CROOK’S IMPROVED INCUBATOR 
not from any Inefficiency in the principle of 
our former incubator, but to avoid, as much 
as we are able, those disasters happening 
through inattention, the result of which are 
to dry-up the moisture necessary' to the per¬ 
fect development of the germ, and destroy 
the vitality of the chick. To describe our 
alteration it will be necessary to say that we 
are now imitating Nature as closely as pos¬ 
sible by radiating the warmth upon the top 
of the egg only, and allowing the underside 
wrinkle for each year of his age over nine. 
If, for instance, a horse has three wrinkles 
he is twelve years old. Add the number of 
wrinkles to nine, and you will always obtain 
his exact age.” 
A n Old Horne.— The Turf, Field and Farm 
has the following :—“ A venerable individual 
of the horse persuasion, who has stood up to 
his own for fortv-ouc years, was exhibited 
at the late State Fair at Erie, Pa., enjoying 
vigorous health. He is owned by lion. M. 
B. Lowry of Eric. He is black as a ravon, 
with a head as white as an old man of twice 
his age. He has never been sick a singlo day, 
but was operated on by a skillful dentist ten 
3 ears ago, and after being kept ou bread for 
years, he now carries a good mouth, and 
eats corn like a colt.” 
Knee-Sprung Horne. —“ Videx,” in Turf, 
Field and Farm, says Knee-Sprung is one 
of those defects which cannot be eutiroly 
cured. The trouble may be alleviated by 
shoeiug in the following manner: Let the 
shoes be made thick at the. toe and thin aC 
the heel. This will have a tendency to 
straighten the knee, meanwhile sponge the 
knee night and morning with cold water, 
and rub until dry. This will stimulate and 
strengthen the. ligaments .and muscles. 
Stock Exported. — Mr. D. B. Haigut of 
Dover Plains, Dutchess County, in this State, 
has sold a short horn bull and heifer, of the 
Duchess variety, for shipment to the West 
Indies; a bull to E. Houston, Esq., of 
Georgia, and a bull calf each to W. S. Wil¬ 
cox and L. Can BY of Sheffield, Mass.; also 
several lots of sheep and swine for foreign 
account. 
To Prevent a llorne ('heieing Hin Bridle s.— 
Take soft soap and cayenne pepper and mix 
them together ; put enough of the pepper in 
to make it very strong, and apply it to the 
bridle. Wrap the rein with a thin cloth, so 
that the application will not drop off. I will 
insure that the horse will quit after two or 
three applications.—w. 
Live Weight, of a Calf.—I would like to 
ask some of the stock men among your 
readers what is the live weight of a good 
six or seven month’s old calf 3 I have one 
that weighed ou the day he was seven 
months old 735 pounds ; had no extra keep¬ 
ing—the milk of one cow and pasture.—B. h. 
The Rural New-Yorker is frequently 
asked about incubators. There is a good 
deal of attention being paid to artificial in¬ 
cubation, with a view of keeping our readers 
posted in whatever relates to the subject 
copy the following description and accom¬ 
panying illustrations of Crook's improved 
incubator from the London Cottage Garden¬ 
er, which says of itThough not differing 
MANAGEMENT OF FOWLS 
In regard to the amount of space necessary 
for a yard for poultry, and whether or not 
poultry thus confined are healthy, I will say: 
I have for years raised chickens, and have 
found that when thus confined they never 
had cholera, although those of my neighbors 
all had it severely; but on turning them into 
the grass lots, in a short time they also began 
to show symptoms of the disease, which were 
soon eradicated by again confining them, 
and mixing in their food a little soot, salt 
and sulphur. 
As to the size of a poultry yard, that de¬ 
pends on the amount of land we may have 
to spare for that purpose; but if properly 
managed, quite a small space will answer 
the purpose, into this, however, must go 
ashes, yard sweepings, and in fact, almost 
any cleanings of house or yard, that may add 
to the variety of soil. It is also well, twice or 
thrice during the year, to plow the earth 
pretty deeply, thus turning up fresh earth. 
Here also it Is well to plant all plum trees, 
and tile ravages of thecurculio will be dimin¬ 
ished. If it is desirable to keep certain 
breeds pure, small yards are necessary for 
this purpose, which may join the main yard. 
These will of course bo in size according to 
the number of chickens to be kept in them. 
As it is only necessary to confine them thuj 
during the spring months, a yard six feet 
square will answer for a trio of fowls, pro¬ 
vided they are properly fed. 
But the whole secret of success in raisiug 
fowls thus confined lies in change of soil, by 
such means as are in our power, and in 
giving proper food, Insects furnish a large 
part of their food while running at large ; 
therefore when confined we must furnish 
them a substitute, which may be done by 
giving them freely meat or grease. My plan 
has been to give livers, hearts and kidneys 
from the butchers, which were generally 
well cooked before feeding ; but to those 
living far from town, this would be impossi¬ 
ble, although in a majority of cases, the lati¬ 
tude given their fowls render this unneces¬ 
sary, only in case of confining for pure breed¬ 
ing. Here we may find the much valued 
soap grease prove even of more than ordinary 
value, by the amount of flash it may add to 
po altry as well as the number of eggs thereby 
secured. 
