for there is certainly some reason for this 
condition of affairs. Is it possihle that more 
experience is required in the poultry business 
than for the management of livestock; oris 
it because the hen is not given that attention 
she rightly deserves? Small flocks have been 
known to pay large profits in proportion to 
investment; but the cost of labor is never 
considered in such cases, as it really costs no¬ 
thing, in one respect; but with a largo flock 
constant labor must be bestowed. Lice are 
the worst enemies of successful poultry rais¬ 
ing, and where large flocks have been kept 
lice have caused nearly all the failures. The 
attempts to economize in buildings and land 
have crowded too many fowls together, and 
improper feeding has also done its share. It 
may be safely claimed that not one poultry 
man in ten knows that the method of feeding 
the Leghorn will not answer for the Brahma; 
yet it is on that rock that many hopes have 
been shattered, fora knowledge of the charac¬ 
teristics of the breeds is absolutely indispen¬ 
sable to success. 
The profit from a cow is by the milk pro¬ 
duced, and we may feed her liberally in order 
to increase the quantity; but the laying of 
eggs by the hen is a matter of reproduction— 
giving birth to her young, in one sense—and 
we can easily reach a point where her repro¬ 
ductive organs may be easily deranged, and 
she be rendered incapable of reproduction; 
just as a fat cow, sow, or sheep may be made 
an inferior breeder. Yet she must be fed well 
to provide her with the elements of egg pro¬ 
duction. HeDce, the liberal use of corn and 
wheat, without a corresponding amount of 
bulky and nitrogeuous food, has also done 
great damage to large flocks. 
No large flocks of poultry can be kept on 
any farm unless they are divided into smaller 
flocks or families, as the massing of a large 
number compels a competitive struggle forox- 
lstenee, the strong oppressing the weak and 
one portion is productive while the other en¬ 
tails a loss. The only remedy is to make the 
keeping of a large number a business, and be¬ 
ing up early and late with them, the same as 
is done for the dairy, studying all the wants 
of the fowls and supplying the birds with the 
requisites for production, as well as carefully 
guarding them against risks of disease iuany 
form. 
Considering that a lieu is worth but a small 
sum, it is not expected that she should pay 
two or three times her value in a year. The 
cow does not do it, nor can the hen. If, after 
paying all expenses for shelter, food and labor, 
a profit of 20 per cent, be derived, it will be 
much larger than may be expected from 
many other sources, and, therefore, if the sum 
of $1,000 be invested, $200 will well pay the in¬ 
vestor ; yet the majority of persons would not 
be satisfied with 20 per cent, profit from poul¬ 
try, though they would be content with a 
smaller percentage from the farm. Aud it is 
just here where the answer to the question of 
“how much should poultry pay?” comes in, 
and that is “ Fully as much as or more 
thau can .be proportionately derived from 
auything else on the farm." 
POULTRY RAISING IN MONTANA. 
Last year I had 24 hens, aud hatched 222 
chicks. I sold $li'J worth of eggs, and $14,20 
worth of chickens, besides using about. 40 of 
the latter iu the family. I lost a good many 
in June, as the weather was cold aud rainy. 
This year I have 72 heus, about 60 large 
enough to lay, and iu January I sold 49h 2 
dozen eggs, all laid since New Year’s, which 
brought oO cents a dozen, making the little 
sum of $24 75 a month. Who says it doesn't 
pay to raise chickens? Miue are a cross be¬ 
tween Plymouth Rock and the common sorts; 
aud between Golden Bearded Polish and the 
common kind. I have a half-bred Polish 
hen, hatched April 10,1880; she commenced to 
lay Nov. 18, and laid 50 eggs up to Feb. 2. It 
takes ubout 9}^ of them to weigh a pound. I 
am in hopes to raise 400 pnllets this spring, 
and see whether l will have as good luck with 
a large fiock us 1 have had with a small one. 
I give the Rural credit for most of my suc¬ 
cess so far, and my husband tho rest for fur- 
nishiug a good warm house, aud keeping it 
clean, which goes a long way in keeping the 
flock healthy and contented. A. M. L. 
White Sulphur Springs, Mont. 
Civtmi topics. 
PRACTICAL IRRIGATION. 
My water works were built some 12 or more 
years ago. Tho building consists of u heavy 
frame about 20 l'eot high, upon the top of 
which is a large tank holding about 525 barrels 
of water. The whole is surmounted by a 
wind-mill with a 12-foot wheel attached to a 
force-pump, which pumps the water into the 
tank. My land is nearly level, and this hight 
furnishes me with a fair head. From the 
bottom of the tank are common gas pipes 
leading to different portions of the garden, 
with faucets at. intervals where I can attach 
hose aud carry water to any part of the gar¬ 
den. The pipes are carried under ground. 
