DEG 24 
THE RURAL WEW-YORKER. 
FROM C. S. COOPER. 
1. I provide lime for my poultry by feeding 
ground oyster shells. 
2. I raise cabbage for them. Onions are ex¬ 
cellent also. 
3. Make a neat box 13x14 inches, outside 
measure, with water-tight, sloping roof. In 
addition 1 make a small run of ceil-laths 
the bight and width of the brooding box, 
and about two feet in length, for 
use two or three days at ter the hen has 
been put on the nest. I remove her at dusk 
to this box, close it in front, keep hercontined 
until near sundown next day, and then place 
the run in front of the box with a brace at 
the rear end to prevent its removal, in case 
she strives hard to get out. Put feed and wa¬ 
ter so that she can get either, and leave her 
at once. As night approaches she will return 
to the uest; the next morning she will be 
ready to receive the eggs. 
4 1 do not get rid of vermin; I keep rid of 
them by having a stand under the perches, con¬ 
taining coal oil. When lice abound use white¬ 
wash and carbolic acid—earbolate of lime is 
• excellent also to dust the perches and the inside 
of hennery. 
5. For packing eggs I prefer u neat wooden 
box. Wrap each egg in paper, stand them on 
end, and pack closely with saw dust; screw 
down the cover; never use a hammer and 
nails. A wire handle should be attached to 
the box for safety in handling and removal. 
(!, The sale of eggs by weight 1 consider of 
no consequence. The purchasers have the priv¬ 
ilege of examining before buying. If they 
think them too small, let them got a larger 
number or buy elsewhere. If eggs are sold 
by weight, many will he broken in handling. 
It is a sinking fact noticed in selling eggs, tnnt 
when they are scarce and dear no fault is ever 
found with a fair-sized egg; but when prices 
are low, more fault is found with the size ; be¬ 
cause the price is low, people want, them for 
almost nothing. If eggs wen- sold by weight 
poultry men would improve the size of them 
by breeding from the largest eggs. Eggs from 
any breed ol fowls can be increased in size by 
that method. My Wyandotte fowls lay eggs 
as largo as those of tho Brahmas. 
FROM T. B. HOOVER. 
1. I provide lime for our fowls in the form of 
crushed oyster shells and granulated bone, but 
think the former unnecessary when they have 
bone. 
2. Vegetable food is served to our poultry in 
winter by steaming and mashing potatoes and 
mixing them with their meal for breakfast. 
We give them green food occasionally, by 
liaugiug up cabbage heads where they can 
peek at them easily. 
3 I have u room adjoining the laying house 
built expressly for hatching. There are two 
tiers of liost holes around three circles of thi* 
room, and other useful equipments that i will 
not speak of now. The brooding nest is pre¬ 
pared, not by pu-ting in u new inverted sod, 
but by putting in a nice cushion of dean, short¬ 
cut straw. 
4. 1 o guard against, vermin we dust the eggs 
and nost liberally with sulphur and also the 
hen. About tho time the chicks ure due we 
powder the hen and nest with Insect powder, 
and when the chicks are removed to the coop, 
we dust each one carefully with the powder 
and as often thereafter as necessary, or rather 
as often as we find time to do it. The red 
mites we destroy by painting the porches with 
kerosene, with a few drops of carbolic acid 
mixed in it. Wo use a paint brush and are 
careful to run the mixture well in the corners 
and under loose slivers. 
5, We have used both boxes and baskets for 
shipping eggs, but in either case 1 use paste¬ 
board division crates, which hold the eggs on 
end and separately. I prefer clover leaves 
and blossoms for packing, but sometimes use 
bran or fine rattan raspings from the whip 
factory When 1 use baskets I sew a canvas 
cover over the jsicking, and when J ship in 
boxes the lids are screwed on to avoid jarring 
the eggs. 
0. Engs vary almost as much in size as 
apples or pears,'and I see no more reason why 
they should be sold by the dozen than the 
latter; but as they are too fragile to be meas¬ 
ured like fruit or vegetables, it would be the 
fairest to sell them altogether by weight. 
