1900 
The Chicken Yard. 
BREWERS' GRAINS FOR POULTRY. 
Can you make up a fattening ration for 
capons, fowls and roosters (poor birds 
weighing from three to four pounds each) 
of which brewers' grains would be the pre¬ 
dominant factor? I can buy these grains 
at about eight cents per bushel and would 
be glad to know whether I can make any 
profitable use of them, as I have always 
from 400 to 1,000 birds on hand, so that the 
feeding question is quite an item for me. 
Ridgefield, N. J. D . 
The average of several analyses 
of wet brewers’ grains gives them a 
feeding ratio of 1:3, which is very 
narrow for a fattening ration. Theoreti - 
cally corn or cornmeal would be the best 
grain to combine with them for fat¬ 
tening, and practically, judging from 
the looks and smell of some of the cars 
of wet brewers’ grains I have seen un¬ 
loaded in this section for dairy fool, 1 
should prefer to use it as a fertilizer, 
and use the corn alone for feeding. 1 
have never fed the stuff and perhaps am 
judging hastily, and where it can be had 
fresh and sweet, if it ever is sweet, it 
may answer to mix with other foods. I 
would suggest a mash composed of two 
parts of cornmeal, one part oat feed 
and one part brewers’ grains to begin 
with, and if desired the proportion of 
brewers’ grains may be increased if no 
bad results are noticed. I should try 
this carefully on one pen of birds, and 
note results before taking the chances 
with a large number. Eight cents per 
bushel appears like a low price, but 
when we consider that they contain an 
average of over 75 per cent of water 
which is usually to be had without buy¬ 
ing and hauling it makes a difference, 
and I am inclined to think better re¬ 
sults will oe had from feeding corn al¬ 
most exclusively, as it is the very best 
grain we have for fattening. 
J. E. s. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
859 
present, promises the best results, con¬ 
sists in simply dipping the eggs in an 
alcoholic solution of salicylic acid for 
a few minutes, and then, while still 
moist, wrapping them in cotton and 
storing them away in boxes, barrels or 
other convenient vessels. The object in 
dipping them in the solution is to de¬ 
stroy any germs or microbes that may 
be adhering to the shell, and which, if 
they should gain access to the egg 
would effect its decomposition. The 
object in wrapping the eggs in cotton is 
to prevent the access of other germs 
from the air, the cotton simply acting 
as a filter. In this method the eggs are 
submerged in the liquid for so short a 
time that no part of the liquid has an 
opportunity to soak through the shell. 
After the eggs are wrapped in cotton 
and stored away there is every op¬ 
portunity for access of air, which is 
generally so desirable for preventing the 
formation of musts and musty odors. 
Again, eggs that are stored in lime 
water and waterglass solutions will al¬ 
most invariably crack or burst on boil¬ 
ing. This is usually attributed to the 
small quantity of air inclosed in the 
shell, and as a matter of fact it is the 
expansion of this small quantity of air 
that cracks the shell; but there is also 
contained a small quantity of air in 
fresh eggs, and they do not crack on 
boiling. The explanation is to be found 
in the fact that the solutions referred to 
invariably weaken the shell of the egg, 
so that packed eggs can be detected by 
the character of the shell. The fresh 
eggs that are treated with the alcoholic 
solution of sajicylic acid and wrapped 
in cotton are not weakened in any way, 
and behave just like fresh eggs when 
boiled. Tests of this method have ex¬ 
tended over a period of six or eight 
months, and so far there seems to be 
every reason to hope for a. very practi¬ 
cal method. 
“Fresh” Eggs— A woman who sells 
warranted fresh eggs in the Baltimore 
market created some comment by sell¬ 
ing 20 dozen eggs every week from a 
flock of 24 hens. It looked as though 
the Society for the Prevention of 
Cruelty to Animals ought to rescue 
those shockingly overworked hens, but 
later developments showed that she was 
a regular purchaser of crated eggs from 
a commission merchant. The eggs were 
then nicely packed in chaff and mas¬ 
queraded as the fresh country product. 
This recalls a benevolent-looking old 
lady we met in Chicago, whose clean 
white apron and gingham sunbonnet 
were calculated to engage the confi¬ 
dence of the most pessimistic city 
dweller. She carried a splint basket 
full of alleged new-laid eggs packed in 
grain. She had come into the city with 
“Pa,” she said, on a load of produce, 
and thought she might sell a few eggs, 
thus making a bit of pocket money. 
Later developments showed that the 
dear old lady in the sunbonnet had 
purchased her wares on South Water 
street, and the city dwellers who tried 
to use the eggs were left to mourn an¬ 
other shattered illusion. 