The entire cost was nearly $1,1)00, though the 
same thing in all respects could be built at 
present for considerably less, for both mater¬ 
ials and labor are cheaper now than at the 
time the work was done. To me it has been 
an excellent investment. When the preseut 
windmill is worn out, I think I shall replace 
it with steam power, as it is more reliable. 
For growing farm crops I am not certain that 
it. would be a paying iuvestineut. It would 
depend entirely upon how cheaply the water 
could be distributed upon the laud. It should 
be remembered that no artificial watering is 
quite equal to water from the clouds, and it 
takes more of the former to produce the same 
effect:. For instance, if I wish to water a 
piece of cabbages, it will take 1,000 barrels 
per acre to do the work well, and it must be 
repeated every week or 10 days until rain 
comes. The same is true of strawberries. I 
believe that the largest, crop of berries that I 
ever raised or ever saw was carried through 
entirely by artificial watering. Situated as I 
am, I should hardly know how to do without 
my water works. We have had a remarkably 
dry season thus far, yet I have been and am 
yet setting cabbage more than one-fourth of a 
mile from my tank, but the water comes to 
the men, and we never hesitate to go on with 
plant setting, no matter how dry it is. It will 
pay upon the farm provided the water can be 
distributed cheaply enough. j. m. smith. 
Green Bay, Wis. 
R. N,-Y.—Is is calculated that one inch of 
rain delivers 4.678 gallons to the square yard, 
or 22,<117 gallons to the acre. With a rainfall 
of 30 to 40 inches, we see what an enormous 
quantity of water will be supplied to the land. 
As all know, this great supply is uuequally 
distributed. In many sections the soil is fair¬ 
ly drowned for a few weeks aud baked for ns 
many months. On well-drained land surplus 
water will always run away. Tilo drainage 
and irrigation work well together. We see 
what an enormous quantity of water must be 
punqjed in order to supply sufficient water to 
the growing crops. Mr. Smith states that he 
expects to pour 1,000 barrels ou each acre 
every week. This would make a pond two 
inches deep all over the acre. Even this is 
less than the amount used in Italy, where wa¬ 
ter enough to form a layer six inches in depth 
is spread over the surface of a meadow. This 
application is given every fortnight. It will 
thus be seen that a windmill must be worked 
day aud night to supply all the water ueeded 
on three acres, yet it can readily pump water 
enough to bring crops ou a much larger area 
through a dry season, when judiciously used. 
ENSILAGE AT THE MICHIGAN AGRI¬ 
CULTURAL COLLEGE. 
PROF. SAMUEL JOHNSON. 
« 
In taking the silage from the silo we throw 
off the weights from a section five or six feet 
wide next the door; then remove the plank 
from this space and cut down tho silage with 
a hay knife, just as we cut down and remove 
a section of hay from a mow. After the 
silage has become sufficiently weighted, I do 
not think any injury would result to it if the 
weight was all removed at once; but I venture 
that as an opinion ouly, as we have always 
removed the weights from sections of the silo, 
as stated above. 
Where the silage is taken from the silo every 
day, the small surface of the thoroughly 
pressed mass exposed will receive no injury. 
Wo never replace the covering on the section 
from whieh we are feeding. 
The College silo was built iu 1881, as an ex¬ 
periment. After these years of experience 
we are fully satisfied as to the value and 
economy of silage as an auxiliary fodder. 
Here is a brief description of the College 
silo, whieh has a capacity of about 40 tons: 
As a new grain barn, with high basement 
walls, was being erected on the farm, we de¬ 
cided to build the silo in one corner of this 
basement, with the thought that if the ensi¬ 
lage experiment was not satisfactory tho silo 
could be utilized as a root cellar. A space iu 
the northeast corner was chosen for this pur¬ 
pose, and a wall made, 18 inches thick, well 
laid with common field stone and strong 
mortar. Tiles were laid to carry off wutor, and 
the floor was then covered with small stones 
bedded in cement and then cemented, as well 
as the sides, until all was smooth, and sup¬ 
posed to l>e air ami water-tight. Tho inside 
meanuroineut of the silo is 14x15 feet, and the 
walls ure eight feet high. There is a door 
four feet wide aud six feet high from the silo 
into the basement where the silage is taken 
out. Where circumstances will admit, I think 
! the barn basement is the proper place for the 
silo. It Is near the stables where it is to be 
used, and a door through which it may be 
taken out, directly to the animals, is more 
convenient than to lift the silage over the top 
of the wall. Silos can be built in almost any 
barn in this manner at much less expense than 
if built separately, as no extra expense for 
roof is Incurred. When filling the silo, matched 
planks were fitted in the doorway to the base¬ 
ment, and the silage packed against these as 
the filling proceeded. When opened, the 
silage was found to be as perfectly preserved 
next to these planks as in any other part of the 
outside of the silo. Matched planks two inches 
thick, were used as a cover, care being taken 
to have them lit closely but not to bind in the 
setting. 
