416 
March 25, 
A “ FROST-PROOF ” HEN. 
1 note that on page 186 you speak of 
efforts that are being made to develop 
what may be called a “fur-coated’’ hen, 
or a frost-proof hen, that lays a white 
egg, and you say “It will be a mixture 
of several breeds.” Now, why a mix¬ 
ture of several breeds when there is a 
breed ready at hand that meets all the 
requirements? That breed is the Hou- 
dan, an old well-established breed. The 
Houdan has a small comb, V-shaped, 
and lying close to the head. They are 
covered with a coat of close, heavy 
feathers that effectively keeps out the 
cold, and they have fur caps on their 
heads, for so we may term the close 
compact crest that is found on the head 
of a well-bred Houdan. This crest, and 
the heavy beard and muffling of the 
Houdan, gives a good deal of protection 
to the comb and wattles of the birds, 
so that they are practically frost-proof. 
This same crest has been in many cases 
considered a drawback, as it was said 
to hold the dampness after the birds had 
been out in the rain, and so cause colds, 
roup, etc. It is found, however, that the 
crest of a bird dries out as fast, and in 
fact faster than do the other feathers, 
and that dampness of the crest, is not 
any more liable to cause colds than is 
the dampness of other feathers on a 
bird. It has also been said that the 
crest is a disadvantage to the birds, as 
on account of the crest they are more 
liable to being killed by hawks, and other 
marauders. But our experience is that 
even when birds have full range, and in 
a country where hawks arc plenty, we 
lose no more Houdans than we do other 
breeds. The young Houdan can get out 
of the way of a hawk as fast as the 
chicks of any other breed. But, if a 
man is breeding the Houdan for utility 
purposes, and thinks that a large crest 
is a disadvantage, it is easy enough to 
breed for a smaller crest, or if he has a 
bird with a rather large crest, that he 
thinks may interfere with the bird’s 
sight, take a pair of shears and trim 
it off. 
The writer can speak of the Houdan 
as a fowl for a cold climate, for in this 
section of Maine we have had as cold 
weather this Winter as has been experi¬ 
enced anywhere in the Eastern States. 
Several mornings it has been 20 below 
zero, and has kept well below zero all 
day. Our henhouse has had the win¬ 
dows partly open all the time, both day 
and night, and we have never had a 
Houdan with comb or wattles touched 
with the frost, and this has been bur 
experience for the several years that 
we have bred the Houdan. During these 
years we have kept for sitters both 
Plymouth Rocks, and Wyandottes, for 
the Houdan is a strictly non-sitter. Both 
the Rocks and the Wyandottes are con¬ 
sidered as being nearly frost-proof, but 
we have had combs and wattles frozen 
time after time in the case of the Rocks, 
and wattles touched with frost and 
wattles frozen in the Wyandottes. This 
is especially true in the case of the 
Wyandotte males. Nearly every male of 
that breed we have kept has had his 
wattles frozen at some time during the 
Winter. The Houdans, however, have 
kept right on, singing, working and 
laying, no matter how low the ther¬ 
mometer was. So we must admit that 
the Houdan is “fur-coated” and further 
more, that it is “fur-capped.” There¬ 
fore it is doubly “frost-proof.” The 
Houdan is also a layer of white eggs, 
large chalk-white eggs at that, an egg 
that catches the eye wherever seen. The 
Houdan, too, if bred with that end in 
view, is a splendid layer, and as she at¬ 
tends strictly to business when once she 
starts, and as she never wants to lay off 
for a while, and hatch out a brood of 
chickens, she lays a goodly number of 
eggs in the course of the year. 
The question is asked, “If the Houdan 
is such a good fowl, so suitable for egg 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
farming in cold climates, and such a 
good layer, why are they not kept to a 
much greater extent?” To this I would 
answer that there are two reasons why 
they are not more popular. First, be¬ 
cause they are different from most other 
fowls. People see that they have a 
fifth toe, and a prominent crest, and 
jump to the conclusion that as they are 
“different” they must have altogether 
different treatment. Secondly, because 
of the methods of one or two breeders 
of the Houdans, and the unscrupulous 
way in which they have exploited the 
breed. Absurd claims have been made 
as to the number of eggs they will lay 
in a year, claims that a whole flock has 
averaged 250 to 275 eggs each per year; 
that individual hens have laid over 300 
eggs in year, and so forth. Then when 
people have bit at this bait, and have 
sent a long price for a trio or pen of 
these wonderful fowls, they have in 
many cases received nothing whatever 
for their money, and in some cases 
when at last, after much threatening or 
legal proceedings, they have received 
fowls that are entirely worthless, worse 
than scrubs. Or they have sent big 
prices for eggs, from “Hen No. So-and- 
so, record 299/ eggs in her pullet year;” 
when they received the eggs they care¬ 
fully set them, waited the due time, and 
at last- found that they had a few Leg¬ 
horns, or some mongrels of no particu¬ 
lar breed. In connection with this I 
am glad to say that The R. N.-Y. ex¬ 
posed the person who was, and is per¬ 
haps the worst offender in this respect, 
more than two years ago, and that at a 
time when most of the regular poultry 
papers were accepting his advertising, 
and giving him free reading notices. 
Crooked methods of this kind have given 
the breed a big setback, a setback which,, 
if the breed had not actual merit back 
of it, would have buried it completely. 
But instead of being buried it is daily 
becoming more popular, more and more 
people are taking up the Houdan, for a 
utility fowl, for eggs and meat, as well 
as for a bird for exhibition purposes. 
