i32 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
February 21 
MAPES, THE HEN MAN. 
Opportunities in Poultry. —It Is not 
to be understood from what I said last 
week that I advise farmers and farmers’ 
sons indiscriminately to turn their pas¬ 
ture fields into egg factories. Better let 
hens alone, unless there is some natural 
adaptation to that kind of business, to¬ 
gether with plenty of push and persever- 
ence. We cannot all succeed at one kind 
of business. That there are good possi¬ 
bilities in producing guaranteed eggs for 
the best grocery trade is no sure guar¬ 
antee that one will succeed at it. I need 
not go outside of my own family for 
proof of this. I have a son who took the 
“hen fever” a few years ago, and started 
in with what would be considered a good 
chance for success, but failed to make 
a success of it. A man who had plenty 
of idle land, and idle capital, offered to 
put him up anything that he wanted 
in the way of buildings if he would give 
a yearly rental sufficient to cover the in¬ 
terest of whatever money it took to 
build, and a fair allowance towards de¬ 
terioration of buildings. Here was a 
chance which many a young man would 
jump at. He had a free hand so far as 
buildings were concerned, and a long 
house was soon erected which is a model 
for convenience, and was not very ex¬ 
pensive. The house contained 20 pens 
12x16 feet with a feed room and living 
rooms on one end, and a four-foot alley 
at the rear of the pens. A stable and 
wagon house were also erected, so that 
it was not necessary to step out of doors 
to do the work. At the end of his two- 
years’ lease he was ready to quit, with 
his own small capital about half gone. It 
seemed to me at the time that he had 
not yet awakened to a sense of the seri¬ 
ousness of the battle of life in the busi¬ 
ness world. It could hardly be called a 
lack of push and perseverence, since he 
afterward went to the city with the re¬ 
maining half of his capital, rented a 
small dairy store, and is succeeding 
where many would have failed. From a 
small beginning, including cooking his 
own meals and sleeping in the back of 
the little store, with a push-cart to de¬ 
liver his goods, his trade in eggs has 
steadily increased, until he now has half 
a dozen men and girls at work, and sells 
about a carload of eggs a week to his 
regular customers. I mention this to 
prove that unless we drop into our 
proper niche, we are not likely to suc¬ 
ceed, even with favorable opportunities. 
The old saw about fitting a square peg 
into a round hole has lost none of its 
force. 
Information Wanted. —Here is a 
grist of questions from a man in Penn¬ 
sylvania: 
1. What value do you place on buckwheat 
as a food for chickens in connection with 
other grain? 2. How much cold can eggs 
stand before incubation without losing their 
fertility? If they are gathered at noon and 
four o’clock in cold weather, is there any 
chance of their being too chilled? 3. I 
think the height of your houses is eight 
feet in front and five feet four inches back. 
Is this sufficient pitch for shingles to shed 
water? 4. I have noticed your comments 
on young chickens dying without your be¬ 
ing able to fathom the reason. Has it ever 
occurred to you that this might frequently 
be from suffocation? I carried 40 large 
fowls in a crate on a wagon a short time 
since; and after going but a short dis¬ 
tance, one was smothered. In like manner 
my young chicks crowd each other, and 
endeavor to crawl under each other. I 
have lost 13 in one brooder in the last two 
weeks. They almost invariably were found 
dead in the morning close to the lamp, 
where the crush was greatest. Apparently 
they were well the evening before. It 
seems to me, if this be the cause, the only 
remedy is to dispense with hovers, and re¬ 
stricted quarters, as far as possible, and 
give them as much room as conditions 
permit in order that the chances for suffo¬ 
cation be lessened. e. h. b. 
1. I have never used much buckwheat 
myself, but consider it a valuable addi¬ 
tion to the bill of fare for laying hens, 
especially in cold weather. Like corn, it 
is usually considered too fattening for 
free use in hot weather. 2. Our custom 
is to gather our eggs in Winter at about 
1 P. M. and again about 4 P. M. Most 
of the eggs are laid before the first col¬ 
lection, and in a house that Is reasonably 
warm, with a flock of good size, there 
should be a hen on most of the time dur¬ 
ing the middle of the day, thus keeping 
the eggs from getting chilled in the 
nests. Winter-laid eggs are not likely to 
hatch as well as those laid after the ad¬ 
vent of the natural breeding season of 
Spring, but 1 attribute that to other 
causes than chilling, where the precau¬ 
tions noted are observed. 3. Shingles 
will shed water very well while new, on 
the pitch given, but are very short-lived. 