Preserving Eggs. —Prof. B. H. Hite, 
of the West Virginia Station, has been 
experimenting with various mixtures for 
preserving eggs. Here are some of his 
conclusions: In most of the methods in 
general use, the eggs are stored in some 
liquid, and no liquid has yet been dis¬ 
covered that will not find its way 
through the shell, affecting the contents 
to a greater or less extent. Recently, 
solutions of waterglass have been tried 
in certain of the western stations, the 
reports thus far being rather favorable; 
but as the test only extended over a 
comparatively short period, it is hardly 
safe, as yet, to say whether the method 
could be relied on to keep eggs in good 
condition from early Summer to late 
in Winter. A method which, at the' 
For Howe Comfort use the Rochester Radiator, 
oue stove or furnace does the work of two.— Adv. 
THE “KICK" IN THE INCUBATOR EGG 
An eminent breeder has truly said that 
In the poultry industry the hatching day 
is the Day of Judgment; for on that day 
comes the summing up, the showing up, of 
all that has gone before to the development 
of a perfect or an imperfect bird. Another 
leading expert says, in effect: “Give me a 
good ‘kick’ in the eggs, and I will give 
you a good hatch. If there is not vigor 
and health in the egg, the best incubator 
in existence and the best operator cannot 
put it there.” If these assertions are true, 
it is readily seen that the root of a suc¬ 
cessful hatch must lie in the breeding 
stock. A careful selection of first-class 
birds is of first importance, second only 
to which is their housing. While univer¬ 
sally conceded that dry floors and draft¬ 
less, sunny quarters are a necessity to the 
hen, it is not so well understood that they 
are still more important to the well-being 
of the duck. While the latter will suc¬ 
cessfully resist greater exposure and older 
housing, their floors should be kept dry 
and sunny, as they cannot escape to the 
roost from damp and dirt. The Pekin duck 
is a cleaner fowl than a hen. It does not 
enjoy refuse, or to grub in filth, and 
speedily sickens and dies in a damp, un¬ 
clean, ill-ventilated place. Regarding the 
food which best builds a perfect egg for 
hatching, the instinct of a hen for a diet 
furnishing the finest proportions, is very 
keen. Give her a half show and her forage 
will result in a good hatch of healthy birds. 
This is not the case, to an equal extent, 
with ducks. They are more indolent and 
eat contentedly just what is given them. 
They appear devoid of all sense of bal¬ 
anced rations, and for this reason, even 
though they have free range, greater care 
is necessary as to right grains and vege¬ 
tables furnished, and the proper per cent 
of each. 
It would appear, from observation and 
experience that “given the right ‘kick’ in 
the egg,” nearly every incubator on the 
market is capable of a good hatch, and 
these can best be secured by following 
closely the directions accompanying the 
same. Frequently the experience of a sea¬ 
son is that the first hatch put in the in¬ 
cubator is the best. The reason of this 
is that the beginner thought he could Im¬ 
prove on his methods or on the Instruction 
book, and started in experimenting. At 
the close of a hatch one always feels that 
if he had conducted affairs a trifle differ¬ 
ently in this point or that, the little fel¬ 
lows who were just ready to pip the shell, 
but didn’t, would have been all right; while 
the fact is there are very few hatches on 
record where every developed bird has es¬ 
caped the shell. So, when a fairly good 
hatch is once secured it is safest ever 
thereafter to “play Chinaman.” At this 
point this question naturally presents 
itself—if all machines give fair hatches, 
why is not one as good as another? Be¬ 
cause there is a great difference in the 
labor and time used, and in their me¬ 
chanism and defects. Hot-water rigs oc¬ 
casionally spring a leak at a very awkward 
time; some regulators are inefficient, some 
not durable; some machinery shrinks, warps 
or swells. These are a few of the objections 
to several of the leading patents. An in¬ 
cubator that has the most perfect regu¬ 
lator and ventilating facilities and is the 
simplest and most durably constructed, 
will save the operator great nerve strain 
and not a few sleepless night. The rock 
on which many hatches are wrecked is the 
moisture question. Duck eggs require con¬ 
siderably more than do hens, particularly 
if the atmosphere is specially dry. A 
sprinkle night and morning with warm 
water answers when moisture dishes are 
not employed. Ducks are much slower 
during the pipping stage than are chick¬ 
ens; the latter frequently escape from the 
shell about four hours after the egg is 
first chipped; the former in about 48 hours. 
It is best, when the first chip Is noticed, 
to give the eggs a thorough sprinkling, 
close the machine and leave it shut till the 
hatch is entirely over. v. e. w. 
Chazy, N. Y. 
Bulls and Mixed Farming. 
