128 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
February 22 
FEEDING A HEN. 
Part VII. 
It is pretty safe to assume that, in 
winter when hens are kept dry, clean and 
warm, a ration composed of one part 
muscle-makers to about 3% parts fat- 
formers, is theoretically the best for egg 
production. In order to obtain this 
ratio, some form of meat must be pro¬ 
vided, as all the grains have a much 
■wider ratio. The form in which this 
meat is to be furnished, will, of course, 
vary with the convenience and cost of 
obtaining it. The best form is, undoubt¬ 
edly, one of the fine dry meat powders 
like “animal meal.” When this is used,’ 
the feeder can mix it thoroughly with 
the other food. In this form, the meat 
is generally put into the mash, and is 
thus so perfectly mixed with grain or 
potatoes, that each hen may receive an 
equal share. With cut bone or any meat 
fed in larger pieces, some hens will be 
sure to obtain more than others—espe¬ 
cially where it is fed only twice or three 
times a week, as is often the case. For 
best results, we would feed a little meat 
every day, and the powdered form 
enables one to do that to better advant¬ 
age. One disadvantage of the meat meals 
is that they often contain too much pure 
fat which is not needed, as the chief ob¬ 
ject of the meat is to give a narrower 
ration by supplying a lai-ge proportion 
of muscle-makers. 
The cheapest meat supply in winter is 
obtained from the carcasses of horses or 
other healthy animals which are often 
sold at a low price. When this meat is 
frozen, it will work up pretty well in a 
bone cutter, and will give good satisfac¬ 
tion both for poultry and hogs. Our 
opinion is that both cut bone and this 
cut meat would be more profitable if 
cooked with potatoes or grain, pumpkins, 
roots, or even stalks, and fed in the form 
of a thick stew. We think that the in¬ 
dividual hen will obtain a fairer share 
of the meats when fed in this way, and 
that better results will be obtained. To 
cook this bone or meat with potatoes, 
and thoroughly mix the product for hens 
or pigs, is an excellent way to sell pota¬ 
toes foi more than 12 cents a bushel, 
especially if the meat is obtained from 
some animal that would otherwise be 
hauled off into the swamp for wander¬ 
ing curs to devour. 
Of course, as was stated last week, it 
may not pay to feed meat at all during 
the winter, as the increased cost may 
more than offset the increased price for 
the eggs. If eggs are wanted, however, 
a narrow ration is undoubtedly needed, 
and this can hardly be made up without 
meat in some form. 
Green food of some sort is another 
necessity in order to obtain the best re¬ 
sults. Boiled potatoes will hardly sup¬ 
ply the needed succulence—raw potatoes 
would be better—but turnips, carrots, 
cabbage, clover hay or apples will give 
the hens a variety of food, and keep 
them busy. The preparation of some of 
these bulky foods was explained in the 
first artie'e of this series. To a hen, 
shut up in a tight house all winter long, 
a bit of raw cabbage or carrot is as ap¬ 
petizing as is a lipe apple to a growing 
boy. 
Some people have gone so far as to 
state that a hen has little, if any, sense 
of smell or taste. Any observing person 
may readily see what a mistake that is. 
The hen has a very acute taste, and it 
is always well to cater to it. One very 
successful hen man tells us that his 
plan is to keep surprising his hens with 
new combinations of the food they like. 
He will often feed the whole corn in the 
morning instead of at night, and the 
warm mash the last thing before the 
hens go to roost in order to vary the 
feeding. We question whether there is 
anything gained by such a performance 
as that, but there is no doubt that hens 
like a variety, and that they do better 
when given a combination of foods to 
select from. 
Another thing that greatly affects a 
hen’s ability to lay is “ the state of her 
nerves”—if we may put it that way. We 
have had something to say about why 
hens “hold up” their eggs, and how 
they are able to do it. We all know how 
hens sometimes stop laying for days or 
weeks when made uncomfortable by 
fright, vermin, change of house, or some 
other cause. In this issue of Tiib R. 
N.-Y., is a sensible explanation of the 
reason for this “ hold up,” and it all 
comes back to the matter of keeping the 
hens good-natured and happy. The Leg¬ 
horn hen is much like the Jersey cow in 
the fact that she is naturally nervous 
and high strung. It takes but little dis¬ 
turbance to unsettle her and stop her 
egg flow. Some people claim that it is 
no use trying to tame a high-spirited 
Leghorn, and that the quieter breeds 
are more profitable for that reason. 
That is nonsense, as many poultrymen 
can say from actual experience. You 
may feed the most carefully balanced 
ration in the world, and house the hens 
in the most scientific manner ; but if 
they are not kept quiet and good-natured, 
you will have but few eggs. This 
naturally leads up to the question 
whether it is profitable to make a change 
in the ration as between large and small 
breeds. We know that these breeds 
differ considerably in temperament and 
habits. Is it worth while to attempt to 
cover this difference by a difference in 
feeding ? Let us talk of that next. 
Live Stock Matters. 
FORKFULS OF FACTS. 
An Eve Cure. — To remove the film 
grown over a horse’s eye, mix well to¬ 
gether a tablespoonful each of fresh 
honey and fresh lard, rub in the corner 
of the eye, in the hollow above and be¬ 
low. Rub down over the eyes. I. j. 
Sunbury, Pa. 
