THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
February 22 
i3d 
ll 
Live Stock and Dairy 
artificial heat unless the heat is not suf¬ 
ficient otherwise; better poultry anti more 
of it, as the markets are never overstocked. 
Yet I have a neighbor who still lets his 
chickens roost in the trees. 
Howlands, Ind. frank p. Johnson. 
DELAWARE AND RHODE ISLAND 
POULTRY. 
What breed of hens does the Rhode Island 
feeder (page 63) keep? Less than two 
ounces of feed a day to a hen seems to me 
a starvation ration. Perhaps I feed too 
much. I have about 280 hens and 10 cock¬ 
erels, and feed mornings a warm mash com¬ 
posed of 100 pounds ground wheat, 100 
pounds ground corn, 100 pounds wheat bran, 
50 pounds wheat middlings, and 50 pounds 
of Bowker’s meat meal; feed about half 
a bushel every morning. At noon 12 quarts 
whole wheat; 4 P. M. one-half bushel 
shelled corn. The first week in January 
they laid from 30 to 40 eggs. I am getting 
now from 75 to 85. 1 have 30 Plymouth 
Rocks in a pen by themselves; also 30 S. 
C. Brown Leghorns. These have good- 
sized yards and houses 10 x 10, with scratch¬ 
ing sheds the same size. The others are 
Plymouth Rocks, White and Brown Leg¬ 
horns mixed. These 220 are not confined, 
but have free range of the farm to go 
where they like, and are doing about all 
the laying, although they have not as good 
houses as the Plymouth Rocks and Brown 
Leghorns. The unconfined ones are in two 
separate flocks, their houses being about 60 
yards apart, and separated by a public 
road. It will make a beginner's head ache 
to undertake to keep track of the manner 
of feeding and caring for hens by those 
who seem to know. I read in the poultry 
and farm papers, where one expert says 
feed a warm mash, another says don't; one 
says feed oats, another says don’t; an¬ 
other feed all the corn and wheat they 
will eat; put it right before them; let them 
help themselves. It is like employing too 
many doctors; they kill the patient. I my¬ 
self am trying to make poultry pay. I find 
it needs lots of attention and work, though 
1 commenced last year with 245 hens and 
cockerels, and made $150 above the cost of 
feed, not counting eggs or chickens eaten, 
or manure. c< E c 
Redden, Del. 
Perhaps I should have stated that Mr. 
Underwood fed two pailfuls of -feed to 
his 243 hens, and that the measure was 
well heaped. 1 gave the number of 
quarts as I did, merely to show how he 
measured and mixed his feed. He uses 
a large candy pail to mix his feed in, 
but 1 don’t think it is quite full when 
the feed is mixed, as it would be very 
difficult to mix a stiff, crumbly mash if 
the pail was very full. I did not see 
him mix tne feed, but he told me me 
heaped the measures and mixed twice. 
I find that a quart of feed, either mash 
or hard grain, will feed from 10 to 15 
hens, according to whether they are eat¬ 
ing well or not. My hens are getting a 
heaping quart of mash to every 10 hens, 
and a full or slightly rounding quart of 
grain in the afternoon; they are gaining 
in laying, but it is heavy feeding, and a 
few flocks show signs of failing appe¬ 
tite, and have had their feed cut down. 
It is my opinion that the main secret of 
feeding hens is to feed them all they 
will eat and still be eager for their ra¬ 
tions. Never feed so they will have any 
feed left, unless you intend to adopt the 
system of keeping feed before them all 
the time. Have a system and stick to 
it, and the hens will get accustomed to 
it. Radical changes in the method of 
feeding always have a bad effect for a 
while on the egg production. The same 
is true of a change of feeders, and more 
still a change of quarters. Any change 
is bad, yet one can have a system of 
feeding different feeds on certain days 
of the week. That is systematic, and the 
different feeds come in orderly sequence. 
