36 
THE BUBAL NEW-YORKER 
JAN.45 
it is tbeir very scarcity that makes the high 
prices for broilers at this early season. To 
overcome this difficulty the only remedy lies 
in a good incubator. I say “ good,” for there 
are numerous poor incubators on the maiket, 
and a good one can get as many chicks out of 
100 eggs as a poor one will out of 500. K?ep* 
ingthe point of profit strictly in view, we must 
keep an eye on the eggs. At this season of the 
year eggs are scarce and high. It requires a 
areatdeal of time and trouble to get enough 
of them to keep a large incubator running. 
Then when they are got, if they are from ill- 
assorted fowls, only about one-third of them 
will hatch, and of those that do hatch a large 
percentage will die before they are ready for 
maiket. These weak points make a serious 
inroad on the profits, which may be avoided 
by raising eggs yourself, and from fowls so 
mated that weakness of the chick may be 
avoided. In accomplishing this end the first 
object to he attained is that of constitution in 
the pareDt fowls, and by this I do not mean 
large, strong bens and cocks, but those sorts 
that produce chicks capable of weathering 
roygh usage. It is a peculiarity of many 
breeds, such as Dorking and Spanish, that 
while they are as hardy as most breeds afLer 
they become fully grown, -yet U9 young chicks 
they are nuusually delicate and hard to raise. 
Chicks from these breeds are, therefore, mani¬ 
festly unfit for broilers.no matter how excellent 
the flesh might be after they have once reach¬ 
ed the age of broilers. To make money we 
must have quantity as well as quality. The 
flesh of a young broiler is naturally so tender 
that I do not thiuk breed of much moment in 
this respect. The quality of flesh iu so young 
a bird is mncLi more dependent upon the 
quality and adaptability of the food consumed 
than on the breed from which it has sprung. 
With proper feeding we may, therefore, safely 
abandon the breeds of fine flesh and choose 
our breeding stock from those alone that have 
other and more desirable qualities. 
I believe, take it by and large, the common 
dung-hill fowl is hardier than any other breed 
when young. Born and nurtured for genera¬ 
tions among the vicissitudes of farm life, hav¬ 
ing to-day a feast, with all the doting care and 
lavish abundance of some boyish fancier ; 
to-morrow forgotten, totally neglected, and 
thrown unexpectedly on their own resources, 
they invariably rise above the occasion and 
the poultry fence; force their way through 
the thickets of environing hedges, and forage 
with a soldierly instinct on the fields alike of 
friend and foe. This self-reliance is so bred 
into our native stock that its good qualities 
crop out at an early age in the chick, making 
it emerprisirg, self-reliant and hardy. Here, 
then, we have constitution—a good founda¬ 
tion for stock. 
The flesh of a white chicken always looks 
better than that of a black one, owing to the 
black plu-feathers that cannot be removed. 
I would, therefore, choose stroog, healthy, 
light-colored, native pullets. To these points, 
one should add in the offspring size and quick 
growth, while detracting as little as possible 
from the rugged constitution the native hen 
gives the chick. I would also keep the 
color of the cock white, and with all these 
points in view my choice falls upon the Light 
Brahma—not the long-legged, fluffy-feathered, 
ostrich-like strains that are so popular at the 
poultry shows, but •‘disqualified” birds; 
those that stay near enough to earth to keep 
out of the realms of fancy and the show 
pen; strong, shorHegged, stocky birds, with 
plenty of white on the body and prominent 
breast-bones. They can have pea-comb and 
striped hackle or not, just as they choose. 
I would put one of these cocks with five or 
six hens in flocks of not over thirty. The 
pullets should be not over three years old to 
be profitable layers. The cocks should be 
young euough to be vigorous, so that all the 
eggs may be properly fertilized Without 
haviog, thus far, been able to determine the 
matter experimentally, it is my opinion that 
if one tread fertilizes three eggs, then if the 
hen receives no more, the first egg will hatch 
a vigorous chick; the next, if skillfully hand¬ 
led, will produce a weak chick ; and the third 
chick will die in the shell when more or less 
formed. My experience thus far points to 
such conclusions. With the above manage¬ 
ment one will secure quick-growing, healthy 
chicks, and thus the battle is half won. The 
Asiatic blood from the Brahma causes the 
chicks to feather slowly, and while they have 
the objectionable aud slovenly feathers on the 
legs, they have not those long wing feathers 
that cause the little chicks to droop around 
and finally die. I have found it highly bene¬ 
ficial in such cases to cut the feathers off 
and thus relieve the little things of the awk¬ 
ward feeling that seems to trouble them. 
