1905. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
673 
WHITE CHICKS AND VERMIN. 
One of our readers asks if the white breeds 
of poultry are not more likely to he molested 
by crows, hawks and other vermin than the 
darker-colored fowls. Have you noticed any 
difference in this respect? 
I have never kept a white breed of fowls, 
and cannot state from experience, hut it is 
generally conceded by those who have that 
a white fowl fs more of a mark for a hawk 
than a dark-colored one, and I believe that 
this is correct. A hawk often flies very high, 
and it seems reasonable that a white object 
could be seen more readily than other colors 
Pennsylvania. john w. cox. 
I never noticed any difference in white 
breeds making them more liable to be caught 
by hawks and crows, etc., than dark-colored 
breeds. Even if they should be so I would 
have them any way. What is nicer than to 
have your farm dotted over with pure white 
fowls? I raise about 1,000 of those a year 
and never have any trouble. 
Pennsylvania. jos. anthony. 
It might be that the white breeds of fowls 
could be seen more readily than other colors 
by hawks, crows and other vermin, but do not 
think the color makes any difference, as they 
Would not be likely to leave a black chicken 
alone any quicker than any other color. My 
experience has been that they will take any 
kind of chicken regardless of color. 
New Jersey. n. a. mount. 
Ilawks can see white chickens more easily 
when running in fields among grass and weeds 
than darker chicks. Crows do not bother 
chickens after they get three or four weeks 
old; they watch around the chicken coops 
and take any color, 1 do not think anything 
hut hawks would be more likely to take 
white than any other color. a. S. b. 
South Branch, N. J. 
We cannot answer your question with any 
degree of certainty, as we have had but very 
little trouble with hawks, etc. Our plant is 
so situated as to make it rather hard! work 
for these birds to trouble us. We have had 
crows take off some of our chicks, but when 
a buff chick is small there is very little 
difference between them and the white, so 
could not say if the crows had any preference. 
Connecticut. willow brook farm. 
I think there is no difference as to their 
selections, a chicken being a chicken, and the 
one easiest to get at is the one taken. The 
sight of hawks is very keen. They can even 
see and catch mice running in the grass. I 
think they do not catch chickens just out of 
deviltry, but to satisfy their hunger. Minks 
and rats kill just for the sake of the sport 
more than anything else, as they will store 
away the dead chickens without any attempt 
at eating them, nor do they suck the blood 
from hut few. I have found crows get away 
with many more chickens than hawks. They 
will run amongst a flock on the ground and 
pick up the first chicken they come to, pick¬ 
ing the bones clean in some nearby tree, and 
returning for another if not satisfied. To 
raise poultry successfully one should make 
a business of it, and be amongst the flocks 
as much as possible, going over the broods 
at night to see if they are being got away 
with; if so, look up the cause. An intelligent 
dog of the right sort will tell at once if any 
animal is near; many times I have had my 
Fox terriers bring out from under clumps of 
bushes, bogs and stumps, skunks, rats, minks, 
weasels, cats, etc. These are natural enemies 
to all poultry. f. o. groesbkck. 
Elm Poultry Yards. 
“With eyes as keen as a hawk” is an old 
saying that indicates that a hawk is sup¬ 
posed to have good optics. When a chicken 
comes within the range of those sharp eyes 
I doubt very much If the color of its feathers 
will be any protection. I have been troubled 
quite a good deal in some former years by 
losses from hawks and crows, but for the 
past two seasons have had no trouble what¬ 
ever. Had I happened to change from white 
to colored breeds about that time, how 
natural it would he to attribute the relief to 
tlie change in the color of the chicks. The 
fact is, however, that we have kept right on 
raising white chicks. We still have plenty of 
I awks and! crows in the neighborhood. All 
crows do not catch live chickens, and prob¬ 
ably the ones that formerly troubled us have 
either died, or migrated to other sections. 