This system is recommended by many 
good feeders, and if rightly done is un¬ 
doubtedly a very gooci way. One of the 
worst things that can be done to hens 
is to scare them. Hens will often lay 
well when confined to their nouses all 
Winter, also when given their liberty 
nearly all the time, but if hens that 
have been confined are given their lib¬ 
erty the eggs will drop off, and if hens 
that have had their liberty are shut up 
the sime result will follow. Above all 
things adopt a system and stick to it. If 
you wish to experiment trv one flocu 
and watch results, and beware how you 
jump at conclusions. A hundred suc¬ 
cessful men may have a hundred differ¬ 
ent systems. A hen needs a variety of 
food, including grain, both ground and 
whole, for the main part; a little meat 
or animal food of some kind and a little 
vegetable food such as potatoes, beets 
or cut clover. When you have said that 
you have gone about as far as the doc¬ 
tors will agree. l. j. winsor. 
THE WARM MASH FOR POULTRY. 
Two Sides to the Question. 
We believe in feeding a warm mash in 
morning; just enough so that they will clean 
up everything and still be a little hungry. 
Wheat is fed at noon in straw or chaff, 
where they will have to work to find it, 
and they have plenty of warm water all 
the time. j. m. williams & co. 
North Adams, Mich. 
My experience is that it is indispensable 
to feed a hot mash in the morning, al¬ 
though I do not believe in using it at any 
other time. I find that a mixture of 20 per 
cent cut clover with the mash makes the 
best feed for our fowls. We have Rhode 
Island Reds exclusively, and they are lay¬ 
ing well. HOUSE ROCK POULTRY FARM. 
Wollaston, Mass. 
A warm morning mash is the proper food 
where an abundant egg production is 
wanted, but for breeding fancy poultry i 
would prefer whole dry grain, as I think 
fowls fed this way keep healthier and lay 
eggs that will hatch stronger chicks. My 
birds are doing well this season; egg pro¬ 
duction better than previous years. 
Elmira, N. Y. judd h. Johnson. 
1 consider a hot mash of no value what¬ 
ever for poultry. I get best results, both 
in growth of chicks and health and vigor 
of mature stock, by feeding whole or 
cracked grain dry, in litter, as great a 
variety as possible, not forgetting green 
food (all they will eat), meat occasionally, 
pure water, oyster shell and mica crystal 
grit. JOHN SKINNER. 
Herman, Neb. 
1 seldom feed a hoi mash, although 1 do 
not condemn it. It is a good feed, but ex¬ 
pensive and troublesome. I think grain 
thrown in leaves or straw, so that the 
chicks will have to exercise to get it, is 
as good as any feed. For Winter I use dry 
grain with green bone three or four times 
a week, and in Summer, grain, milk and 
grass. My stock is laying well. 
Knoxville, Tenn. mrs. r. h. bell. 
Hens fed a mash, and especially a warm 
one, are inclined to huddle together or sit 
on the roost, which is fatal to a good 
yield of eggs, and are less likely to lay 
fertile eggs. It has a tendency to make 
them sluggish. If kept at work, both males 
and females will be active and the eggs 
will be fertile as a rule.- Hens in an open 
shed where they have fresh air and a va¬ 
riety of dry grain in deep litter, or better, 
buried in dirt so that they have to scratch 
hard to get it, and fed plenty of meat and 
ground bone, cut clover and vegetables, 
will lay plenty of eggs. 1 put some late 
hatched pullets in shipping coops Decem¬ 
ber 27, and started them for Philadelphia, 
Pa. They reached Philadelphia the next 
day, were kept in the show room until 
January 3, and then shipped to Montreal, 
Canada. In the Montreal show I fed them 
corn, peas, oats, cabbage, onion, ground 
bone and beef and got .them to laying. 
They were shipped to Woodstock the night 
of January 10 and are laying well now. 
W. E. MACK. 
I breed Light Brahmas especially, and 
have never bad any great results from 
feeding a mash. The morning feed is made 
of equal parts of cracked corn, oats and 
wheat, put in a pail over night and covered 
with hot water. This makes the grain soft 
but not a mash. The noon or 10 o’clock 
meal is the same mixture thrown in the 
litter. Night meal is whole corn. The re¬ 
port throughout Indiana is that there have 
been few eggs since the very cold spell in 
December. There are few fresh eggs in 
our market; what there are bring 40 cents _ 
per dozen. I believe the whole trouble was 
that the hens moulted so late that when 
the cold spell came they were not in con¬ 
dition to stand it. I notice that where hens 
have been kept in extra warm houses they 
have produced eggs. 1 advocate warm 
quarters for poultry for Winter, but not 
Does Dishorning Injure Stock? 