Killing Horns. — D. M. S., North 
Yakima, Wash., asks on page 30, Janu- 
ai-y 11, of The It. N.-Y. what will pre¬ 
vent the growth of horns on calves. If, 
when a calf’s horns first start, the hair 
is clipped, the bud wet and rubbed with 
caustic potash, it will prove a sure pre¬ 
ventive without injury to the calf. 
Danbury, Conn. d. o. c. 
Wiiat Cow ?—At a farmers’ institute 
held in Olympia, Wash., Mr. A. A. Linds- 
ley gave the following advice about se¬ 
lecting a cow. The advice is good for 
any part of this great countxy : 
If you want milk, buy a Holstein ; if butter is a 
desideratum, a Jersey or a Guernsey; if you 
want beautifully marbled beef, and are prepared 
to provide the best feed and care, buy a Short¬ 
horn; if you want an animal that will do well in 
a severe climate, buy a Red Poll or a black mulley; 
if you want a cow that will give some milk and 
raise an alleged calf while “ rustling,” buy a 
scrub; if you want a cow to givemilk while rang¬ 
ing over barren wastes where she must travel 
4% miles for water, buy her in a condensed milk 
can, or go without. 
Another Bone Cutter. —We have a 
lai-ge-sized bone cutter, and feed bone 
to about 300 fowls. So far as known, 
this is the only machine in this locality. 
We buy bones in the local market atone- 
half cent per pound. Some time ago, 
we took shin bones, knuckle joints, etc., 
but now we get beef heads with only 
the tongues removed, at the same price. 
On these, there is quite a quantity of 
meat of the best quality. Lean meat is 
much to be preferred to fat. We would 
no longer try to produce winter eggs 
without ground meat and bone. w. A. w. 
Kentland, Ind. 
Bone Cutters. —As to bone cutters, I 
don’t own one, but know those who do, 
and they are not at all enthusiastic in 
favor of them. They are allowed to 
stand quietly by while the hens eat 
ground beef scraps or none at all. My 
hens have laid finely this winter, and 
for two months had no meat of any 
kind, neither any corn, their feed con¬ 
sisting of wheat, oats, meal and shorts. 
They have been obliged to scratch for 
their whole grain. They have also had 
a good supply of chopped vegetable 
food, and whole cabbage heads now and 
then. My flock consists of 40 P. Rocks 
which laid in one month 40 dozen eggs, 
and that without any green cut bone, 
animal meal, or any other kind of meat. 
East Taunton, Mass. k. 
A Good Cow Stall. —I have a cow 
stall made after Ex-Governor Hoard’s 
plan. The feeding rack begins 26 inches 
above the floor, and is one foot wide. 
I nail six-inch boards four feet long to 
the bottom of the manger, slanting up- 
(Continued on next r>age.) 
Vacuum 
Leather Oil 
May as well know it. Get a can at a 
harness- or shoe-store, 25 c a half-pint 
to $ 1.25 a gallon ; book “ How to Take 
Care of Leather,” and swob, both free; 
use enough to find out; if you don’t 
like it, take the can back and get the 
whole of your money. 
Sold only in cans, to make sure of fair dealing 
everywhere—handy cans. Best oil for farm ma¬ 
chinery also. If you can’t find it, write to 
VACUUM OIL COMPANY, Rochester, N.V. 
Why Pay Retail Price 
Jft N. When yon can buy a custom band- 
V ,-— made oak leather Harness direct 
from the mfrs. at wholesale price, 
(l Send 2c. stamp for Illustrated Cata- 
V \f V\a| logue, giving full description. 
I Ui KING & CO.. Mfrs.. 
•» 10 Church Street, Owego, N. Y. 
headquarters for 
DUMPING 
Horse Carts 
Wide and narrow tires. 
Steel axles. Low rates of 
freight from our works, 
Tatiiiny,l’a.,toall points 
HOBSON & CO., 
No. 4 Stone St., New York. 
IN writing to advertisers, please always mention 
The Rural New-Yorker. 
A ten-cent lamp with the 
right chimney gives more light 
and less smell than a $100 
lamp with a wrong chimney. 
What is the right chimney ? 
What lamp have you got? 
We’ll send you an Index; 
free. 
Geo A Macbeth Co 
Pittsburgh Pa 
Farmer’s Handy Wagon 
farm wagons, 
20 in. high, 6 -in. 
tire, recom¬ 
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Agricultural Colleges and Farmers in 
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Farm Cream Separators Send for catalogue 
P. M. SHAllPLES. West Chester, I’a., Elgin, 111. 
Harrison's rrrn uii i o 
BURR STOKE I LL.U IfliLLd 
arc the best constructed, least complicated 
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They were granted the highest possible 
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Box O, New Haven, Conn* 
KEEPERS S D X?S 
CLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 
A Handsomely Illustrated QP r C||PP| ICO 
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FRENCH BUHR MILLS 
28 sizes and styles. Every mill warranted. 
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P. N.B0WSHER,SouthBend.lnd. 
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OUR POULTRY ANNUAL 
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KNOCK 
THE 
A sore spot, green, 
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SPOTS Use ST. JACOBS 
OUT. 
and watch the color fade,} 
the soreness disappear. 
IT IS MAGICAL. 
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POULTRY 
40 Standard Breed slllus-1 
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in my new poultry Book. I 
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