In raising stock to replenish the breeding 
hens I would procure eggs from farmers, and 
pay only moderate prices for disqualified 
cocks of pure blood, getting them from those 
near enough to allow of my personal exam¬ 
ination of the birds before purchasing them, 
if possible. The quickest-growing of the pullets 
may be reserved .for the breeding pens, but 
let every cock go to market. It is a waste of 
time and labor to work with a half-bred male 
bird. Then anything like in-breediDg will 
raise the mischief with our fundamental prin¬ 
ciple good constitution. Every element 
of weakness should be religiously elimi¬ 
nated, and for this reason cocks from cir¬ 
cumscribed walks should be rejected. They 
should have a firm, elastic step, free from the 
slightest tendency to leg weakness; for this 
trouble, it inherited, will 6urely crop out in 
chicks that are forced in small pens with rich 
and abundant food. 
WOMEN SHOULD KAI6E'POULTRY. 
The raising of poultry may be called a do¬ 
mestic art pertaining immediately to the occu¬ 
pation of a woman. A hen to a man is a fearfully 
fretful creature. Most men cannot stand the 
noise and especially the unceasing motion and 
nervous restlessness of their own children, much 
less the perverse love of mischief in a cunning 
old hen. Some one tells an amusing story of a 
man trying to drive a sitting hen back to her 
nest. Alter two or three ineffectual attempts 
be makes up his mind that she shall go in— 
and what a time they have of it! Over the 
porch, under the house and into the garden 
she goes; old Bhoes, bits of wood and tin cans 
follow her at every tarn, while he yellB and 
she cackles nntil he gives outexhausted, wipes 
his saturated face, puts on his coat and goes 
down town to his legitimate business of quar¬ 
reling over “ trades ” and bossing the clerks. 
Now, see how easily his wife handles that hen. 
She approaches the hen gently, calling her and 
offei ing a little feed ; as soon as the hen under¬ 
stands there are no more missiles to be feared 
she quiets down and with a few gentle wavings 
of the lady's skirts and a "Shoo, biddy <” the 
hen quietly walks to her nest. And thus it is all 
through the business of raising chickens. 
Woman’s gentle, watchful careieof particular 
value in raising the little creatures that are so 
tender and frail. A motherly affection for 
them suggests methods for their protection oi 
curesfor tneir ailments, that never would cross 
a man's mind. Raising poultry is generally be¬ 
lieved not to bo profitable; neither would rais¬ 
ing babies be profitable if men had to do it. 
There is no earthly reason why any woman of 
fair executive ability should not make money 
and plenty of it—if she would only go at 
tbe undertaking in a business like way. The 
greatest branch of profit is in Spring chickens, 
j ust where her domestic powers would come 
best into play. 
only for a few months at best—they may 
profit from previous experience. It might be 
well, therefore, for persons complaining of 
their grapes being ‘'punctured," to keep a 
sharp look-out for birds. 
The rupturing of rny grapes the past season 
may be readily and truly, as I believe, attrib¬ 
uted to the continued very warm weather, 
frequent rains, and very damp atmosphere 
while the grapes were ripening, aud after¬ 
wards. These were conditions favorable to a 
rapid growth of vegetation and to an active 
absorption of fluids both from the earth and 
air. Too rapid a growth of tbe grapes, or a 
superabundance of their juices occurring 
before or after ripening, was the direct cause 
of their rupturing, 
I had also an early apple tree that was 
loaded with small but mild-flavored apples. 
They ripened about the middle of August, 
and the weather being as above described for 
several weeks, they nearly all cracked open, 
when tbe tree became full of bees and wasps 
every day as long as the apples lasted. 
ft is therefore apparent that bees will work 
upon nusound grapes and apples, but the 
very interesting question whether they ever 
injure or destroy sound, ripe fruit of any kind, 
does not, as yet, appear to be established by 
any decisive evidence. o. l. t . 
New Pniladelphia, Ohio. 
--—— 
BASSWOOD FOB HONEY. 
Strait. 
“DO BEES PUNCTURE GRAPE81” 
Under the above caption a correspondent 
in a late number of tbe Rural states that he 
has noticed that bees made a puncture in the 
berry, and afterwards the wasp finished it by 
eating everything inside “except the skin and 
sends.” 
Now, il so happens that the honey bee 
could not well make a “puncture,” except 
with its sting, and I am 6ure that if this ob- 
seiver had really seen a bee puncturing 
grapes with its sting, he would have noted 
that lact and given it some prominence. 
