTRY YARDS 
MAKING AND KEEPING ICE 
Wk have frequent inquiries concerning 
ice-houses for the dairy, and for a cheap 
method of lilliug thorn with ice. A corre¬ 
spondent writes us that lie is located a long 
distance from the river and finds it expen¬ 
sive to haul ice so far to till his Ice-house, 
lie inquires whether he cannot utilize water 
from a spring on his farm by conveying it, 
direotly to the ico-house and allowing small 
quantities to freeze from time to time. 
We have a communication from C. L. 
Aecouut With Barn-Yard Fowln.— 
Rev. W> 1 . Brooks, Brie Co., N. Y., had 10 
of the common barn-yard fowls which laid 
in 1871, Mid eggs, from which were sold 
322.33 worth; and from spring chickens (13) 
sold in December, 318.71; total, 33(3.04, Cost 
of keeping (which does not include the 
tinot yards—the show yard and 
the working yard. * J i~ ~ 
We describe the first of these, 
viz:—the show yard, of which 
our engraving gives a general 
view. On the right-hand side, 
by the tree, we obtain a glimpse 
of the manager's house; in the 
distance is seen the mansion be- 
longing to Lord Uwi'DVB. On 
entering the yard through the 
gateway at the further side, and ■■sA 
turning to the left, we find eight - :f v^ j gs§ ^ 
pens of various sizes, from 15 to 
20 feet wide, and 25 feet long. */$$/ /// 
Tho roosting places are in t he 
sheds at the back of these runs. 
At the bottom are four tuoro 
pens about 25 feet wide and 21) 
feet long. Ouly the backs of the ! 
sheds are shown in our engrav- IA- 1 p|‘g Bfp 
ing. On the other side are three 
largo pens. A t the top, in a large 
iron cage, we noticed a big 
shaggy, ferocious-looking dog; 
although he is kept in this iron 
cage, it is considered advisable to chain him. 
The bottoms of all tho runs aro covered 
several inches deep with sand, and every 
morning a fine rake is drawn over this, re¬ 
moving anything that may have accumulat¬ 
ed during the previous day. It keeps the 
pens clean, ami gives them a neat and tidy 
appearance. In one corner, and under cov¬ 
er, is a dust bath, composed of old mortar 
and rubbish; quantities of this aro eaten 
by the birds. Growing round the front and 
over tin- tops of these pens, which are only 
wire and open to all kinds of weather, are 
honeysuckles, roses, jasmines, and many 
other climbing plants, thus protecting the 
birds from the cold winds and the heat of 
the sun. The center, measuring about 1<M) 
feet by 80, is covered wbh grass; and hardy 
evergreen shrubs are planted in different 
places, affording shelter. The whole of this 
space is one large-run, and the poultry in 
the houses round tho sides get. their run in 
rotation. Amongst the roots of these shrubs 
in the soft, sandy soil, the birds at the time 
of our visit were Indulging to their heart’s 
content In a bath, every one the picture of 
perfect health and enjoyment. 
The grass runs, cleanliness, good food, 
regular and systemat ic feeding, and tho at¬ 
tention which tho birds enjoy, are seen in 
the splendid condition of every bird on the 
premises, all this care contributing in no 
small degree to the immense success which 
Lady Gwydyr’s birds have achieved at al¬ 
most every show throughout the kingdom. 
No matter how well any one’s stock may be 
bred, unless these matters are attended to, 
the birds will be sure to sicken and die. 
Vases are also distributed over the 
grounds and filled with geraniums and other 
flowering plants, and these, together with 
the many magnificent birds in their bright 
fresh plumage and graceful motions, make a 
very pretty and attractive picture, such a 
one as must often delight and gratify her 
ladyship and her visitors on inspecting the 
show yard. 
ABOUT FARM TOOLS, 
efir-; © For some time I have thought 
to give my views on the above 
y/MagM topio, or rather to point out 
gKjKvSgl what 1 deem a radical defect in 
1 the construction of agricultural 
't.gAWfl machinery and implements. 
A ml a late visit to the extensive 
Steel Works of Sweet’s Man- 
SBajwWL irFACTUurNot’o. (Syracuse, N. 
