THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
823 
idol 
SUCCESSFUL POULTRY HOUSE AND 
PRACTICE. 
The poultryhouse shown in accompany¬ 
ing diagrams, designs by Robert Ritten- 
house, of Ohio, is so simple as to need 
little explanation. Fig 1 shows cross- 
section of house 14 feet wide, having hall¬ 
way four feet wide, running the entire 
length of building. This leaves about 10 
feet inside measure for depth of each pen. 
If each run is 12 feet wide it makes a 
convenient size for housing and handling 
flock. In Fig. 1 aa shows perches; b 
dropping-board; c nest boxes; d landing- 
board for fowls to alight on when flying 
up to nests; e shelf to hold drinking 
fountain; f feed trough. Fig 2 shows 
front of pen next to hall. A hinged board, 
a, is raised to rake dropping directly into 
wheelbarrow, which is run along hallway, 
insuring ease, cleanliness and speed for 
this important and much-neglected task. 
Immediately below this the hinged board 
b is lowered for gathering the eggs. The 
slats, c, are placed at proper width to 
allow the fowls easy access to the feeding 
trough without getting into it; d shows a 
wicket-gate opening to the water vessel. 
One end of feed trough, f, may be parti¬ 
tioned off for grit. From the above brief 
description it will readily be seen that the 
attendant has nearly all his work right at 
hand as he passes through the hall, with¬ 
out needing to go inside the pens except 
to renew the straw, scatter grain and re¬ 
plenish dust boxes. 
Grouping all these arrangements so 
compactly and conveniently along the hall¬ 
way is the strong feature in this plan of 
Mr. Rittenhouse, and I think it will com¬ 
mend itself to progressive poultrymen as 
a great labor saver and an all-round good 
thing. The back wall of this house with 
its large windows and openings for the 
fowls to pass out and in is not shown in 
the sketch, neither the division wall be¬ 
tween the pens, as these are of the style 
in common use everywhere. t. s. t. 
Mr. Rittenhouse sends the following 
statement of his methods of handling the 
flock: 
“I have had White Leghorns for years. 
I selected this kind because of their 
beauty and utility, combined with noble 
carriage and other desirable traits. I 
long ago determined to try to produce a 
larger fowl than the standard type of the 
Leghorn family. This I succeeded in do¬ 
ing by constantly and carefully selecting 
eggs for hatching from my very best 
specimen birds only, and also by always 
breeding for points. After a short course 
of experimenting on the above line, I be¬ 
gan to obtain the desired results. My 
fowls increased materially in size, while 
at the same time my constant selection 
of the best-laying strains among my flocks 
kept showing a steady increase in egg 
production that was most gratifying. Now 
after these years of patient work I find 
that T have a strain that is unexcelled in 
the desired points of increased size of 
body, and laying qualities. Of course I 
do not claim that all my eggs hatch out 
perfect chicks, but that the general aver¬ 
age shows a decided gain, fixed in the di¬ 
rection of size of body and prolific laying 
qualities. 
“You requested me to give a statement 
of my method of care and feed, etc. I 
have my ranges in my apple orchard 
where there is plenty of good room and 
shade in hot weather. I keep the houses 
perfectly clean, and feed only good sound 
grains and fresh, sweet mill stuffs, there¬ 
by securing the highest quality and flavor 
both of eggs and poultry for table use. 
I find also that by using only such grains 
as above stated, my eggs are far stronger 
in vitality and high hatching percentage 
than eggs produced by equally good hens 
fed all manner of rations, some good, 
some sour and moldy, such as is too often 
supplied to laying fowls; this is a point 
that I am sure deserves the attention of 
poultry raisers. I keep a supply of all 
kinds of grit always before my flocks, 
and fresh, clean water is not neglected; 
green bone is fed regularly and moder¬ 
ately in Winter. Instead of using straw 
for scratching purposes I provide clean, 
sharp sand, which I find preferable to 
straw from a sanitary point of view.” 
