1896 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
83 
starting for the orchard where the pigs are running, 
with a barrel of swill, and Fig. 34 shows the pigs 
being fed. Any one studying the cuts can see how 
perfect the method is—so easily made and so handy 
to use. The expense is nearly nothing. 
Our barrel has been in use for several years, and is 
much the worse for wear, but we still use it every 
day, going from the dairyroom with the skim-milk to 
the kitchen shed, where the swill tub is emptied in, 
and the barrelful is wheeled into the barn to the pig 
pen. In the summer, when the pigs are shut in the 
orchard, the barrel stands near the kitchen door behind 
some shrubbery, and is wheeled off to the pigs three 
times a day with their rations. 
RECUPERATIVE FORCES IN THE SOIL. VII. 
Tillage unquestionably tends to make the plant food 
of the soil more available ; but in this respect, there 
are great differences, as has long been recognized. 
Plowing is an art, and may be made a science ; yet 
even then, like other sciences, it cannot exceed its 
conditions, or its implements. A plow, before it can 
be satisfactory, must be so constructed as not to be 
doing harm along with the good ; and this every plow 
does when it hardens the bottom of the furrow. 
In all soils, there is more or less a difference be¬ 
tween the surface layer and what lies beneath it ; and 
it is a fact that the ordinary methods of tillage tend 
to add to that difference. Especially do they tend to 
compress the subsoil in such a way as both to prevent 
the descent of rain water, and the ascent of soil 
water; in each case 
obstructing what we 
should wish to promote 
—the free circulation of 
moisture in both direc¬ 
tions. This is, perhaps, 
the greatest defect of 
the ordinary methods of 
tillage. It has long been 
understood by skillful 
gardeners, who, in pre¬ 
paring ground for their 
purposes, insist on spad¬ 
ing the soil at least two 
“spits” deep. The re¬ 
sults of this practice 
are somewhat obscured 
in this case by the pro¬ 
fuse manuring which 
gardeners practice at 
the same time ; but in 
all clay or heavy loam 
soils, no one can make 
use of it, even aside 
from manuring, with¬ 
out noting a great im¬ 
provement in crop, more 
notable in the second 
and following years 
than in the first. The 
ordinary farmer thinks 
that he cannot afford 
to do this in hisofield 
work ;_and in our Amer¬ 
ican farming, as yet, he 
is probably correct. 
But it is well for him 
to understand and appreciate correct principles, even 
while his situation is such as to hinder their applica¬ 
tion. The Western farmer has already, in many 
cases, reached the point where he can appreciate the 
value of manures ; and his time will come when, like 
the farmers of longer-cropped fields, he feels that 
something must be done other than has been done 
to “ make farming pay.” 
Our plows need improvement in the direction above 
indicated; and the first attempt toward realization is to 
be seen, I think, in what is called the “ Cutaway ” har¬ 
rows which are now coming so generally into use, at 
least, here in New England. These implements, made 
larger and stronger, and drawn by proportionally 
stronger teams, must, I think, become the plows of 
the future. Before they can be used, we must have 
the rocks and stones out. But we ought to have them 
out anyway ; and it is my opinion, in my own case, 
that it is better—decidedly better—to turn our rocky 
lands into pastures, and put the money hitherto spent 
upon them into efforts for the better cultivation of 
smaller areas. 
The pioneer plan of skinning the land was excus¬ 
able for our pioneer forefathers, who had both rocks 
and stumps to battle with, and very poor markets (if 
any) for their products. But times have changed, 
and men must change with them. A great revolution 
is silently going on in American farming. The con¬ 
suming public call more and more for the best class 
of farm products, and less and less for the inferior 
classes—which, in some cases, are already supplanted 
by fraudulent imitations that could hardly continue 
to exist in competition with genuine goods of a high 
class. It has been shown, for instance, that when the 
very best of imitations are accepted by expert judges, 
it is only in the very lowest class that they are placed. 
Such an event must, therefore, be counted as a tri¬ 
umph for the genuine product. Yet every farmer of 
intelligence must soon be aware that the time is 
almost past for “fairly good” products. Nothing 
but the best has any money in it for honest producers. 
T. H. HOSKINS. 
DOES THE HEN CONTROL HER EGG ? 
Can She Stop Laying at Will ? 
THE QUESTION. 
Most of us have noticed that, when a flock of lieus are moved 
from one house to another, or startled, or subjected to prolonged 
nervous excitement, the production of eggs is affected, though 
the feed, water and care may remaiu the same. Now what causes 
this singular thing ? Is the act of egg-laying in hens in any degree 
voluntary? In other words, can a hen refrain from laying at 
will? If so, for what length of time can she prevent the forma¬ 
tion of an egg? If you can give us any theory, opinion or fact 
bearing on this point, we shall be obliged to you. 
THE ANSWERS. 
Some Results of Experiments. 