Our only experience of this sort thus far 
this season has been with rats. Something got 
into our brooder chicks when about a month 
old, and killed a few. About a dozen were 
found dead one morning, bitten under the 
wing mostly, and carried in a heat) in one cor¬ 
ner. Supposing that it was a weasel, and that 
he would soon return, a man was stationed to 
watch with a gun. The game bagged proved 
to be a big rat. o. w. mapes. 
New York. 
I used to have the idea that white fowls 
would suffer more than colored ones from 
the depredations of vermin, making a more 
conspicuous mark as they do against the 
green grass, but five years’ experience with 
my White Wyandottes has shown me that 
there is very little truth in it. 1 usecf to 
breed Black Eangshans, Plymouth Rocks. 
Brown Leghorns and other colored breeds, 
and though I keep many more fowls now, I 
do not know that I lose any more from such 
causes than I did then. When we come to 
reflect that a hawk or crow has no difficulty 
when circling up in the air, in seeing an 
object so small and indistinct as a mouse, we 
can readily see that a chick of any color 
would have small chance to pass unnoticed!. 
Two pairs of king-birds have nested this 
year in apple trees near my henyards, ana 
I have taken lively satisfaction in seeing 
them tackle the hawks as fast as one appears 
in the neighborhood. A hawk flies for dear 
life when one of these small birds gets after 
him. I expect to lose a few chicks from 
foxes, hawks, weasels, etc., but I do not 
think my yearly loss exceeds one and' one- 
half per cent, although after June they have 
free range. Prior to that time I keep all 
chicks closely confined on account of the 
small Pigeon hawk, which in this locality is 
the most destructive enemy the poultryman 
has to contend with. Strange to say, I have 
never known a crow to touch my c’licks, 
while three miles away—at my son-in-law’s— 
crows carry off chicks right before his eyes. 
One cause of my small loss is the practice 
of closing all the coops and! houses at night, 
and they are not let out until I am up to 
feed them at six o'clock. Probably at least 
two-thirds of the loss from vermin occurs 
between the first faint streak of daylight and 
six in the morning. If the chicks are safely 
housed at (hat time, they escape. 
Connecticut. geo. a. cosgiiove. 
Hunting A Farm. —For a year past I have 
been looking up the eastern farm question 
and have been quite interested in what you 
have said from time to time in The R. N.-Y. 
Last October I did some looking in Logan, 
Medina and Trumbull Counties. Ohio, where 
I found farms held at about one-half the 
prices no better farms are sold for here. One 
farm of about 180 acres three miles from Me¬ 
dina, the county seat, was offered at $50 per 
acre; 10-room house with good cellar, two 
cisterns, well, corn house, barn, granary, nice 
small orchard, all well tilled ; 30 acres timber 
one-half mile to railroad switch, 1 V 2 mile 
to small railroad town; R. F. D. near; tele¬ 
phone in house ; trolley “stop” 50 rods from 
house. This farm was under management of 
owner and in good shape, producing more 
net money to the acre, as shown by owner’s 
books and crops on place, than farms I 
know of here selling for $100 to $125 per 
acre. I examined this farm carefully and 
know it was as represented. I saw others 
in same county about as good at same price. 
There are many farms on the market that 
I would not have at any price, but there are 
many good ones in Ohio I am sure. I also 
have lists of some four or five thousand farms 
in Delaware, Maryland and Virginia ranging 
in price from $350 to $80,000. Then there 
are long lists of farms in New York, Maine, 
Connecticut. No one needs to go west to 
get a farm now. The Year Book of the De¬ 
partment of Agriculture shows a higher aver¬ 
age return in money value per acre for to 
years, for corn in Virginia and Delaware than 
in Illinois or Iowa. o. w. b. 
I’ana, 111. 
Dietz Lanterns 
Do you need a lantern? Don’t make 
a mistake. Just a little study is worth 
while before you go to buy. The 
Clear White Light of the 
DIETZ 
catches everybody. Its flame is strong 
and steady. There are other qualities 
everybody likes in a Dietz Cold Blast 
lantern. It is safe and convenient, 
burns long, is easily filled, is cleanly. 