Where but one breed of chickens can be kept 
I think the Plymouth Kooks the best for fam¬ 
ily use. 
FROM F. W. WIISON. 
1. I provide lime for poultry “by feeding 
them old pilaster off walls.” 
2. I give them green food by feeding tho 
outside leaves ol cabbage nud the cull apiples. 
3. 1 prepare nests on the ground with a lit¬ 
tle chair, in not too wot u place. They are 
too dry, if set up on a floor. 
4. To keep) clear of veriniu 1 sprinkle the 
roosts well with lamp oil every three months. 
5. i think eggs for setting should not be 
packed at ail. 
0. It would be much fairer to sell eggs by 
the pound than by the dozen. “All things 
considered” the Plymouth Rock would be my 
choice. If the White Leghorn chicks were 
not too tender to raise, I would choose them. 
FROM HENRY MALES. 
1. I pirovidc lime for my poultry in the 
shapie of crushed oyster or sea shells, and al¬ 
ways keep some in a box or hopper In each 
house. 2. For green food in winter I keep cab¬ 
bages hung up by Hie roots within easy reach 
of stock, 3. 1 keep clear of vermin by white¬ 
washing the houses, and applying crude pe¬ 
troleum to the porches or other fittings, also 
by fumigating the houses with sulphur and 
tobacco stems. 4. For nests for sitting hens 
I use bottomless boxes six inches high set on 
the ground in a hatching house. The nests 
are made of straw or hay with a few tobacco 
stems mixed with it. f>. 1 prefer small, cheap 
maple splint, baskets. I wrap each egg in a 
soft paper and lino the basket with fluely cut 
hay. I put in a layer of eggH, cover them 
with hay; then another layer of eggs, cover 
them well,and sew a piece of unbleached mus¬ 
lin over the top. They are generally bandied 
with more care by expressmen if packed in 
baskets with handles than in boxes. 0. I con¬ 
sider selling eggs by weight fairer than by the 
dozen. If this were done, White Leghorn, 
Spanish or Minorcas would be the best breeds, 
especially tho first. 
FROM IC. It. UPSON. 
1. I keep a box of air-slaked lime in my 
poultry house,and every few days throw a few 
handfuls abouttliofloor and under the perches. 
1 also keep crushed bone before my fowls, 
both old and young, at all times, and am 
never troubled with soft-shelled eggs io any 
great extent. I also consider it a good plan 
to feed the shells of all the eggs used. All 
hens are very fond of them, and if well- 
crushed, 1 And that, the feeding of them does 
not lead to the vice of egg eating. I would 
advise giving crushed oyster shells where eon- 
venien'ly obtained. 
2. For green food in winter I use 
cabbages, potatoes and turnips, and 
have used table beets. I consider turnips 
better than anything else I ever fed. They 
should be simply cut in halves and the hens 
should be left, to pick out the flesh at their lei¬ 
sure. The exercise does them good. This win¬ 
ter I intend trying mangels fed the same as 
turnips. 
3. Nests for sitting hens should be 
made roomy and ari auged so as to be dark¬ 
ened to such a degree as will insure faithful¬ 
ness on the part of the hen. I use very shal¬ 
low boxes and till with crushed straw. Where 
horses are kept and liberally bedded, the 
straw under their front feet makes the best 
nesting material imaginable either for sitters 
or layers. This is what I use. I arrange my 
nests in such a way that the hens can walk 
directly in on to the eggs without, flying or 
jumping. 1 use no earth or inverted sods as 
some recommend. 
4. For the littlo red mites that infest the 
houses there is nothing like kerosene and cau¬ 
tion. Use tho kerosene on the perches, and 
the caution in guarding against the little 
pests getting a foothold. This can tie done 
by frequently examining the poultry house 
during the summer months and killing any 
and all that can be found There is no need 
that a poultry house should become a bolbefl 
for this unmitigated nuisance. For the louse 
that Inhabits the bodies of the birds, we have 
u safe, sure, und cheao remedy in Persian in¬ 
sect powder. 1 apply it to the fluff of tho 
fowl and especially about the vent, dusting it 
well into the feathers by rubbing across the 
fluff with my hand, This is effectual. 