I have read with much interest the 
recent article by C. S. Plumb on dis 
horning and hope that the subject will 
be well discussed in your columns. 1 
have a small herd of high-grade Jer¬ 
seys, and have practiced dishorning with 
caustic potash for 10 years; but recently 
gave up the practice, as my cows seemed 
to be retrograding, in place of improv¬ 
ing as 1 had hoped they would. I am 
especially disappointed in some heifers 
sired by a dishorned bull that 1 had ex¬ 
pected to improve my herd. About one- 
half of my cows were natural mulley so 
I did not have to use the potash on all 
of them. The best cows I have now are 
those that were neither dishorned them¬ 
selves nor descended from dishorned 
stock, while the poorest are those that 
were dishorned themselves and descend¬ 
ed from dishorned stock on both sides. 
Dishorning cattle seems to cause them 
to have short thick necks and more in¬ 
clination to put on fat; they also seem 
less nervous, not so easily frightened. 
1 may be wrong in assuming that it is 
the dishorning that has caused the 
change. I therefore hope you will in¬ 
duce others of your readers to give their 
experience. a. k. lockhart. 
The Aberdeen-Angus are the best cattle 
for beef in the world. When fat and ripe 
they will average much better quality 
than any other breed; will also make a 
better percentage of beef and the beef is 
more uniform throughout the whole car¬ 
cass, there being more lean meat and less 
fat than other breeds. 
Chicago. LIBBY, M’NEILL & LIBBY. 
QAI pQM AN wanted to work on a liberal 
7 .. commission basis, selling 
DEAl II TO HORNS. Kills horns on calves. Never 
fails. Great seller. No capital required to start 
Circulars and particulars on request. 
F. C. TYLKR, Petersburg, Mich. 
The Arthurs’ Farm Catalogue Free. 
of choicely bred trotting stock, Warsaw Chickens, 
Pekin Ducks, Erobden Geese, W. W. H. Turkeys. 
Homing Pigeons. Beagles and Cocker Spaniels. No 
fancy prices. S. B. Arthurs, Brookville, Pa. 
A Grand Bargain on 20 Reg. Shrop¬ 
shire Ewes; also a few Polled Durham Bull Calves 
J. E. WYLER, Mount Hope, Ohio. 
I 
It Bring* the Eggs. 
HUMPHREY R 
is sold on a positive guarantee to cut 
more bone in less time and with less labor 
than any other or your money back. 
. J!' l ' ldBOIne Catlg. and Egg Record free. 
HUMPHREY &. SONS,Bo x 39, Joliet, III. 
JOSEPH BRECK k SONS, JOHNSON k STOKES, 
Bo* 4 ®”- Philadelphia. 
GRIFFITH k TURNER CO., Baltimore; 
INCUBATOR ECf,S~ Barred P1 y m °nth Rock ex- 
liWCUdlvn LulxO clusively,$3.5Uper 100. 
C. A. HALL, Oak Hill. Greene County, N. V. 
lOES IT PAY?£,ffi." 
n_... 
■ hogs, horses, and poultry to becomi 
tested with lice, fleas, etc., when a few 
cents spent for Lam bert’a Death to Lice will 
k**P them clean and healthy. Trial box 10c prepaid. 
^ D, J. LAMBERT, Boi 307, Appooaug, R.l. 
BHAHUUTED BLOOD. 
deodorized, 
combined 
roots and herbs, makes Lee'S Egg Maker the beet 
poultry food of all. Makes hens lay; chicks grow; cures 
disease Big 2K lb. box 26 cts. 26 Jb. pail $io0. 
Qeo. H. Lee Co., Omaha, Neb., or No. 8 Park Place, N. V. 