I tried shingles on part of my roofs, but 
had to fall back on roofing felt, coated 
with liquid asphalt for paint. The 
shingles rotted badly in four to five 
years. If they had been laid on open 
lath, instead of .solid sheathing, they 
would probably have lasted longer. 4. 
The suggestion about chicks dying from 
suffocation or asphyxiation is the most 
sensible and probable of any I have had. 
I have noticed a good many things which 
go to substantiate that theory. It is pos¬ 
sible that in brooders with top heat, 
they might be asphyxiated, or nearly so, 
while standing erect. The change of air 
in them would be lessened as the weath¬ 
er grows warmer thus accounting for my 
chicks thriving better early than after 
the advent of hot weather. The greater 
the difference between the temperature 
under the hover and above it the strong¬ 
er the current of impure air passing up 
out of the openings above the chicks. It 
is almost the universal opinion that 
chicks do better in brooders containing 
fewest chicks, where chances for suffoca¬ 
tion and asphyxiation are least. I had 
a lot of chicks a few years ago, in brood¬ 
ers which 1 could not keep sufficiently 
warm, which were huddling, sweating 
and dying until I got disgusted with 
them so that I sold 100 of them to my 
hired man for a song almost. He took 
them home and raised most of them 
without any brooders at all. 
How did he do it? 
By dividing them up into small flocks 
of 10 or 12 each. Just as sure as he tried 
to leave more than that in one box over 
night some would be found dead in the 
morning. He used fairly to run for 
home as soon as his day’s work was 
done, for fear too many of those chicks 
would get into one box for the night. As 
1 recollect it, most of those late chicks 
of mine that I lost last season were 
found dead in the morning in the small 
space between the hover and the back 
of the pen. It is highly probable that 
they gathered in this small space outside 
of the heated space under the hover dur¬ 
ing the early part of the warm nights, 
and as they got chilly towards morning, 
packed in the corners of this space, in¬ 
stead of moving back under the hover 
where it was warm. The Deacon thinks 
very favorably of this solution. 
O. W, MAPES. 
ADAM’S CUTS 
easily, quickly, neatly. Among 
GREEN BONE CUTTERS’ 
It stands alone. The only one with 
Ball Bearlnffs. Write for our 
Free Illustrated Catalogue, No. SS 
W. J. ADAM, JOLIET, ILLINOIS. 
O KT E: G-1 fl Xa 
batches 1723 chicks. One woman 2406. 
One man 2632. Many others do equally 
well with the PERFECTED HATCH- 
INO SYSTEM. Beats incubators. Book¬ 
let free. F. ORimDY, Morrisonville, Ill. 
INCUBATORS 
From $• an. Bast reasoaablo pileod 
hatchers on the market. 
Brooders, 94 np. None better at any 
E rlce. Fully warranted. Catalog froo. 
.. A. BANTA, LIQONIERe INU 
PEEP O’DAY 
BROODSRiS and Speeialtias 
have stood the test for io_ygarsin the hands 
of leading poullrymen the world over. 
Thousands in use. Thousands of testimo¬ 
nials. Here’s one of them. 
SNOWED UNDER. 
Cherry Hill Farm, Grand Rapid.s, Mich. 
Gentlemen : — 1 have had perfect 
success with the Peep O’Day Brooders and 
I am now marketing White Wyandottes 
weighing from to pounds each, at 
ten weeks old, that were raised in Peep 
O’Days. I lost but 3 out of 130 in two 
brooders. They were snowed under for 
three days during the last of March. Your 
improved lamp makes the brooder very 
easy to care for. Yours respectfully, 
, Leo J. Riggs.'^ 
CORNELL incubators and Brooders 
win wherever shown. Gold 
Medal at Pan-Ame-ican Exhibition, 1901 , 
Highest Award. When you buy 4ti incu¬ 
bator, buy a Cornell. It is tlie latest and 
best and gives beslt- - - 
resnlis. Money] PEEP O’DAY. 
refunded if not as 
rep> esenied. 
Valuable Infor¬ 
mation free to all 
interested in 
poultry. Send 
H your name and ad- 
H dress ou a postal 
I to-day to 
I CORNELL INCUBATOR MFC. CO. 
I Box 34^ Ithaca, N. Y. 
GraLiid New Book 
for 1903, "How <0 Make Money 
[With Poultry and Incubators." 