5. My way of packing eggs to ship for set¬ 
ting, is to use baskets lined with soft hay (ex¬ 
celsior would no doubt, lie as good or better). 
Wrup every egg in several thicknesses of pa¬ 
per, doubling the ends in about, the egg. 
Place the eggs in the basket on end, cover with 
a layer of hay, and bind the whole firmly 
down with either strong muslin sewed fast 
to the basket, or a light board tied dowu with 
stout twine. 1 have had very good success 
shipping by this method. 
(i. I would Consider it fairer to sell eggs by 
weight than by the dozen; but do not expect 
to see the present convenient mode dropped 
for uuy other, at least for some time. The 
method of selling eggs by the dozen could, 
I think, be improved on by assorting them 
into grades of nearly uniform size and mak¬ 
ing the price correspond in a degree with the 
size. If eggs were sold by weight., the Light 
Brahma would, in my estimation, lie the most 
valuable as an egg producer. 
Wilmot, lud. 
FROM SAMUEL WILSON, 
1, The best kind of lime for fowls is made 
by pouudiug up oyster shells so that they can 
be readily eaten. Another good way is to 
slake common wood-burned lime, let it lie un¬ 
til it has become cold and crumbly; then 
fowls will eat it readily. It is much less 
trout do to supply this than the oyster shells, 
but it is not considered so good. 
2 For green food In winter I use either cab¬ 
bage or turnips chopped up line. The former 
is the better, and I use large quantities of it. 
The soft, heads and culls are just as good as 
any. 
8 I make nests for sitting hens out of 
boxes just large enough for one hen to sit in. 
First I put m refuse tobacco leaves or stems; 
on these I make a nest of very flue buy,which 
is made from young grass cut before it be¬ 
comes hard and woody. Nests made in this 
way are seldom troubled with vermin. 
4. I wash the roost with coal oil three or 
four times a year,and uni never troubled with 
vermin. 1 also give the fowls pleuty of fine 
earth in winter in which to dust themselves. 
5. The best and safest way to pack eggs 
for shipping is to use small, light baskets with 
bandies. I first place, hay seeds or oat chaff 
in the bottom—tine hay will do—on this I put 
a layer of dry sawdust, then every egg is 
wrapped up carefully in light tissue paper, so 
as not to come in contact with t he sawdust, 
which has a tendency to get damp and stop 
tho pores of the egg. On this I place a layer 
of eggs,so as not to touch each other. On these 
I place more sawdust. When tho basket is 
nearly full, I fill up with fine hay, ovtr which 
I fasten tightly a piece or drilling or canvas, 
to keep the eggs in their place und prevent 
jarriug. 
li. The fairest way to sell eggs in the market 
for culinary purposes is by weight; but this 
would not answer so well when sold for hutch¬ 
ing, as parties mostly want a certain number. 
I consider the Brown Ix-ghorns the most profit¬ 
able egg-producing fowls, as they are almost 
continual layers and their eggs are of good 
size. 
FROM E. J. BROWNELL. 
1. Where hens have a free range of the farm 
during summer little attention uoed be given 
to the supply of lime in any form; but in win¬ 
ter and also in summer for those who are 
obliged to keep their fowls in confinement—as 
many of us are—some provision must be made 
to supply lime. My practice is to keep tho 
birds well supplied with ixmoded bones— 
raw not burned, for by burning we destroy 
vuluabio nutriment contained in t.lie bones, 
and leave nothing but, the lime itself. Clam 
and oyster shells and old earthenware broken 
lino will be greedily devoured by them, and, 
besides this. I throw about the yard and house 
a considerable rpiantity of lime in its crude 
form and am never troubled with soft-shelled 
eggs unless for some reason there is a neglect 
to attend to the supply. 