This is not a dairy locality. Our farm 
crops are grain, potatoes, cabbage, hay, 
fruit, with sheep, a few cows, sometimes 
a few young cattle, and hogs for live 
stock. It is decidedly mixed farming. Of 
course, there are bulls round about, but 
few, if any, purebreds. There are a few 
milkmen, but anything does them for ser¬ 
vice. Few bulls are kept to be more than 
two or three years old. Few farmers will 
bother with keeping a bull. They are quite 
willing “the other fellow” should do that, 
and if they can’t dodge it will pay him 
for service. The method of keeping the 
animals depends on a good many condi¬ 
tions, as age, temper, conveniences, etc. 
He may run with the herd on pasture part 
of the time, or may have box stall, with 
yard for exercise. Plenty of exercise and 
feed to keep him in good condition are 
best. If one could trust the bull it would 
be all right to let him run with the herd 
on pasture, with a box stall by himself In 
Winter, but conditions have to govern the 
treatment. w , 
Monroe Co., N. Y. 
Bulls in ths section are not first class; 
most anything will do. Farmers do not 
care much what the bull is, as long as they 
can "get the cow with calf.” The calves 
are picked up by a man who fattens them, 
and they are sold for veal when about 
eight weeks old. Most of the milk in this 
section goes to Hartford, and some is 
separated and cream sold to Windsor 
Creamery Co. Most bulls are kept in 
stalls. 2H. H. 
Windsor, Conn. 
You would have carefully to clear your 
hen and nest of all mites and vermin, In 
order to give her chicks an equal show 
with incubator-hatched chicks. w. w. b. 
ICA. 
akes short roads. 
AXLE 
Xft*nd light loads. 
QREASE 
^■^^ood for everything 
that runs on wheels. 
Sold Everywhere. 
Made by STANDARD OIL CO. 
.FEED COOKERS 
to b* full meatnre »nd full v»ln«. 
Low priced but h>gh quality. Bum 
oo*l, wood or cob*. 7iize»— 15 to 75 
gtd*.Cookallklnd*of feed,*uyiMng. 
Circulars and prices free. 
HEESEN BROS. A CO. 
1 Evans St. Tecnmseh, Mich. 
Horse Owners! Use 
GOMBAULT’S 
Caustic 
Balsam 
A Safe Speedy and Positive Cure 
The Safest, Rest BLISTER ever used. Takes 
the place of all liniments for mild or severe action. 
Kepaoves or Blemishes from Horae* 
Cattle. SUPERSEDES ALL CAUTERY 
OR FIRING- Impossible to produce scar or blemish. 
Every bottle sold is warranted to give satisfaction 
*$ I *50 per bottle. Sold by druitKists, or 
lent by express, chargei paid, with full directions 
tor Its use. Send for descriptive circulars. 
THE LAWRENCE-W1X.HAMS t’O,, Clev eland O. 
SHARPLES 
Cream 
Separators. 
H900 Dairy Separators, 
(The new Tubulars are 
world-beaters.) 
Capacity. Price. 
9 Butter Cupcrubular) 175 lbs § 50 ' 
> WHS Haud Sep., 300 “ ’ 
No. 1 Safety Hand, 325 “ 1< 
^ No. 2 Safety Hand, 500 “ li 
[No.6TubularHand,675 “ 1’ 
^ No. 9 Tubular Hand, 875 “ 21 
Steam Turbine, 325 “ 1‘ 
l Steam Turbine, 600 “ 2( 
Send for Newt Catalogue 
Mo. 25 
P. M. SHARPLES, 
West Chamfer, Pa. 
THE SIIABPLES CO., 
88 80. Canal St. Chicago, Ill. 
Cream Separators. 
Oe Laval “ Alpha ” and “ Baby ” Separators. 
First—Best—Cheapest. All Styles—Sizes. 
Prices, $50 to $800. 
Save $10 per cow per year. Send f r Catalogue. 
THE DE LAVAL SEPARATOR CO , 
Randolph and Canal Streets. I 74 Cortlandt street, 
CHICAGO. | NEW Vt.RK. 
SEPARATOR 
on 10 Days* Trial. Lightest, 
easiest running HAND Separator. 
NATIONAL Separator 
Frea book tails all abont it. 
National Dairy Machine Co., Newark, N. J. 
Three Points 
Somerset, Pa., April 21,1900. 
“Thk REID HAND SEPARATOR 
gives entire satisfaction. It runt 
easier, skims closer, and is more 
easily trashed and put together 
than the De Laval. P.ease 
ship me another as soon as 
possible." H.W. Walker. 
It will pay you to test. it. 
Separator book and par¬ 
ticulars free by mail. 
A. H. REID, 
30 th and Uliirket Sts., 
PHILADELPHIA. 