DOH’T SET HEMS 
tho satno old way 
when our new pl*a 
- -- - 1 ^* 1 * it 10 time*. 
1<>0 Egg llftlfher Cost* Only $2. Over 14,000 in use. lOOOdj 
toatls. 6000 agents wanted for 1002.either mix. I’lMunnt work. Big 
profits. Catalog and 1 Oe Eire Formn la FREE If you writ* today 
Natural lien Incubator Co., I* 181 Columbus, Jleb. 
IWPIIR ATMK Best an<J Cheapest. For Catalogue 
IllUUUn I UnO addressG.S.Slnger,Cardington.O. 
TAR INCUBATORS E E £T 
We will send free on request our illustrated cata- 
-lojrue of incubators, brooders, foods and remedies. 
Bt*r Incubator Co., Bound Brook, N.J., or 38 VeaeySt., N.Y. 
About 
Superior Ventilation\ 
Makes lil.AIHSVlI.I.K INCUBATORS the lea.I!ne| 
H„»,-J_L»_ If f. r . ... . . * ■ 
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Incubators. From $6.00 Up. 
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Fully Warranted. Free Catalogue. 
L. A. BANTA, Ligonler, Ind. 
For Hens. 
Prof. Jordan, Director of J 
the N. Y. Experiment Station.j 
^says in a recent publication: 
“Poultry feeders and farmers 
have been much excited dur- ( 
ing the past few weeks by thej 
exploiting of “Red Albu¬ 
men.” Doubtless many of! 
tuem have beeu victimized. 
One of the preparations (sold 
under this name) has prac-, 
tically no feeding value. Al l 
so some druggists have sold 
an albuminous compound 
probably a by-product, 
which contains about 75%, 
protein, for about 50 or 60 
cents a pound. 
Prof. Jordan then adds;! 
‘Animal Meal, which sup- 
jplies the best albuminoid 
[matter for poultry, con-j 
|tains more than half as| 
much protein and sells at 
j2 to 3 cts. a pound." 
This unsolicited endorse¬ 
ment of Bowker’s Animal Meal 
lis especially gratifying to us. 
lEnough for 20 hens, 3 mos. $1. 
I roo lbs.. $ 2 . 2 5 
I Always packed in yellow bags; 
Ask your dealer or write to us./ 
Send for our little book ’ Thel 
l Egg" containing reports of im* 
Iportant experiments at Gov- 
lernmeut Experiment Stations. 
The BOWKER Co.j 
143 Chatham St., Boston, Mass.f 
\PCT&R^ 
W INCUBATORS 
Th« simplest, moat durable, «he*p- 
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if not as represented. Oireular 
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S1°. 
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for $ 12 ,8 ° 
Perfect In construction and 
aotion. Hatches every fertile 
egg. Write for catalogue to-day, 
GEO. H. STAHL, Quincy. III. 
LIFE PRODUCERS 
SUCCESSFUL INCUBATORS. 
LIFE PRESERVERS 
SUCCESSFUL IROODEtS. 
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R PATRONS SAY 
Got 50 chicks from 50 eertrs often 
HATCH EVERY GOOD EGG EVERY TIME. 
Never gets out of order. Needs no attention 
at night. Regulates perfectly. Best on earth. 
Catalogue BUCKEYE INCUBATOR CO.. 
Springfield, Ohio. 
50 Egg Size $5 SSWk 
Egrgs All Winter. 
The increase in eggs for one week after feeding 
Bowker's Animal Meal was 25 per cent dally more 
than the week before, and the second week it was 
W'A per cent, and still Increasing. Have got eggs 
every day all Winter. 1 recommend Bowker’s 
Animal Meal to poultrymen for an egg-producing 
food. OH AS. J. SETTLE. 
Gallupvllle, N. Y. 
SCOTT 
INCUBATORS 
They are self-regulating, 
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World’s Standard Hatcher. 
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CYPHERS INCUBATOR COMPANY, 
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FOR THE WIFE 
AND CHILDREN, 
Get an incubator thatthev can run; 
one that will do good work from the 
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Sure Hatch Incubator Co., Clay Center, Neb., or Columbus,0. 