A hen can postpone laying a fully formed egg for 
one or two da;ys, but whether, when an egg is retained 
longer than this, it is altogether voluntary, I cannot 
say. I do not know whether the hen “ can prevent 
the formation of an egg ” at will or not, but believe 
that, when development is delayed, it is from outside 
ciuses. An injury which will prevent the exclusion 
of an egg, will not always prevent the formation 
of others. I once took 18 eggs, complete except 
the shells, and of nearly full size, from a hen which 
had become egg-bound through the breaking of the 
shell of an egg. The enormously enlarged oviduct 
had not prevented, and, apparently not delayed the 
almost complete formation of these eggs, and the 
partial development of many more. Moving of the 
hens, or considerable disturbance, is not always fol¬ 
lowed by diminished egg yield, but it seems to be 
generally the case. Some breeders postpone the lay¬ 
ing season of pullets intended for exhibition or breed¬ 
ing, by moving them occasionally ; but this seems to 
have less effect upon old hens. Moderate disturbance 
or excitement seems sometimes to act as a needed 
nervous stimulant, and often proves of immediate and 
permanent benefit ; but a reaction follows severe ex¬ 
citement, as it does the effect of strong stimulants. 
We know how important it is to have quiet sur¬ 
roundings about calving, foaling or farrowing time. 
In many instances where daily egg production has 
been observed, it has, during the first laying season, 
diminished after handling the birds. With some of 
these same fowls during the second year, however, 
there has been no such falling off in the egg yield, 
and even a slight increase on an average. These pul¬ 
lets and hens were handled at intervals of about four 
weeks to get their weights, and, although they were 
moved as carefully and quietly as possible, being 
weighed many times at night, there was considerable 
excitement. On an average of 74 times with pullets, 
the egg yield during the three days immediately fol¬ 
lowing the handling, was about 87 per cent of what 
it was during the three days immediately before. Dur¬ 
ing the five days immediately after handling, the egg 
yield was about 91 per cent of what it had been for 
the five days before. Of eight pens of pullets giving 
the above averages, each of seven followed the gen¬ 
eral rule, and one pen on an average of 11 observa¬ 
tions laid the same before and after weighing. This 
pen was like three others that all followed the rule. 
On an average of 37 times with older fowls, the egg 
production for the five days after weighing was 106 
per cent of what it had been for the preceding five 
days. For the three days after weighing, it was 98 
per cent of what it had been for the preceding three 
days. The effect of handling appeared the same with 
Leghorns, which never seemed to get “ tame,” as 
with Cochins, which always seemed “ tame.” Simi¬ 
lar results came from Minorcas, Brahmas and Games. 
New York Ex. Station. wm. p. wiieeeer. 
When Are Eggs Withheld ? 
It is true that, when a hen is changed from one loca¬ 
tion to another, she sometimes ceases to lay, but it is 
only +emporai-y. There seems to be an instinct of 
self-preservation prompting her first to secure a safe 
place of deposit before laying again. Birds which 
build nests, cease laying if their nests are destroyed. 
Whether it is a voluntary act, by will, or a check to 
reproduction through natural agencies, due to fear 
and excitement until the danger is passed, is unknown; 
but the withholding of eggs under certain circum¬ 
stances, has occurred 
under my observation 
frequently, much de¬ 
pending, however, on 
the stage of progress of 
the embryo eggs. Then, 
again, there are periods 
when the hen cannot 
control the conditions, 
especially when the 
eggsare in an advanced 
stage, as she will drop 
them at night while sit¬ 
ting on the roost. Fre¬ 
quently, when a hen is 
changed to another 
location, she refuses to 
eat until reconciled to 
her new surroundings, 
the number of eggs 
being lessened corre¬ 
spondingly. I>. H. JACOBS 
Some Experience from 
Henry Hales. 
I think that the feel¬ 
ings and surroundings 
have much to do with 
the egg production of 
hens. I have always 
noticed that, where 
hens are kept in dirty, 
uncomfortable houses, 
the owners often com¬ 
plain of their not laying. 
Some eggs, no doubt, 
must be laid by every 
hen, even though under uncongenial circumstances; 
but I think that to get hens to be good layers 
no matter what the breed, their accommodations 
should be the most comfortable. No doubt a hen 
can refrain from laying in a great measure, and I 
think the length of time would be in a degree, 
dependent upon circumstances and the time of year. 
I can give some experience as to the effect of shifting 
the hens. When removed from one place to another, 
if the hen is laying, one or two eggs, seldom more 
than one, will be so far advanced in the oviduct, that 
it cannot be withheld. After laying this one, or at 
the most, two, she will then stop laying till she has 
become accustomed to her environments. Should 
this be in the spring, she will do so quicker than at 
any other time of year. The length of time accord¬ 
ing to my observations, is from one to two weeks as 
near as I can remember. Should hens be traveling 
iu coops, laying is deferred for weeks ; this I have 
known from importing them. 
A Batch of Comments. 
I do not think that a hen can refrain from laying 
at will. How does fright cause spasms in some 
persons, or make others sick abed with nervous pros¬ 
tration ? Why does a change make some people 
homesick and good for nothing ? samuel cushman. 
That hens will stop laying when frightened or 
moved, or their nervous systems are disturbed, is an 
assured fact. 1 cannot say that 1 know what causes 
it, but will give my opinion. It is that it takes some 
of the ingredients necessary to complete the egg, to 