The correspondent further states that his 
grapes had not been molested for three years 
before this last season, but he thinks that bow 
that the bees have had their “ first taste they 
will, perhaps, next year come in swarms,” 
when few grapes will be left, etc. 
I desire to call attention to these state¬ 
ments as illustrating how easily one may be 
mistaken as to what he may have seen of the 
work of so small a thing as a bee, if he does 
not observe closely and take due account of 
certain well known facts. 
There are many people who, having seen 
bees at work upon their grapes,have naturally 
inferred that they were the sole cause of all 
the mischief done, and a few, therefore, con¬ 
sidering them a pest, have undertaken to poi¬ 
son them, a proceeding of doubtful justifica¬ 
tion even if it could be clearly shown that 
they do sometimes attack and destroy 6ound 
grapes. 
The past season the bees woi ked upon my 
grapes when I took occasion to examine their 
work very closely to see if they made use of 
their mandibles to gnaw into the sound grapes, 
but no sueh use of them was detected. Their 
tongues were, howeyer, used freely in licking 
up the juices of the ruptured fruit. They 
would ruu over and about the clusters as if in 
search of some opening, nor would they re¬ 
lax their activity until an unsound grape was 
found, when immediately the tongue was pre¬ 
sented for U6e. I doubt very much if they 
ever make use of their mandibles in the act 
of gathering any kind of sweets. 
It is well known that the cat-bird, blue-jay 
and brown-thrush are very destructive to 
grapes, and since they often live several 
years,—unlike the honey bee, whose life is 
Prominent bee-keepers both in the Eastern 
and Western States are advocating the cultiva¬ 
tion of the Ba 6Wood (Tilia Americana) for the 
purpose of increasing tbe sources whence the 
honey bee may obtain honey of the first class. 
The Basswood is quite commou in oar forests, 
and is hardy, bearing transplanting rernaik- 
ably well. Set out near the farmer’s home, this 
stateli tree, with its flower clusters fragrant 
with rich odors, becomes a source of pleasure 
as well as profit, and the busy bee, ever on the 
lookout for the sweet, “ nectareous juice” will 
amply repay the farmer for his trouble, with 
increased honey stores. 
The honey gathered from thi6 source is equal 
to that obtained from white clover, being white 
in color and of a rich flavor; indeed, it may 
be said to have no superior. The Basswood 
blossoms soon after the white clover begins to 
fail, so the period during which the best honey 
may be made is extended very much. The 
greatest yield of nectar from tbie tree is from 
about the middle of July onwatd for two or 
three weeks. In vicinities where it abounds, 
swarms issuing as late as July 15, have been 
known to fill tbeir hires. The tree yields pro¬ 
fusely, the flowers seeming, indeed, to be drip¬ 
ping with “liquid sweetness.” 
An eminent apiarist, by taking advantage of 
circumstances, in moving a number of colo¬ 
nies to higher ground where the Basswood 
trees did not blossom for two weeks after those 
in the valley had failed, secured, during 40 
days after the fi rat blossoming ot the Basswood, 
10,000 pounds of surplus honey from an origi¬ 
nal colony of 100 swarms. He, also, has seen 
25 pounds gathered in one day by a single 
swarm. Hence, experience shows that the 
general planting of these trees near apiaries, 
would have a strong tendency t > increase the 
supplies of honey, and that, too, of the very 
richest and most delicious quality, and wher¬ 
ever the Basswood can be grown with success, 
I would recommend its culture, os making a 
worthy addition to our many excellent honey- 
producing plants and trees. j. w. d. 
will be found the most profitable. Hogs of 
this sort will mature soon enough, and are 
fitted for the stall or the barrel. Such hogs 
may be had by crossing with all of the different 
breeds, and a proper selection of breeders. 