Whether new or old, it never leaks, 
smokes, soots or smells. Ask your dealer 
for a Dietz Cold Blast. If he can’t sup- 
ply you, write to us. Write anyhow 
for catalogue, free to all. 
R. E. DIETZ COMPANY, 
62 LaightSt. NEW YORK CITY. 
Established 18U0, 
MONEY SAVED 
BY BUYING THE BEST 
Swing Cattle Tie 
made. Thousands in use. Made to fit any stable. 
Durable, convenient and cheap. Price and circular 
on application. Write us to-day. Manufactured by 
ROY BROTHERS, East Barnet, Vt. 
El MORE EGGS 
Larger, more fertile, vigorous chicks, heav¬ 
ier fowls, larger profits by feeding cut bone. 
PMANN ? ^ latest model 
rilftllII *3 BONE CUTTER 
cuts fast, easy, fine; never clogs. lOdaysfree 
trial. ?,'« money in advance. Cat'igfree. 
F. W.MannCo., Box 16, Milford, Mas*. 
POULTRY 
ooooooo 
___ We keep ev 
POUlT STl IN E-FenlngflSf, Tncu 
bators. Live Stock, Brooders—anything- 
it s our business. Call or let us send yoi 
our Illustrated Catalogue—it’s free for thi 
F asking—it's worth having. 
>Excelsior Wire Sc Pouftr 
ftry Supply Co 
W oc|ic. u.u. w> <x za vesey street. New York Ctt 
oooooooooooooooooooooooc 
When you write advertisers mention The 
R. N.-Y. and you'll get a quick reply and 
“a square deal.” See guarantee, page 8. 
5 Of. On Long or Short 
Term Investments 
8825 upward, with¬ 
drawable on 30 
days’ notice. 
Investments bear earn¬ 
ings from day received 
to day withdrawn. 
Supervised by New York 
Banking Department. 
MONKY received 
time in the year, 
5 p. 
at any 
yields 
c. per annum for 
every day we have it. 
You should learn how far our 
operations are removed from 
any element of apeonlation. 
Conservative Investors will ap¬ 
preciate a plan aflordlnK all the 
security and profit without the 
annoyance of individual mort- 
KaBe loans. Write for par¬ 
ticulars. 
Assets, . »1,700,000 
Surplus and Profits, 
88160,000 
Industrial Savings and 
Loan Co., 
5 Tillies Bl’d’g, B’wy, N.Y. City 
\> hen you write advertisers mention The 
It. N.-Y. and you’ll get a quick reply and 
“a square deal.” See guarantee, page 8. 
!|(M° BUYS 
complete with cover. 
nUROO-JERSEY PIGS and BRED SOWS. 
stock eligible to registry. Write for prices, 
dress, A. B. WOODHULL, Wading River, N. 
0 1 P Pigs.—April and Julylfarrow. Prices reason- 
• Ui able. VanDoren Bros,, Lysander, N. Y. 
with cover, elbow, pipe and damper. 
Kettle is polished and smooth. Jacket 
made of heavy steel. Burns any kind of 
fuel. Flues distribute heat all over. 
Boils 60 gallons in 20 minutes. Cooks 
anything. Handy for butchering and a 
hundred other things on the farm. 
ATUCD CI7CC 18 to 100 gallons at 
UlnCR olZCg $ 4 . 30 toti2.65. cut 
this ad out and send It to ua and wa will 
mall you Iroo tho largest form machine 
catalog over printed. Write to-day. 
90 
Var's Poultry, Pigeons, Parrots, Dogs, Cats. 
Ferrets, etc. Eggs a specialty. 60 p. book. 10c. 
Rates free. J. A. BERGEY,Box 8,Telford,P&, 
“MAMMOTH PEKIN DUCKS.” 
Let us know your wants. We have either sex, Old or 
Young. From $1.00 to $3.00 each. 