The items of expense incurred in building 
the silo were as follows: 
Excavation.$n) oo 
Fifty six porches of stone, at 7i cents a perch. 42 00 
Laytng stone, at 00 cents a perch. 33 K0 
Ten harrels lime at ft 10. 11 00 
Sand. 3 40 
Four barrels cement, at #1.45. 5 SO 
OroutlnK iHittom, cementing side*, etc.. 10 (X) 
floors and frames above. . 30 IX) 
Plank for covering silo. 6 00 
#151 30 
We have never fed silage to hogs; but I have 
seen frequent statements from parties who 
have fed clover silage to swine, who speak in 
its favor. 
Agricultural College, Mich. 
farm (Topics. 
CORRESPONDENTS’ VIEWS. 
About the Farm Boarding House ques¬ 
tion I would make a few suggestions from my 
own experience. It is too common to make 
the advent of the city boarder a notable event 
in the history of the family. The silver is got¬ 
ten out and polished; the children are dressed 
in their best “Sunday go-to-meeting” suits and 
as a result of several days of hard work, the 
reception of the boarders is made a success. 
The next morning, however, the silver is put 
away, the family resume their every-day garb 
and tempers, and the boarders become disap¬ 
pointed and homesick. Don’t make the board¬ 
er’s family members of your household; 
that is to say, dou’t be too intimate with 
them. Don’t expect your daughter to snub 
her all-the-year-rouud beau or school-mates 
for the dapper youug city chap or his frivo¬ 
lous sisters, whose only interest in her is to be 
amused for the moment. Above all, don't tell 
them of your family secrets aud troubles and 
of minor local happenings. In a word, don’t 
put yourself out to entertain them. Don’t 
have so much meat—beefsteak and ham. 
Good bread aud butter, fresh eggs and milk, 
fish and vegetables are vastly cheaper and 
better than beef, veal or mutton. Don’t 
arouse a spirit of antagonism and jealousy— 
the opposite of and often a reaction from the 
intimacy of the first week. Don’t, worry and 
fret about trifles. If the boys should kill a 
little chicken occasionally, or tease the hogs, 
or steal the watermelons, don’t worry; it may 
be the cheapest aud best way to entertain 
them. This, of course, does not necessitate the 
giving them the run of the place. Don’t make 
dead-heads of them. If they go to a hotel 
they have to pay for the extras, and they will 
not think less of you if you charge for “ex¬ 
tras. ’’ Take an active interest in the health 
and happiness of your boarders. Point out to 
them the best places for fishing and boating; 
let them occupy your lawn for lawn-tennis or 
croquet; tell them of the places of interest in 
the vicinity; give them plenty of plain, whole¬ 
some food and let them take care of them¬ 
selves, and, my word for it, your house will 
be filled year after year at remunerative 
prices. j. h. g. 
Judicious Fertilizing. —Mr. Thompson’s 
remark last week that he has found potash to 
be a specific on his farm is worthy of note. 
Hundreds of farmers are paying out money 
for fertilizers that give but a poor showing on 
their farms. There is such a thing as going to 
tho trouble of using au axe to perform the 
work that could be done with a hatchet. If a 
farmer is to use commercial fertilizers he 
should use them intelligently. The question 
is, how did Mr. Thompson know that potash 
gives best results ou Ins soil? There is only 
one way in which he could determine the fact, 
and that is by trying different fertilizers and 
combinations of fertilizers and carefully not¬ 
ing the results. Whou a farmer uses commer¬ 
cial fertilizers, he can't do better thau to 
start au experimental took. I have a book 
iu which I have recorded the results of differ¬ 
ent fertilizers on my farm. It is easy enough 
to take notes every two weeks through the 
season. At the end of a few years of such 
work the farmer will find that he has a volume 
of agricultural chemistry that will be worth 
many dollars to him. C. B. R. 
