DONAX, 
from the peculiar smell that emanates 
wood-work iu a building long in use. Y 
wash is some assistance iu remedying 
trouble ; but it is not sufficient. .As iu th 
of a green-house, fumigation alone will p 
certain remedy, and make a clean and 
ARUNDO 
closed up tightly, even for one night, the 
strength of the odor would astonish any one 
opening the door in the morning. This shows 
the great importance of ventilation, especially 
as fowls—as well as all feathered animals—have 
air cells running through their entire systems, 
seems yet very pleasant amid the naked branches for 
and somber hues around them. These remarks Aga 
annlvthis fall to all forms of Beeches alike; Btro 
STJ Porph. Weeding £*j 
curio.;, grafted forun put forth 
what earlier than those of the oonunon Beeches 
and therefore drop them sooner. 
THE CALIFORNIA PRIVET (Ugustrum ovallfolium.) 
Among many striking objects that yet remam 
to us in the foliage of autumn, few surpass or 
even equal the bright, luxuriant leaves of this 
Trivet. Borne winters, it only falls a little short 
of being evergreen, and ordinarily retains its 
foliage until tbo beginning of tho new year. 
It is clean and vigorous, and entirely devoid o 
the disease that attacks the Trivet of Europe 
(Ligustrum vulgare). Of pruning it li mo* 
patient, and we see before us now a particular 
hedge of this Privet which has been primed with 
judgment ever since planting out some our 
vears since. The effect is most perfect of its 
kind, presenting a broad, dense, glossy mass of 
foliage through which a eat could hardly pass. 
That it winter-kills at times, as woll as so hardy 
a shrub as tbo Lilac when planted in low or un¬ 
suitable spots, and that it leaves out late in 
spring are true, but permit us to ask what other 
shrub has not similar or greator drawbacks. 
The California Trivet, occupies a high rank 
among ornamental shrubs, whether used as a 
single plant, or iu a hedge, and its work could ^ 
be scarcely done b y another. tli 
T fn 
®|}t Uonltrg jjaxft. - 
TnTmPROVED HEN’S NEST. », 
—... , - tk 
Editor of Ritual :—I send herewith a drawing 
and description of an improved arrangement of A 
a hen’s nest. Although simple iu its construe- w 
tion, it possesses, 1 believe, some very practical ^ 
advantages and conveniences, not only to the Q< 
hens themselves, but also their keeper, and will 1 
contribute much to tbo pleasure and proiit of 1 
both. 
A is a sectional, iusido view of the hen bouse 
and nest s, one of a number of which, arranged I 
side by side, is shown in section at B. Each 
nest is about cighteon inches square, and oidi- 1 
narily open and freely accessible to the hens 
from the inside of the house. Tbore is an open¬ 
ing also through the side of tho house into each 
nest, but this is kept closed by a sliding or drop 
door, (made Of one inch board and sliding iu 
cleats) until a ben lias finished her laying and 
wants to sit. When this occurs, she is cjpiotly al¬ 
lowed to remain in tho nest, the eggs placed un¬ 
der her, tho door removed from its outside 
position, and placed on tho inside of the nest, as 
shown at D. A portable coop, E, a few feet in 
length and made of lathes, is placed opposite 
tho opening of the nest, on the outside, into 
whioh the sitting hen may at any time come for 
food, drink, or a dust bath. 
It will thus he readily seen that the hen is al 
lowed to sit in the same nest in which she lias 
laid—an important feature with some breeds I 
that she is ent off from all disturbance from 
other fowls, and that she has access at any time 
to the open air for food, drink, aud exercise. I 
Ready access to tho nests for eggs, or cleaning 
purposes, is also, at all times obtainable by the I 
keeper, from either the inside or outside of the 
bouse. Wm. Roeeet Brooks. 
Phelps, N. Y., Nov. 22, 1877. 
----- 
DOES POULTRY PAY.-No. 2. 
BY HENRY HALES. 
After considering the number of fowls that 
can be kept on a given Bpaoe. it is scarcely nec¬ 
essary to remark that to keep the birds in good 
health, food, cleanliness, and care, must be 
more liberal in proportion to the extent of any 
encroachment made on the required space. The 
next question that comes up is. “ If a person 
wants to keep a largo number, how can it be 
done with profit ? ” By building more houses, 
which should be detached, and large yards that 
will keep in grass ; but under no circumstances 
whatever, should more than one hundred birds 
he kept in one yard. Each of such yards should 
contain not less than half au acre to an acre, I 
and they should be fenced from each other. 
Yards of this kind can bo multiplied indefinitely 
if properly kept. 
This necessity for keeping only one hundred 
fowls, at most, together in one building and 
yard, seems to be a great stumbling-block to 
inexperienced poultry keopers. They will disre¬ 
gard this rule, in spite of the warning and ad¬ 
vice so often given by many experienced persons. 
Yet bow much money aud vexation might be 
spared by adhering to this rule so often broken. 
The need of it can be very readily seen on look¬ 
ing into an over-crowded poultry house. The 
hens quarrel for favorite nests, two or three 
will get on a nest at one time, breaking the eggs, 
and soiling the nests. Then, there are certain 
> parts of the roosts that are the favorite spots, 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
fur which there is always some contention, some naturalists say even through their feathers. 