Icehouse Questions. 
C. E. (No Address ).—I am building an 
icehouse 30 x 40 feet and desire to know the 
best plan to fill same. The house is seven 
feet from edge of pond, with a drop of two 
feet to the water and a 16-foot opening in 
center of the 40-foot side to (ill it. The dead- 
air space between walls is eight inches, and 
inside lining is hemlock boards backed by 
tarred felt. Does this want to be closed at 
top or left open for ventilation? 
Ans. —The simplest arrangement for 
putting the ice into the icehouse would 
be the construction of an inclined plane, 
which can be raised at the icehouse as 
the filling progresses, up which the ice is 
drawn by horse-power, using rope and pul¬ 
ley to slide up three or more blocks at a 
time. C. E. would probably need an in¬ 
cline some 30 feet long to work to the 
best advantage. In regard to ventilation 
between the walls, it is usually recom¬ 
mended that these spaces be left open in 
order that a current of air passing 
through may prevent the overheating of 
the walls by the direct sun upon them, 
and in order that the absorbed moisture 
from the icehouse may be dried out and 
thus reduce the liability to decay. If saw¬ 
dust is used between the ice and the walls 
it will probably be best to leave the spaces 
between the studding open at the top. 
Without such a packing between the ice 
and the wall there would be considerable 
melting of the ice. It would be very im¬ 
portant to have the heat of the roof prop¬ 
erly cut off from the ice, either by a 
direct covering of the ice or by an insu¬ 
lation of the roof which prevents the 
radiation of the heat down upon the ice. 
_F. H. KING. 
Quack Grass and Ivy Poison. —I see a 
number of articles in different farm papers 
on how to kill quack grass. I think I have 
put in as many hard days’ work trying to 
kill quack grass as anyone on earth, and have 
at last found a way that does it all right. 
That is, here on this clay soil, and also on 
black loamy soil. The remedy Is to plow 
the ground in the Fall late, and in the 
Spring work it over, and about June 10 plow 
again and sow to buckwheat right away about 
three pecks to the acre. It seems to smother 
the quack grass all out, and kills all the 
roots; at the same time we get a good crop 
of buckwheat. We have had 30 acres cov¬ 
ered with quack grass and where we sowed 
buckwheat It is gone. We do not fear quack 
grass any more, except around fruit trees, 
fences or places where it cannot be cultivated. 
Perhaps this is an old way of killing quack; 
if it is I have never seen it in print. Also 
a remedy for anyone who is easily poisoned 
by ivy or other poisonous plants. It is very 
simple and a sure thing. Take some wood 
ashes and make a lye, and as soon as you 
feel any irritation rub on the lye with cloth. 
Do not be afraid of the lye. If the lye is 
strong all the better, as It would not need 
more than one application. I have tried this 
many a time and also others. f. w. b. 
Wisconsin. 
A Grow ITater. —On page 766 you speak 
of the crow. I wish there was not a crow 
in 50 miles of me; they would pull up the 
corn after it was tarred and leave the corn. 
Then they come down on the corn before it 
was cut; eat the ears all around the outside 
of the piece; now it is ent they are at it. 
1 would like to know how to keep them away. 
They get used to everything I put up in a 
day or so. I think we ought to get rid of the 
crow. I think if T. J. Adams was here he 
would have some fun. b. f. p. 
Wellesley, Mass. 
T HERE is no reason in the world why 
you should buy a roof that needs 
painting. 
Paint is a makeshift to help preserve 
the material on which it is used and will 
only give limited service at best, 
The roof that you have to paint every 
two or three years is the roof that is go¬ 
ing to leak if this care and expense are 
overlooked. 
embedded in the surface of the roofing. 
On the steepest roof the flow of water 
will not be strong enough to loosen these 
particles. This surface does not need 
paint to protect it from the weather. It 
will last for years. 