2. Some form of green food in winter seems 
to be an absolute requirement if anything like 
a full supply of eggs is expected. For tins I 
depend mainly on refuse vegetables—cabbage 
leaves, potato parings, onions, beets, carrots, 
apples, etc.—which I chop (Inc with a chopping 
knife on a tray and feed at least twice or three 
times each week, and it is eaten with great 
relish if fed in small quantities. Cabbage 
leaves, loose cabbage heads, celery leaves, in 
fact any green vegetables are suited for this 
purpose and may be more profitably used in 
this way than in any other. 
3. Iu preparing nests for sitting hens my 
plan for many yours has been to put horse 
manure in the bottom of the nests to tho depth 
of four to six inches; on top uf this 1 put near¬ 
ly the same depth of fresh earth, and over 
this arrange the nests of straw though many 
recommeud the use of shavings, excelsior, or 
some like material for nests. I then sprinkle 
the nests thoroughly with tobacco and insect 
powder as a preventive of vermin, and occa¬ 
sionally dust a littlo sulphur over the eggs 
during the period of incubation. Since I be¬ 
gan keeping my present breed of fowls—a 
cross between Plymouth Rocks and Brown Leg¬ 
horns—I have made it a rule, not to use for sit¬ 
ting hens any that 1 could not remove to another 
buildiug entirely separate from my hennery 
and still have thorn continue to sit steadily in 
their-new quarters, using the nest eggs under 
them until they become accustomed to their 
new quarters before giving them the eggs for 
hatching. Thus 1 avoid all trouble from other 
hens lying in with them and breaking tho 
eggs. 
4. My hen house is detached from all other 
buildings, and so I can safely adopt the fol¬ 
lowing plan for destroying and keeping eleur 
of vermin. I prepare a swab at the end of a 
stick four or five feet iu length, and saturat¬ 
ing this with kerosene Sprinkle it over with 
all tho flowers of sulphur that will adhere to 
it; then lighting it I scorch tho roosts and 
sides of tho building with this flame, applying 
it directly to every part I can reach. By 
means of this treatment occasionally remov¬ 
ing aud burning the old nests and scorching 
the nest boxes—which should always he made 
movable so that they can betaken out for this 
purpose aud scorched with a fire made of 
straw, shavings, or somo other light mater¬ 
ial—I succeed in keeping clear of lice with 
comparatively little trouble. 
5. As to tho safest ami best way to pack eggs 
for shipping! they should always be placed in 
a basket with a handle to it, as this obviates 
all danger of being crushed by something else 
placed on top of them, and they arc likely to 
be more carefully handled than if packed in a 
box. Wrap each egg separately in a piece of 
paper anil place them upon the little ends in 
combs of pasteboard such ns are used in the 
improved egg-carriers now iu common use— 
which of Course must be fitted to the size of 
the basket—and they will safely carry to any 
d istnnee. 
0. The change which in recent years has been 
so warmly advocated by many—to sell eggs 
by weight instead of by the dozen—would lie 
fairer for all interested, and if this were done 
from my present knowledge aud experience 
I should then as now believe tho Plymouth 
Rock would equal any other breed of fowls 
for profit to tho farmer, as they lay good- 
sized eggs in largo numbers. With proper 
care they require as little feed for the num¬ 
ber of eggs produced as any breed with which 
1 am acquainted; besides, they are excellent 
table fowls, quiet in their disposition and 
stand confinement well if proper attention is 
given to tho details of cleanliness, and a suf¬ 
ficient supply of necessary food is given. 
PLAN OF HOME-MADE INCUBATOR. 
P. H. JACOBS. 
With the aid of the illustrations at Figs. 
485, 480, 487, and 488, but little difficulty need 
be experienced in making an incubator, and 
as the one here described is in general use, it 
has been fully tested and found to perform all 
that may be reasonably expected. Fig. 485 
485. 
represents the interior of tho incubator: 
It will be noticed that there are an outer 
and inner box, with sawdust, between them— 
elm If or any such material will answer. The 
outer box is 48 inches long, Tl wide, and 30 
high. The inner box is 40 inches long, 32 
inches wide, 18 inches deep, and holds a tank 
32x30 inches. Tho outside measurements are 
used iu measuring boxes. A is the outer box 