Coarse and fine hogs bred together, will 
usually produce those of medium size, but 
this is not an invariable rule ; for in the same 
litters may be found pigs with the forms and 
characteristics of both parents. A sow with a 
long body and good boue is the best mother, 
and, if crossed with a male of flue bone and 
more compact form, the offspring will be 
found to be as nearly perfect for profitable 
feeding as pigs can be reared. This is a genera] 
law and applies to all breeds or to animals of 
no special breed. To get this class of pigs 
does not require a special strain of blood, but 
special strains of blood possess certain well- 
deflued characteristics which will make such 
crosses more valuable, or lees valuable, as the 
case may be. * 
Iu hot climates a cross of natives upon hair¬ 
less breeds would not be judicious, or in cold’ 
climates either; as the characteristics of no 
hair, or scanty hair, would surely mark some 
of the progeny. Where hams and bacon are 
wanted crosses should be made upon the 
breeds which carry the most lean meat. A fe¬ 
male which will make a good breeder will 
show the qualities a hen quite young. There 
will be length and depth of body, with well- 
developed udders, and these running the fu^ 
length of the body. Tbe hair should be soft 
and the skin pliable. The softer and brighter 
the hair, and the more elastic the skin? the 
better will be the capacity of the animal for 
producing milk. A female of the above de¬ 
scription will be sure to produce large and 
healthy pigs, aud take good care of them, if 
nature’s laws are not violated in her case. A 
sow with a roomy body always bears young 
much larger than one more compact, and this 
fact is of much importance in giving the 
young ones a good start, which it often takes 
those not so fortunately bred two or three 
weeks to attain. They can never equal them, 
either in growth or size. 
Some people argue that a small sow eats less 
than a large one. This may be true, but she 
also produces less. There is but little differ¬ 
ence In tbe wintering cost of a mature hog on 
account of tbe size. It is not equal to the dif¬ 
ference in the productive value. Au old sow, 
or one matured, is much to be prefeired to a 
youDg one, as tbe cost of keep is no more; 
that is to say, a mature hog may be kept as 
cheaply as a growing one, for the reason that 
the matured one does not require such sub¬ 
stantial food, if it needs as much, which is 
doubtful. A oreedmg sow fully grown will 
usually have double the number of pigs a 
young one will produce, and they will be 
double the size. Breeding sows should never 
be fat, nor do they want to be fed to make 
their full growth. This condition should be 
left until fattening time. To be in good heart, 
and lean enough to be active is the proper 
condition. 
Iithsfrial .Satieties, 
MEETING OF THE CONN. BOARD OF AG¬ 
RICULTURE. 
[Rural Special Report.] 
Prof. W. 0. Atwater of Middleton spoke 
on the 
BREEDERS. 
COL. F. D. CURTIS. 
Breeding for fancy and breeding for profit 
are different standards. In the one case, the 
eye is to be pleased, while in the other, taste 
may be sacrificed for utility, The fancy breed¬ 
er generally does not consider expense, pro¬ 
vided his notions are gratified, and these no¬ 
tions are 60 varied tbal any practical standard 
would be useless; but, per contra, the more 
practical a standard may be which contains a 
margin for profit, the more valuable it will be. 
Every breed has its advocates aud every breed 
has its value. In making choice of breeds, the 
breeder should be governed by the circum¬ 
stances which Bnrronud him. Locality is an 
important consideration. Another, more so, 
is the use which he intends to make of the 
pork when fitted for market. A large hog will 
convert more corn into pork than a small one, 
and on this account at points remote from 
market when corn is cheap, the former is an 
auxiliary which may be med to change a corn 
crib into a smaller compass and reduce the 
cost of freight. A large hog does not sell the 
best in market. The Brnall and chunky hogs 
which make up several breeds are too fat, or 
rather lack lean meat, to be desirable either to 
eut up fresh, or to pickle. 
For general purposes a medium-sized hog 
national Side of Farm Life and Practice. 
He began by giving a bit of history of a 
rural district in New England, where of quite 
a number of promising lads nearly all had de¬ 
serted the old homes and left the faons and 
gone into other occupations greatly to the de¬ 
triment of their old town and their old homes. 
This was only one out of thousands of instan¬ 
ces showing how New England has been de¬ 
pleted. Now, what can be done to stay this 
course of depletion ? Evidently we need 
something which will better satisfy the as¬ 
pirations of Conn, farm boys and girls. The 
old treadmill course does not satisfy their 
cravings. We need schools, comity schools, 
and high schools, that will JU, and not unfit 
their pupils for the pleasures aud duties of 
farm life. Natural laws need to be studied 
au.l scientific investigations made where¬ 
by new interest will be given to tbe farm 
Further accurate experiments need to be 
carried on whereby the farmer may know 
how to attain the best results with the means 
used aud capital invested. Farming should 
be an occupation requiring tbe intellect as well 
as the /lands. The farmer should be able to 
avail himself of the ablest researches and best 
appliances to secure the highest results. Any 
one who has $100,000. which he wishes to do 
the most good with, might devote it to some 
school ot agriculture and experiment where 
the grandest results might be realized for the 
good of the tillers of the boII. 
A very valuable paper was given by Sec. T. 
S. Gold, of the Conn. Board of Agriculture, on 
