67o 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
October 9 
HOPE FARM NOTES. 
In buildiDg the new henhouses, we 
soon decided that tarred paper costs too 
much. A friend in New York State told 
me how he used ordinary thick paper 
and painted it with gas tar. We bought 
of a printer a large quantity of the 
thick, rough paper that is used to wrap 
bundles. This was carefully tacked over 
the sides and roof, lapping the large 
sheets like shingles. Wooden strips 
were nailed over this along the cracks, 
and the whole well daubed with tar. 
The gas works in our town make water 
gas ; this tar is thinner than coal-gas lar. 
We heat it and swab it on while hot It 
looks well and sheds rain perftctly thus 
far. We expect to use another coating 
of the tar and then to dust sand over the 
roof. The tar, including the barrel, cost 
$2 50. Of course, we do not advise others 
to do this uatil we learn how it stands 
the winter. 
X X X 
A neighbor has a large henhouse— 
about 60 x 15 feet —well arranged inside. 
It has not been used for nearly a year. 
We have struck a bargain for it, and 
have it nearly fitted for winter. As rent, 
we are to leave all the manure the hens 
make. This is a curious way of paying 
rent, but the owner made his own terms. 
We can tell better later on how much 
the manure would represeat in cash. 
The house was first thoroughly cleaned. 
The roosts and all about them were 
kerosened. We then planned to smear 
the whole inside with the water-gas tar, 
and when this dried, to whitewash over 
it, using a fair quantity of carbolic acid 
in the whitewash. Our idea was that 
the tar would close many small cracks 
and kill vermin better than the white¬ 
wash alone. The bouse is double-boarded 
and reasonably warm, but we hope to 
tack thick paper all over the iEside be¬ 
fore Thank>-giving. On a recent visit to 
Tompkins County, N. Y., I noticed a new 
plan that has been adopted by Wyckcff, 
Chapman, Blanchard and others. The 
houses are built with a peak to the roof, 
and boards or poles are laid so as to 
form a small loft This is stuffed with 
straw. Th’s straw absorbs the moist 
ure and keeps the lower house much 
dryer. False walls can, also, be made 
and the spices between them and the 
real walls filled with straw Such houses, 
I am told, are very comfortable. 
X X X 
Our work of preparing this house was 
stopped by an outbreak of “cold in the 
head” or a mild form of roup. We are 
not yet prepared to say just where it 
came from We hustled the well hens into 
the large house as quickly as possible, 
and turned one of our new houses into a 
hospital where all the sick birds—about 
40—are now undergoing treatment. We 
have heretofore been able to help mild 
cases by puffing dry bicarbonate of soda 
into the nostrils, and smearing the head 
and throat with carbolated vaseline. 
Some of our eases are too far along for 
such treatment. We have moistened 
the nose with kerosene and, in some very 
bad cases where the birds were unable 
to breathe through the nose, we have 
held the head down to the eyes in kero¬ 
sene with good results. The weather 
last week was damp and cold, and every 
sick bird was given a large pill of the 
following mixture : one-half tablespoon¬ 
ful each of giDger, Cayenne pepper and 
mustard, one tablespoonful of lard, and 
flour enough to make a stiff dough. We 
shall tell about the effect of this treat¬ 
ment when the results are more evident. 
X X X 
The first pullet of our own breeding 
to begin laying is black, with a few red 
or dark brown feathers around the neck. 
She has the chunky build of the Brown 
Leghorn, and carries herself like that 
breed. She is from the pen of Black 
Business birds, and seems to carry out 
our theory that Brown blood mixed with 
the Minorca will give an earlier mature 
pullet. Her eggs are small and of the 
Brown Leghorn type. There is quite a 
contrast between this chunky little fowl 
and her sisters, of the long and graceful 
Minorca type. 
I X X 
The second crop of cow peas is still 
growing, and fully covers the ground. 
On the part left uncut, the vines have 
matured a heavy crop of seed We had 
a mess of the peas for supper one night 
last week, and all pronounced them ex¬ 
cellent When boiled with pork, they 
make a stronger and heartier food than 
our common baked beans This cow- 
pea crop has been a revelation to us as 
to the possibilities of poor ground. The 
soil was an abandoned field of four 
acres It was worked once with the 
Cutaway, and harrowed once with the 
Acme The seed cost $4.50, and we used 
1,600 pounds of basic slag and 500 of 
kainit which cost, in round numbers, 
$13. We have cut enough hay to pro¬ 
vide rough fodder for one cow, at least, 
four months ; there are three or four 
bushels of seed, and the vines are worth, 
for fertilizer, at least $30. I would not 
exchange them for $30 worth of New 
York stable manure We can tell better 
next year just what they are worth, 
but from this year’s experience, I would 
certainly keep, at least, one-fifth of the 
farm in cow peas each year. The Crim¬ 
son clover sown in the standing cow 
peas has made a fair start, but does not 
grow fist The millet and Crimson 
clover sown Ju’y 31 have made a good 
growth, and the millet will be cut this 
week. Near the barn, the chickens have 
destroyed the clover. They picked it 
out from the millet and left the latter 
standing. 
t X X 
We bought another crate of live poul¬ 
try last week. There were 25 old hens 
and 5 pullets—98 pounds in all, which 
cost us, delivered, $14 27. Prices were 
high on account of the Jewish holidays, 
but when I saw a crate of good Brown 
and White Leghorn hens at 14 cents a 
pound, it was hard to resist the tempta 
tion The boys believe that it will pav 
us best to invest in old hens rather thai 
in pullets. I doubt it, but we hope tc 
test the matter by buying 25 of each, 
keeping them side by side for one year 
under exactly similar conditions, ano 
thus see which will earn most money. 