Lauderdale Farm, Loudonville, Albany Co., N. Y. 
S. C. WHITE LEGHORNS. 
Well developed Cockerels from stock bred foi laying, 
$1 each. D. F. ARNOLD, Burlington Flats, N. Y. 
R eliable Hatching Eggs, any number. Barred Rocks, 
Brown, W. and B. Leghorns, W. and B. Wyan¬ 
dottes, R.C. Reds. McCain Co., B., Delaware, N. J 
S. C. WHITE LEGHORNS 
Four promising young Cockerels for $5.00. Over 
1,000 to select from. Send for circular. 
WHITE & RICE, Yorktown, N. Y. 
EMPIRE STATE S. C. WHITE LEGHORNS 
Won two first premiums at New York State Fair,1904. 
Cockerels and pullets, five months old, $1 each. Cata¬ 
logue free. C. H. ZIMMER, R.D.41, Weedsport, N.Y. 
MARVIN SMITH CO. CHICAGO. ILL 
Union Lock Poultry Fence 
A Fence—Not a Netting. 
Send for our in¬ 
teresting booklet 
D, “A Short 
Story for Poultry 
__ Raisers.” 
Union Fence Company, 
114 Liberty Street, New York City. 
Mills at New Haven, Conn.; DeKalb, 10. {Oakland,Cal. 
ALL WE ASK 
Is that you bear our claims before 
buying your fall fencing. You 
shall bo your own Lawyer, Judge 
and Jury. We will send our Wit¬ 
nesses into your home in the form 
of Users’ Testimony, if you will 
send us your name and address. 
PA«E WOVEN WIRE FENCE CO. 
Box 766, Adrian, Mich. 
Buy Union Lock Poultry Fencing 
of Case Bros., Colchester, Conn. Descriptive circular 
and price list FREE. 
AGENTS 
WANTED to sell our #%n 
For particulars write Nil ||\ 
Nat. Silo & Lumber Co. 
18 Pymatuning St., Linesville, Pa. 
Kills in half time at half cost 
Pratts Liquid Lice Killer. 
Made by Pratt Food Co., Phila. Over 30yearsold. 
ARE YOU USING RUBEROID? 
Ruberoltl was the first and is still the best weather-proof and elastic pre¬ 
pared roofing. The patented compound with which it is saturated contains no 
rubber, tar or other short-lived Ingredients to melt and run in summer and 
crack, dry up and become useless with age. 
IUiberoid costs less than metal or shingles, yet. it can not rust nor will not 
rot. It is positively air and water tight, will not ignite from sparks or burning 
brands, is not injured by great heat, gives satisfactory service with little 
care, and lasts for years and years. 
roll Instructions ’ nails - tin caps, and Ruberine Cement included free with every 
CAUTION. None genuine without the word “RUBEROID” stamped on 
the under side every four feet. 
Write for samples and Booklet IL 
THE STANDARD PAINT COMPANY, 
Sole Manufacturers, 
IOO William Street, New York. 
PUBLIC SALE 
HOLSTEIN-FRIESIAN CATTLE. 
FIFTH PUBLIC SALE, 
SYRACUSE, N. Y„ OCTOBER 25fh, 1905. 
This offering of HO Head of Purebred HCELSTEIN-FKIESIAN CATTLE 
will be fully up to the Standard that the Company propose to maintain. 
BREEDERS’ CONSIGNMENT SALE COMPANY, 
H. A. MOVER, Syracuse, N. Y. T. A. MITCHELL, Weedsport, N. Y. 
A. A. C0RTELY0U, Neshanic, N. J. F. P. KNOWLES, Auburn, Mass. 
STEVENS BR0S.-HASTINGS CO., Lacona, N. Y. H. L. BRONSON, Cortland, N. Y. 
Catalogues will be ready to mail October 10, 1905. 
S. D. W. CLEVELAND- Sales Manager- SYRACUSE N.Y. 