A MATITE needs no special tools or 
skilled labor to lay—anyone can do 
the job. We furnish large-headed nails 
143,500 SQUARE FEET OF AMATITE ON MILL OF CHERRY 
RIVER PAPER COMPANY AT RICHWOOD, W. VA. 
The need of painting is proof of weak¬ 
ness. It is not the roof that protects i 
it’s the paint. If you forget to put the 
paint on, or for economical reasons omit 
doing so, you have a leaky roof. 
Amatite Roofing requires absolutely 
no painting or coating of any kind dur¬ 
ing its life. 
and cement for laps free of charge, 
packed in center of each roll. You have to 
pay for no extras when you buy Amatite. 
Amatite is sold by dealers generally all 
over the country. Insist upon getting 
the genuine. Do not allow anyone to 
prevail upon you to take a substitute. 
There is no ready roofing mad"' that ap- 
AMATITE ON FARM BUILDINGS OF A. D. GUERNSEY, NEAR MERRIAM, KANSAS. 
The reason Amatite needs no painting 
is due to its wonderful mineral surface. 
If you have a sample of Amatite in 
your hand you will notice, first, that its 
surface is unusual. You will see that it 
is made on a different principle from 
other roofings. 
Instead of a smooth skin coating made 
B SURFACE 
IMPOSITION 
WOOL FELT 
PTTCH COMPOSITION 
WOOL FELT 
to receive a coat of paint, Amatite has a 
rough surface of small particles of hard 
siliceous rock, such as is seen in quartz 
or other hard stone when examined un¬ 
der a microscope. 
This mineral matter is chosen for its 
weather-resisting qualities. It is firmly 
proaches Amatite in quality, that has the 
same mineral surface, and that is so sure 
to be free from repairs and the require¬ 
ments of painting and coating. 
FREE SAMPLE. 
To every reader of The Rite at. Nkw- 
Yokkkr who will send us his name and 
address we will gladly forward a free 
sample, showing just how Amatite is 
made, and booklet telling 
more about it. Address our 
nearest office. Barrett 
Manufacturing Co., New 
York, Chicago, Philadelphia, St. Louis, 
Cleveland, Allegheny, Cincinnati, Kansas 
City, Minneapolis, New Orleaos, Boston, 
London, Eng. 
‘HAY TRADE JOURNAL,” 
Cnnaioharie, N. Y : $1.00 a year; fifty-two issues— 
less than 20 per week. National in scope, giving all 
markets. If you buy or sell hay. you need it. 
Sample Copies Free. 
GASOLINE ENGINES 
Horizontal or Vertical. 
VERMONT or IDEAL 
With Special Equipment for AH Purposes 
Write for Catalogs. 
Creamery Package Mfg. Co., Rutland, Vt. 
GRIND YOUR 
VI OWN FEED 
^with a Star Feed Grimier and stop 
waste. Makes ideal feed. Grinds 
all grains. Speedy,strong, durable 
and built for service. Simple and 
f eared sweeps. Belt powers from 
to 10 H. P. Lowest prices. 
Strongguarantee.Sendforbook. 
TIIE8TAK UFO. CO. 
itt Depot St., New Lexington, O. 
PATENTS 
SECURED ON EASY 
PAYMENTS. 
WRITE FOR THU MS. 
SHEPARD & HAVELL, Box 2215-S. WASHINGTON, D. C. 
LEFFEL 
Farmers are coming back to steam, the one re¬ 
liable power. It’s suited to more kinds of work. Is 
cheaper, surer, safer, more 
powerful. The old reliable 
I.etfel engines are built spe¬ 
cially for 
Farm Power 
Ser¬ 
vice 
Styles 
and 
Sizes 
for 
All 
Needs 
Furnish steam for many uses as well as power. 
Portables and on skids If moving is required. Good 
for a man’s lifetime. Write for book. 
James Lellel & Co.. Box 210. Springfield, Ohio 