Bergen Co., N. J. 
Windmills are common here, but not al¬ 
ways satisfactory. They do best connected 
with large tanks, to supply water during 
calms or high winds. With only a single, 
small tank, as often put up, I think they are 
very expensive luxuries. I believe the clock 
power engine will yet he the power for draw¬ 
ing water. The cost is little more than that 
of a windmill, and they ought to be much 
more durable. E. d. 
Barry Co., Mich. 
faxm fitter tmj. 
DRIED AND EVAPORATED SWEET 
CORN. 
There have been many' inquiries of late as 
to the market for dried sweet corn. We have 
endeavored to secure some information on the 
subject, but the industry is at present in an 
undeveloped state and reliable statistics are 
hardly obtainable. The few facts developed 
may be of interest to our readers. The corn- 
canning industry has assumed enormous pro¬ 
portions. Canned corn is now the favorite 
canned vegetable. It finds an extended use 
even in farmers’ and gardeners’ families. 
They seem to consider it cheaper to sell their 
own corn on the market and buy the canned 
article than to try and do their own canning. 
Many farmers dry or evaporate their own 
corn, using a cheap evaporator which can be 
used for fruits also. A good article can be 
secured in this way. The home canning of 
corn is not a success, apparently. Many good 
housewives who obtain excellent results with 
fruits fail with sweet corn. To obtain a prime 
article of evaporated sweet corn, the ears are 
picked when the kernels are so full of milk 
that they will spurt when pressed between the 
lingers. The evaporation should be doue as 
soon after picking as possible. The ears are 
put into boiling water for about five minutes. 
The corn is then cut off with a sharp knife 
and placed in the evaporators. The kernels 
are not cut off whole, but sliced so that each 
kernel is left in two or three pieces. The 
germ is scraped from the cob with a blunt 
knife. When the evaporators are used mus¬ 
lin cloths are placed on the trays. On these 
the sliced corn is tbinJy spread. The Ameri¬ 
can Manufacturing Co., of Waynesboro, Pa., 
handle large quantities of the evaporated 
cor l. The Shakers of Mt. Lebanon have until 
within a few years supplied most of the dried 
corn on the market. They write as follows 
concerning the industry: 
FROM THE SHAKER SEED COMPANY. 
We supply about 5,000 barrels of dried corn 
annually. The market is variable; some¬ 
times our entire crap is sold early in the sea¬ 
son, and again, though rarely, we have been 
compelled to carry over small quantities to 
the next season. The demand slowly in¬ 
creases, but both the market and demand are 
largely dependent upon the output of canned 
corn. The corn is first cooked by steam, and 
then evaporated in kilns by hot air. Four to 
five quarts of green corn are required to make 
one of dry. Whin our people first introduced 
this industry, the product sold readily at 
about 15 to 10 ceuts per pound; it isnow 
worth from seven to nine cents. 
FROM DAVID METZ. 
The market for evaporated sweet corn with 
us is very good. We have not been able to 
secure enough to supply the demand. It re¬ 
tails here at 20c. per pouud, and has for years: 
even though Shaker dried corn could be had 
for 10c* per pound, the evaporated article has 
taken the preference at double the price. In 
this locality it has been well introduced, hav¬ 
ing beeu on the market for 12 years. I be¬ 
lieve there is a wide field open for the iudustry. 
When once the consumer learns the quality of 
a first-dass article of evaporated corn, he will 
have nothing else of the corn kind. I have 
always used the Americau evaporator. Sto- 
well’s Evergreen is the best corn for evaporat¬ 
ing. One dozen good ears will make a pound 
of evaporated corn. For the best results in 
yield and quality, the corn should not to pull¬ 
ed until fully grown (hue it should not be left 
until it commences to harden), boiled or cook¬ 
ed slightly, and in cutting the knife should be 
set so as to make two cuts of the grain with¬ 
out cutting into the chaff; then the cob should 
he scraped with a dull knife. I find that 
wheu the corn is cut from the cob at one cut, 
leaviug the grains whole or nearly so, the 
quality of the product is not nearly so goto. 
Franklin Co., Pa. 
FROM THOS. n. ROUTSON. 
With regard to evaporated sweet corn, or 
dried corn as some call it, there is a gveut dif¬ 
ference between the two kinds: the evapo¬ 
rated is so much superior to the ordinary dried 
article that there is no comparison between 
the two. If cured properly at the right time 
aud iu the right way, it comes as near green 