It seems to me that a sensible man would 
never sell a hen of good breeding as 
long as she can pay for her food. There¬ 
fore, if you buy hens, you must expect 
to get worthless old culls, or trust to 
the chance of dealing with a hen man 
who does not know his business. I 
don’t know whether the proportion of 
such men is large enough to make it a 
fair chance. In buying pullets, you are 
more likely to get stock of fair breeding 
However, we shall know more about this 
when wemakeafaircomparison. h. w. c 
A FARMERS' POULTRY SHOW. 
Clyde Grange had discussed poultry 
and poultry raising for several years, 
but last winter resolved to have a 
change, by showing their feathered pets 
instead of talking of them. Saturday, 
March 6, was the day appointed, and 
fanciers in town were invited to join the 
Grange in making an exhibit. About 
140 fowls were shown, and some of them 
were really fine birds. The Light Brah¬ 
mas were shown by two boys, and they 
were beauties. One pen of Black Min- 
orcas was also owned by a boy. There 
was a large show of Barred Plymouth 
Rocks, those winning the blue ribbons 
being fine specimens. The Brown Leg¬ 
horns and Rouen ducks were the birds 
which won the first prizes of their class 
at the Fanciers’ Club Show at Rochester 
last January. The drake is especially 
good, scoring 94% points as an old bird, 
by Atherton. A fine pen of grade ducks 
was exhibited, and some fine specimens 
of grade hens. An old Buff Cochin cock, 
(Continued on next par/e.) 
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Chrysanthemum Culture for America. Paper .60 
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How to Plant a Place.20 
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A Fortune in Two Acres. 20 
Landscape Gardening.50 
Country Roads.20 
Fruit Packages.20 
Asparagus Culture.50 
Cabbages.30 
Cabbage and Cauliflower, How to Grow.30 
Carrots and Mangold Wurtzels.30 
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Ptsts.20 
Milk; Making and Marketing. Fowler .20 
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A Fortune in Two Acres. Grundy.20 
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The Moditication of Plants by Climate. 
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For Ten New Subscriptions, 
A handsome Waltham watch, men's size. 
The works contain seven jewels, compensation 
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pany and guaranteed in every respect. The case 
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This cut represents a section of a handsome 
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Ladies’ Solid Silver Chatelaine Watch, Waltham 
or Elgin, seven jeweis, and all improvements. 
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The Rural New*Yobkbb, New Yobk. 
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6 
THE GRANITE STATE 
'«* cooher 
and ... 
s Healer 
The lightest, most convenient 
and most 
Economical Farm Boiler 
For Ponltrymen, 
Stock Raisers and Dairymen. 
The Boiler is made of galvanized steel. The 
Furnace sides and linings are of sheet steel 
plates. Front, door and hearth of cast iron. 
There is no reason why this cooker should not 
last a lifetime. The boiler can be used for heat¬ 
ing water and cooking all kinds of food for hogs, 
cattle, dogs and poultry; and with an extra 
boiler, for preserving fruits, vegetables, boiling 
cider, making apple jell, and many other pur¬ 
poses for which a large eooki ng utensi 1 is desired. 
Made in 7 sizes: 25 gallon, $12 ; 50gallon, $17; 
100 gallon, $24. Send for circulars containing 
full description and testimonials. 
Sold on installments if desired. 
We publish a book,“Cooking Food for Stock,” 
which we will send free if you mention this 
vublication when you write. 
GRANITE STATE EVAPORATOR CO. 
566 Temple Court. N Y City. 
50 gal. size, 36 inches high, weighs 190 lbs. 
Guaranteed just as represented in the 
illustration or money will be refunded. 
Hundreds sold. No complaints. 
Gentlemen :—I have used the Granite State Feed 
Cooker every day since I received it, cooking food for 
from three to four hundred fowls, and it has always 
worked perfectly, the grate and ash-pit giving it a per¬ 
fect draft. The whole thing shows good judgment and 
mechanical skill in plan and manufacture. 
Yours truly, Wm. E. COGGESHALL. 
Newport P. O., R. 1 ., June 18th, 1897. r 
PROSPERITY AND SEPARATORS. 
Don’t forget that you have been promising yourself and family that 
Cream Separator just as soon as you had a little money in sight and 
things looked brighter. They look brighter for the farmer now than 
for 10 years past. Don’t put off so wise and safe a purchase a day 
longer—you can make it now, and there could be no better time. Put 
it in to-day, and it begins saving money for you to-morrow. It will 
save and make money faster in proportion to its cost than any other 
investment you ever made. Now that the time has come, don’t m ake the 
mistake of trying to save a little by buying an Imitating second or 
third-class machine which is “ cheap ” on paper, and in first cost 
only. Get the best and hence the cheapest in that it will save you most 
and serve you longest. If you are in doubt in any way try and see 
for yourself. Send for new “ Baby ” or Dairy Catalogue No. 257 and 
any desired particulars. _ 
THE DE LAVAL SEPARATOR COMPANY, 
Randolph and Canal Streets, 
_j CHICAGO. 
'.No. 74 Cortlandt Street 
NEW YORK. 