V.,) has determined me on tho 
point. I was agreeably sur- 
Yjj prised to find this Company 
pj&isSSS; t urning out a. new style of steel 
' - 'yjf mli crow-bars and harrow teeth by 
the ton. The fault with farm 
tools generally is they are too 
heavy ; and this firm, alive to 
this truth, are using steel in- 
stead of iron, and with extend¬ 
ed facilities are enabled to sup¬ 
ply all demands with an article 
quite as strong, more convenient, (if about 
two-thirds the weight, and at about the 
same cost as tho old clumsy iron ones. 
As 1 said before, our tools are too heavy, 
and one, perhaps the chief, cause of this lies 
in the fact that many of the makers of these 
goods are not, in fact, real mechanics; they 
do not discriminate where the strength is 
really required, nr where weight may be 
dispensed with; an inability on their part 
to properly adapt means to ends Is what fills 
our tun] houses with machines of doubtful 
utility. Thorn is also a class of tool makers, 
as in other branches of mechanical art, who 
have a great, desire to see their names in 
large letters on a piece of parchment in 
company with the words “Letters Patent” 
—and, without taxing their skill to produce 
Something new and really useful, they take 
advantage uf what has been done, and by a 
different combination of mechanical move¬ 
ments, alter some old machine until there 
are no outside features of it left, aud then 
claim a patent for an improvement. In the 
mean time what should be the grand object 
—to get up a new and better implement—is 
lost. ()ur back -yards and sheds are 1 ittered 
with tools usually stumped Patent, which 
have been thrown aside just because tho 
maker did not know where to make them 
strong, and where weight and expense might 
be dispensed with. Y r ORicK. 
STOIt HI 1 >AUK — ’BI-IK 
scraps from the table, sour milk, &c., but 
the amount actually expended for corn 
meal, corn, screenings, &c.), $9; leaving a 
balance of profit of 337,131, and leaving out 
of the account the eggs and some half dozen 
spring chickens consumed by t wo persona. 
The fowls had the range of the farm, good 
warm quarters, and were fed warm food— 
scalded meat, &c., two or t hree times a day. 
Mr. Brooks believes feeding and care have 
more to do with success t han the breed. 
B SHOW Y7YI?.T>. 
Stteldo.v, Ksq., of Lowville, N. Y., which 
gives a plan for filling ice-houses cheaply. 
The late Lvmon It. Lvov of Lyons Falls, N. 
Y., adopted a plan similar to that described 
by Mr. S., and he informed us the method 
of filling had worked well for a number of 
years. We give Mr. Sheldon's description, 
with accompanying illustration, as follows: 
I have a high penstock just, outside my 
ice-house; I connect a tin pipe about two 
inches in diameter, by means of a hollow 
plug, with this penstock, making a hole 
through t he siding for that purpose. This 
tin pipe may pass through the center of the 
ice house, or it may be fastened to the side 
walls, passing partly or entirely around. If 
passing through the center, conical tubes 
similar to the nozzle of an oil can, about an 
inch in altitude, should be soldered on 
either side uf the tin pipe sous to discharge 
jets at an angle of about thirty degrees to 
a perpendicular. If passing around the 
sides, cones should be so soldered us that, 
the jets shall be thrown inward. Tho aper¬ 
ture through the apex of these cones should 
be very flue, about the size of a small pin. 
At the discharge end of this pipe, passing 
through or around the toe-house, should bo 
fastened a rubber pipe of four to six feet in 
length. By raising the movable end of this 
rubber pipe we give whatever head we de¬ 
sire to tho jets; in severe cold weather the 
Houdans and Dorkings an Winter 
Layers.— Wm. Pomerov writes that Jan. 
1. 1872, lie had eight IToudans and eight 
Dorking hens and pullets. During January 
Hie Houdans laid 45 eggs and the Dorkings 
75; during February the Houdans laid 78 
eggs; the Dorkings 107. Both breeds had 
the same care and keep. He adds;—"The 
Dorkings will have fits of sit t ing, you know; 
then perhaps the Houdans will overtake the 
Dorkings and outnumber them in the ag¬ 
gregate production of eggs.” 
starting a Hen-Yard.—The correspond¬ 
ent. who has “ thought of starting a hen- 
yard” should buy the “ People’s Practical 
Poultry Book,” for sale at this office (price 
31.50), and study it, carefully before engaging 
in the business. It will pay him to do so. 