Size 8 x 11 inches, 1 % pages. Con¬ 
tains among its many other invalu- 
^ able things for Poultrymen the fol¬ 
lowing Special Chapters: I. Start¬ 
ing With an Incubator; II. Hand¬ 
ling Chicks in an Incubator; III. 
Feeding the Chicks: IV. Duck Pro¬ 
ducing on a Large Scale: V. Broiler Raising; VI. 
Profitable Egg Farming: VII. The Egg and Poultry 
Combination; VIII. Egg and Fruit Farming; IX. 
Scratching Shed House Plans; X. Incubator and 
Brooder House Plans; XI. Feeding for Eggs, and 
XII. Standard Bred Poultry. We usually request 10 cents to 
pay for the mailing of this book, but for the next 80 days 
we will mall it free to any one who will mention 
tbla paper In writing. Better write now, "lest you for¬ 
get .'' Address nearest office. 
CYPHERS INCUBATOR COMPANY. 
Buftslo, H. 1. Chicago, 111. Boaton, But. Now York, H. T. 
PH 
m 
AN 
in INCUBATCRS 
11 Hatch greatest num- 
U ber strongest chicks. 
1 
PH 
lEI 
AN 
inRRCGDERS 
H 1 Have never been 
1# equaled. 
1 
FIDELITY 
hOOD 
i OR 
^ ^ Insures perfect 
1 (J U IT S health and 
Chicks 
CONCISB CATALOGUE FROM 
PINELAND INCUBATOR & BROODER CO., 
Box K, Jamesburg, N. J., U. S. A. 
The PRAIRIE STATES \ 342 
KEEP AT THE HEAd\ 
More made-more sold- \ 
more prtzes won than ' \ 
ALL OTHERS combined.'' \ 
Send. 
est 
r' 
for catalogue-just out-fin-'' \ 
ever la sued.. Kent ion this paperX 
\PBAIRIE STATE INCUBATOR 
HOMER CITYPa. , U.s'. a'^., \ 
The Sure Hatch’s Latest 
An automatic, direct acting 
regulator that surpasses any 
other improvement ever made 
In incubators. Send for new lllue- 
itrated catalog and free trial offer. 
SURE HATCH INCUBATOR CO., 
Clay Canter, Nab., or Columbus, Ohio. 
Breeders’ Directory 
FOR SALE 
—100 Choice High-grade Jersey or 
Guernsey Cows, fresh or soon to be. 
H. I. PIERCE, Columbus, Ohio. 
Registered Jersey. Bull Calves 
from Imported Golden Lad at fair prices. 
B. F. SHANNON, 907 Liberty iStreet, Pittsburg, Pa. 
A Foundation Herd of 10 or 20 young registered 
“ HOLSTEIN COWS is offered at a special price 
by DELl.HURST FARM, Mentor, Ohio. 
For Sale' 
..—PUREBRED HOLSTBIN- 
p , — w- . — FRIESIAN BtiLL CALVES 
and SCOTCH COLLIE PUPS from registered stock.. 
Holstein-Friesians ?t^k o7^ 
best breeding for sale. Prices reasonable. Every 
animal registered. WOODCRBST FARM, Rifton, 
Ulster County, N. T. 
Oakland Farm Holstein-Friesians 
OFFICIALLY TESTED. 
First Prize Herd at New York, Indiana, Ken¬ 
tucky State Fairs, and at St. Louis, Mo., in 1902. 
Both sexes, all ages, for sale. Prices very reason¬ 
able, quality considered. 
T. A. MITCHELL, Weedsport, N. Y. 
UJ* A I Purebred Devon Calves 
■ Lb Em at reasonable prices. 
B. J. WIGHTMAN, West Baton, N. Y. 
Shropshires by imported stock. Short¬ 
horn Cattle Calves by imported slre.s. 
Chester White Swine. Orders booked 
for Spring Pigs, pairs not akin. B. P. 
Rocks, fine stock, a specialty All 
stock safely shipped to distant points. 
SIDNEY SPRAGUE, Falconer, N. Y., R. F. D.71, 
IMPROVED LARGE YORKSHIRES 
hog. Pigs of all ages from Inmorted stock for sale. 
MEADOW BROOK STOCK FARM, Rochester, Mich 
aeg. P. CWnas, BerKsWres and C. Whites. 
8 wks. to 6 mos.. mated not akin. 
Service Boars, Bred Sows. Write for 
prices and description. Return If not 
satisfactory; we refund the money. 
HAMILTON & CO., Rosenvlck, Chester Co., Pa. 