Charcoal, sulphur, soot and salt should at 
times be given with the food, which should 
be varied from time to time. Wheat screen¬ 
ings soaked in the kitchen slops, is excellent 
food; corn, bran, or com meal, are all 
better given mixed in a little water or some 
milk; for those who have plenty of milk 
there is no more profitable way to use the 
surplus than giving it to fowls when it has 
soured ; in fact when confined in small coops, 
and fed on this without any water, with the 
addition of screenings, bran, or meal, also 
mixed with milk, chickens will take on a 
surprising amount of fat in a very short 
time. 
To secure layers we must study the habits 
of the fowls ; but let the breed be what it 
may, we have this matter in our own hands 
in a great measure ; for the proper care and 
food will make good layers of almost any | 
breed of fowls. For the purpose of having 
early layers, it is best to secure pullets 
hatched iu March ; but for constant layers, 
those hatched in August are best. Let these 
pullets run at large with other fowls until 
thr 3 e months of age ; then, if convenient, 
confine such as you wish as layers in a yard 
by themselves with a male bird, or two 
according to the number of hens. Now begin 
feeding for the purpose of producing eggs. 
See that there is always lime, ashes, cinders 
and gravel on hand for them to use ; let the 
first meal each day be composed chiefly of 
meat or grease, in some form, mixed with 
screenings or bran which has been soaked in 
milk or kitchen slops. Always give them 
some milk as a portion of their drink if possi¬ 
ble, beside plenty of clean water ; feed three 
times per day, adding broken egg shells to 
the food as often as possible, and at five 
months of age, few of your hens will fail to 
yield an amount of eggs which will repay 
you for all your trouble. 
I once had a t rio of Black Spanish chickens 
which, with one golden Pheasant hen, were 
confined in a yarn four feet by twelve in size. 
They were treated in the manner described, 
andat five months of age began laying, and 
for eight months never tailed to lay each day, 
with the exception of a few of the very cold¬ 
est days of winter, the number of their eggs 
in that time reaching almost seven hundred. 
But the food and care necessary for egg pro¬ 
ducing was continued during the whole time. 
Aunt Lou. 
FROM HIGH PRAIRIE, KANSAS 
IMPROVED INCUBATOR. 
served to contain water, by which the re¬ 
quisite degree of heat was communicated to 
the eggs. To heat the water, both in the old 
and improved apparatus, a lamp is employ¬ 
ed, which burns a highly-rectified non-ex¬ 
plosive oil, the burner being a brass tube 
pierced with five of the smallest holes which 
it is possible to drill, and filled with cotton 
threads to draw up the oil. In lighting the 
We are situated six miles west of Leaven¬ 
worth, a city of 30,00o inhabitants, on a 
beautiful rolling prairie, with plenty of 
timber ; soil, lime stone ; and good flowing 
springs for cheese and butter factories of 
which we are very much in need, as there is 
not one in the county and only four in the 
State. Those organized are doing far better 
than they expected. Timothy, clover, red- 
top and blue grass all d<> well here. Farm¬ 
ers herp know but little about the dairy 
busin .4 and are very anxious to have good 
and practical men come here and go into it. 
Cheese Is worth from 20 to 25 cents perpound 
the year round, and butter 15 to .50 cents; 
besides now is the time to come, for the 
farmers all own too much land and will sell 
for less than it is worth ; for the most of 
them came here poor, and have got more 
than they can pay for. They were too 
greedy, and hard times make them anxious 
to sell. Land is good and pretty well im¬ 
proved for $20 to *40 per acre only six miles 
from Leavenworth ; and if the farmers were 
out of debt, the same land could not be 
bought for $50 to $100. Now, in my opinion, 
is the time to come West ; for it will not_.be 
five years before these lands will all be 
worth 850 to 8100. I am a New York man, 
but like Kansas much better, especially onr 
falls and winters. We have had no cold or 
snowy weather yet, and I must say it is per¬ 
fectly delightful, dry and pleasant; and this 
is the stylo of the winters here. I have been 
in the State three years, and like it better 
every year. Most of the fruit that went to 
the Boston, and New York horticultural 
halls were picked from trees in this county. 
C. J. Farnsworth. 
NOTES FOR HORSEMEN 
Going South,.—“A New-Yorker” in North 
Carolina writes:—" l have heartily concurred 
with you in your advice to Northern men to 
stay where they are, until now ; and I would 
still advise great caution. I came here 
from New York, and am doing well. I think 
there is more’to be’ inade here now than in 
the North or West.” 