Btrongest and boldest birds get ahead of the 
smaller and weaker chickens, or even trample 
them nnder-foot. These are indeed, sometimes 
jL JIIO louuvin - * 
ous or infectious diseases, more so than any 
other domestic animal. For this reason, sanit¬ 
ary laws must be insisted on. A few fowls may 
A. IV IHTROVKD 1-iK3V’S NEbT. 
so afraid of their stronger companions that 
they will half starve rather Ilian come to the 
front for food etc. This is the way in which 
some will get in ill condition and sickly. 
Then, there is the sanitary condition of a large 
number to bo considered. All animals throw off 
a great deal of waste matter, not only through 
their digestive channels, bnt from their skins, 
and, in aU feathered tribes, from their feathers. 
AU people who handle poultry, game, and 
water-fowl, know that the smell from their 
feathers alone is not pleasant. If any room 
containing only a small number of fowls, is 
be kept with hut little care, but increase tbo 
number, and cares will multiply at a greater 
ratio than the birds. Yet it will pay to give this 
attention, if done regularly. 
Another thing that requires consideration is 
the material used in the construction of a house. 
This depends partly on the locality. Where 
stone is plentiful, it makes the best kind of 
house; so does concrete, and both save plaster¬ 
ing inside. Where wood is cheap, a good house 
can be built of it. But never have much wood 
a good deal exposed in the inside of the house, 
as it harbors vermin aud also causes disease 
house. A poultry house of any large size, 
should be alwavs plastered inside, so that there 
is but little room for the lodgment of vermin 
or disease, and it can be made tight at the doors, 
windows, and ventilators, with little tronble. 
When it is desired to fumigate it—which should 
be done three or four times a year— it need 
cause very little trouble. Take a small charcoal 
furnace ; put on a handful of tobacco stems- 
whieb are almost given away at segar makers 
slightly moistened, then set fire to them at ie 
bottom with a piece of paper or shavings, till they 
smoko freely, then lay on about a quarter to 
j half a pound of common sulphur, close up for 
two hours. The fowls should be let in before 
the house is entirely clear; but care should be 
takon not to lot them in too soon, otherwise 
they may be snfficated. Borne may t hink that 
to follow these directions would bo expensive. 
It is rather so, but any other course will only end 
in total wreck after a few years. Fowls will do 
well sometimes for a year or two in a now 
place with much disregard of these rules, but 
after many vears' experience, aud after having 
seen many failures, this conclusion forces itself 
upon me as woll as upon all who continue tho 
business. One rill say, “ Will it pay to take 
this tronble ? ” The expense incurred in bestow¬ 
ing this care, and taking- these precautions is 
less than would be tho loss caused by disease 
suddenly sweeping off all your stock, and leaving 
yonr place contaminated with its seeds. Tonl- 
try keeping in accordance with this kind of nian- 
i Hgoment. pays. Wo know parties who keep four 
hundred hens, aud have done so for many years, 
j under this system, and they are perfectly satis¬ 
fied with the result. 
LATE HATCHED CHICKS. 
One of the easiest ways to introduce, surely 
and certainly diseases of the worst character into 
the poultry yard is to try to roar a lot of too late 
batched chickens. A few days after their re¬ 
lease from the shell they begin to be dropsical 
and sluggish, and. if they would only all die 
then, it would save their keepers a great loss 
and trouble. But no ; they will keep on, sneez¬ 
ing and wheezing, yet still eating, aud, very 
slowly, growing. Winter comes with bis icy 
grip, and increases tlioir troubles till they finally 
get roupy. Other birds then catch the disease 
and sometimes it ends in a general sickness in 
tho hennery, causing a loss much greater than 
that of a few paltry late hatched chicks. 
(inch chickens should be looked after before 
they get too sick and killed off at once. Even 
if some Hbould escape sickness, tho cold prevents 
their growing to a fully developed size, and they 
seldom make good layers. The place they 
would occupy iu the hon-housc, could be hotter 
filled with good laying bens. Late hatched 
chicks are very poor stock and generally end m 
disappointment. Henry Hales. 
ARUNDO DONAX. 
In the Rural of November 27, 1875, will be 
found a picture of this lined without the inflor¬ 
escence Though the plant has been growing in 
the Rural Grounds ever since they have been 
such, it has never before bloomed. Our present 
illustration shows both cnlm, leaves aud flow¬ 
ers, as they appeared a few weeks smee. As a 
rule, it requires a longer season than that of 
our climate to mature. It has proven quite 
hardy and in suitable soils is of rank growt i. 
It will not, as is supposed, endure damp places— 
at least such has been our experience. Arundo 
Do,.ax, on account of its resemblance to Indian 
Corn, is not ornamental iu mixed bordeis. e 
variegated variety is bettei. 
__ • » -- 
BULBS FOR THE FLOWER GARDEN. 
BY WM. C. L. r.REW. 
THE CROCUS. 
Crocuses are very interesting and delicate 
little flowers. They are not loss suitable for ou 
door borders and beds than Tulips. Though 
less gaudv in their hues than the regal Tulip, 
they are varied and gay in their colors, while 
the delicate tints with which nature has painted 
them, harmonize with those or ea, y B T 11U “’ 
which they are the first or the floral world to 
herald in. 
Thru darned away O’r fiehl and dell. 
And all the birds Bang— Crocus . 
We’ll simt the happy summer o’er. 
And whi n trim frost shall yoke us, 
We know the hand upon the door 
That sets us free is— Crocus. 
These little heralds of spring begin to throw 
up their leaves before tbo frost is over. In 
i sheltered situation their little cups ^e open be- 
, fore the Ides of March, aud from this to May 
, they are a continual blaze of bloom, ^deed 
throughout the ever-changing weather of Marcl 