For Sale.—Scotch Collies, magriificently 
bred. A. J. BENEDICT, Woodworth, Wls. 
r’nllJp Females. Circulars. SILAS 
VUIIIC 1 ups DECKER. South Montrose, Pa. 
■JJ*—^ _ I ^—Bloodhounds, all ages. Best 
■ bred; finest scented; man 
trackers or wild-animal hunters. 
S. J. VAN KAUB, San Antonio,Texas. 
Duff RockB'Only. 2.') selected Cockerels. Des. Booklet 
^free. Branch Valley Poul. Yds., Telford, Pa.,B.D.2. 
COOC hatching from choice inatingsof Barred 
CUUv F- Rocks and White Wyandottes. $2 per 
sitting; three sittings, $5. WOOIXIRKST FARM. 
Rifton, Ulster County, N. Y. 
nnOVCDCI W. wyan., P. Rocks, 
llUMIVbllkLO Brahmas, Cochins, Leghorns, 
from prize-winning stock. 23 varieties of land ana 
water fowls. Satisfaction guaranteed. Big catalogue 
free. PINE TREE FARM, Box T, Jamesburg, N. J. 
HOUDANS 
Our stock direct from the greatest breeder in France. 
Circular. D. E. HOWaTT, New Brunswick, N. J. 
BUFF ORPINGTONS 
Rose-comb Buff 
Leghorns and 
Single-comb Buff Leghorns; Barred Plymouth Rocks. 
Cheap for the quality. Eggs In season. 
D. J. KENEPP, McVeytown, Pa. 
PRESCOTT’S S' 
WINGING 
WIVEL 
TANCHION 
KEEPS COAV8 CLEAN 
Swings forward while get¬ 
ting up or lying down. Locks 
back while standing. Full 
particulars free. PRESCOTT, 
59 Beverly St., Boston, Mass. 
Dept. 
THE SUCCESSFUL 
Incubator and Brooder 
Ma(i« for folk* who succeed. Perfect regulatiou, 
hatches. Don’t experlmeDt, getamachine 
can know about* Send for our large 
book, 166 pages. Books In flye l»n- 
Write for the one you want. 
Moines Incubator Co**! 
or Dopt* BOf BaffftlOi T# 
110 
Y*rdN Fine Poultry* 
RELIABLE 
is a word that stands for the 
best Incubators and Brooders 
in the world. Each has special dis* 
tlnguishlDg features. Send lOo postage for 
Book No. 19,ju8t out, giying guaranty of 
bock if inoubator is not latisfaet^. 
Sellable Inenbator and Brooder Go*» 
Box S 101 (^ulneyy llllnola* 
Y! 
CTOR 
INCUBATORS 
tch every fertile egg. Simplest. 
8t durable, cheapest first-class 
:cher. Money back if not posi- 
y as represented. Wepay freight, 
tilar free; catalogue 6c. 
u^rte^Ooj^QulncyjJll- 
S I O-BO For 
I ^ 200 Egg 
INCUBATOR 
Perfect In oonstruction and 
action. Hatohes every fertile 
agf. Write for catalog t<Miay. 
OEO. H. STAHL. Quincy. III. 
THE GEM INCUBATORS 
And Brooders 
are best and lowest i>ricf<I. One-halfthe 
jirice of other makes and absolutely g^uar- 
anteed. liemovable Ghiek Trny and .Nur* 
hery. Fire Walls, Perfect Kegulator and 
Economy Heater. $6 and up. Brooders |i 
up. No agents, ^otorj prices. Catalog ftee. 
J. W. Sauer. Box 88 , Trotwood, 0- 
Am I ■***% HENS and CHICKS 
IlCaill TO LICO 64-page Book FREE. 
D. J. LAMBERT, Box 307, Apponang, B. I. 
The high quality and low 
prices of my 
PERCHERON 
and FRENCH 
Coach StalliODS 
and MARES, and im¬ 
ported B E R K 8 HIB B 
HOGS will surprise you. 
Write or come to see 
them. ELWOODAKIN, 
Scipio, N. Y. 
^An Incomplete Stable 
is the one where the Best Liniment ever 
manufactured — the horseman’s valued 
friend — is unknown. 
Sloan’s Liniment 
Is time tried, and the recognized standard by 
all veteran horsemen; quick and scientific in 
its action, and marvelously efficient. 
Solti by Dealers generally. 
Horse size, 60c. and »1. Family size, 85c. 