Male Canary Birds,—A correspondent; 
asks whether a male Canary will sing as 
well after breeding as before. We know 
nothing to the contrary. Perhaps our 
readers do. 
ECONOMICAL NOTES. 
A Cheap Way to Make a Well, is to 
use plaster instead of stone. I have tried it 
with success. Dig and stone to the depth 
of six feet, making the shaft, when stoued, 
four feet in diameter. Then dig aud plas¬ 
ter with good water-lime as you go down. 
By stoning you get below the effect of frost 
before you commence plastering. One bar¬ 
rel of lime Is sufficient to plaster a shaft 10 
feet deep. Such wells are easily cleaned, 
and there are no crevices in which reptiles 
can secrete themselves or lie and decompose 
in the water.— Geo. W. Tripp, Columbus, 
Wis. 
Success will depend much on the charac¬ 
ter of the soil, we should think. 
NOTES FOR SPORTSMEN 
Trapping Foxes.—In the first place, 
make your bed of ashes and put, little pieces 
of meat in it; scent the meat first by burn¬ 
ing it a little. The first night tho fox will 
come and look at. the bed. The second night 
ho will coino and eat the meat, and paw the 
bed all over; then set your traps and you 
will have him. Care should bo taken to 
smoke the traps, and not let the least bit of 
iron or anything be seen. After setting 
them, walk off an opposite way from that in 
which you came to act the trap. This is a 
genuine way of trapping foxes.—A Trap¬ 
per, Dell Prairie, Wis. 
Killing Moose In Maine, is, according 
to tho Maine Farmer, prohibited by law 
between the 15th day of March and Oct. 1st 
under a penalty of #40, for each Moose kill¬ 
ed. Tho average number captured during 
the past six years is estimated by experi¬ 
enced woodsmen to bo about one hundred 
per year, which arc killed chiefly on tho 
head waters of the Aroostook, Allogash and 
Pemobsoot rivers. 
METHOD Oie W 1,1,1 NO 1CK-UOCS1C UV JETS OF WATER. 
greater head, and as the weather moderates 
less. Should it bo thawing, or too mild to 
freeze, then lower tho rubber pipe so that 
the water will flow through the pipe with¬ 
out being discharged from the cones; for 
this purpose the pipe should have a gradual 
descent toward the discharge end. Should 
this not effectually prevent any water flow¬ 
ing on tho ice, then bore a hole in the pen¬ 
stock below the pipe passing through the 
ice-house, and let the water discharge from 
this hole during mild weather. 
The jets may bo within two feet of each 
other; better results attend a large number 
of fine jets than a less number, discharging 
the same amount of water. 
In starting, the bottom of the ice-house 
should be covered with sawdust, or other 
POULTRY NOTES AND QUERIES 
Brahma Fowls as Summer Layers.— 
W. A. Taemadge writes; — “ In the fall of 
1870 I purchased six pullets and a rooster— 
Light Brahmas. They began laying about 
the first of January, 187L A correct ac¬ 
count of eggs gave to April 3d 19 dozen. 
March 20th I set two hens and two again on 
the 29th of the same month; consequently 
in April my supply of eggs was small. I kept 
a strict account of their eggs for each 
month; and during the month of May they 
gave me 09 eggs; June, 108; July, 107; Au¬ 
gust, 83; September, 44. Add to the num¬ 
ber obtained from January 1st to April 3d, 
a3 above, 228, arid they gave from October 
1st to October 1st, 639 eggs, or fifty-three 
Advantages of tlnderdraiuing:.— The 
Massachusetts Ploughman sensibly says: 
“One important advantage of tho under- 
drain is, that if. is at work when the top of 
the ground is frozen, when, of course, a sur¬ 
face or open drain is inactive; thus muking 
the subsoil so dry and porous that when 
the frost comes out of the water It drops 
through at once and leaves the ground dry. 
Castor Bean Pomace.—Wbat is its val¬ 
ue as a fertilizer? What should it be mixed 
with, and how much used per acre?—H. S., 
St. Louis, Mo. 
Will not some of our readers who have 
used it give their experience! 