The American Houdan Club, which 
stands for “the square deal” in the 
Houdan fancy, and in the case of its 
members, “sees that the papers fit the 
bird,” has now 146 members; 40 of these 
have been added during the past three 
months. I claim that in the Houdan 
we have a “frost-proof,” “fur-coated,” 
"fur-capped” breed that lays large white 
eggs, and lots of them, and hold that 
there is no use of going to work to 
add one more to the already long list 
of varieties, when there is already a 
standard breed that in every way fills the 
bill. JAMES ABERNETHY, 
Secy. American Houdan Club. 
CLOVER SILAGE. 
I noticed that some one inquired about 
clover for silage. In the Summer of 
1S8C my father had a field of Red pea- 
vine clover. The weather was not favor¬ 
able for curing it for hay. He told the 
men to put it in a silo. It was put 
through the cutting machine, packed in 
the silo and weighted down. In the 
Fall I went to the silo, took off the 
weights and took up two sections of 
the cover. The silage had not been well 
packed in the corners, so that a little 
air had got in and it was rotted about 
IS inches each way. I forked this out 
and found the silage perfect two feet 
from the top. I picked up several 
clover blossoms from the center that 
were a bright pink and as fresh as the 
day they were put in the silo. The rot¬ 
ten silage with a little good was thrown 
out in the yard and in five minutes it 
was all cleaned up by the cattle. A. d. 
New York. 
“Lend a hand, Hiram, and help ketch 
the selectman’s pig.” “Let the select¬ 
man ketch his own pig. I’m out of poli¬ 
tics for good.”—Washington Herald. 
Largest Poultry Farm In U. S., Angola, N. Y., covered with J-M ASBESTOS ROOFING 
HOW ANY FARM ER CAN SAVE 
HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS 
As you know, from experience, it doesn’t take long for a leaky roof 
to spoil a good many bushels of corn, mildew a lot of hay, or damage 
expensive machinery by rust. 
Stock is harder to keep—more feed required—in damp quarters under 
a leaky roof than when always snug and dry. 
Sparks and embers from a nearby fire are very liable to set fire to 
buildings covered with an inflammable roofing. 
And nearly all roofings have to be painted every two or three years. 
Thus, a roofing made of perishable, inflammable materials is apt to 
cause you to lose hundreds, perhaps thousands, of dollars—is sure to cause 
you much unnecessary trouble and expense you could save by covering 
your buildings with J-M Asbestos Roofing—the practically everlasting 
stone roofing. This roofing is permanently leak-proof. It never needs 
a single cent’s worth of paint. And even if surrounding buildings burn 
to the ground, it can’t affect this roofing, for a flame intense enough to 
melt iron will not burn it. 
J-M Asbestos Roofing 
Won’t Burn — Won’t Rot nor Rust — Needs no Painting 
There are hundreds of buildings today on which J-M Asbestos Roof¬ 
ing has withstood the storms of fifteen to twenty-five years—withstood 
the beating rains and scorching sun of summer, and the snow, winds, 
freezing and thawing of winter. 
The reason J-M Asbestos Roofing is practically indestructible is because it is literally 
made of stone. Its base consists of several layers of pure Asbestos Felt. And Asbestos, 
you know, is a fire-proof, rust-proof, rot-proof rock or stone. 
We cement these layers of stone felt together with Trinidad Lake Asphalt—the 
mineral cement which in street pavements stands the grinding of wheels and the pound¬ 
ing of hoofs for thirty to forty years. 
J-M Asbestos Roofing is sold by most dealers. If not at your dealer’s, our nearest 
Branch will supply you direct—also apply it, if desired. 
Give us your address and we’ll send you a book which clearly explains the big differ¬ 
ence between J-M Asbestos Roofing and other roofings. We’ll also include a sample of 
the curious Asbestos Rock from which this roofing is made. 
Write now for sample of crude Asbestos and our Book No. K 48 
BALTIMORE 
BOSTON 
BUFFALO 
CHICAGO 
H. W. JOHNS-MANVILLE CO. 
•ASBESTOS 
Toronto, Ont. 
SEE"” ASBESTOS K ££“* 
DETROIT LONDON MILWAUKEE PHILADELPHIA 
KANSAS CITY LOS ANGELES MINNEAPOLIS PITTSBURG 
For Canada—THE CANADIAN H. W. JOHNS-MANVILLE CO., LTD. 
^Innlraal G.. a Ilf! at "IT. 
SAN FRANCISCO 
SEATTLE 
ST. LOUIS 
1360 
Montreal, Que. 
Winnipeg, Man. 
Vancouver, B, C. 
Cattle Barn, State Imbecile Asylum, Morgans, O.. covered with J-M ROOFING in 1898 
CHARTER 
IF YOU ARE 
SATISFIED THE 
IS 0. K. we expect to servo 
you; if not, let us satisfy 
you by Proof. 
Stationeries, Portables, Etc. 
Want our Catalog? 
State your power needs. 
CHARTER GAS ENGINE CO.. 
Box 28, Sterling, III., U. S. A. 
WANTFIl - Agents to selPFarmers’ AceountBook. 
YtHII I LU Indorsed by Farmers. Big Inducements. 
Act quick. Address, L. L. SYPHERS, Fort Wayne, Ind. 
INSURE YOUR ROOF 
Make your roof last until the wood or the 
slate crumbles with age, 
By using “MIFCo” nails which are in¬ 
sured against rust by a heavy zinc coating. 
To coat each hundred pounds of “ M1 FCo ” 
twelve pounds of pure zinc are used. 
This heavy zinc coating makes “ MIFCo ” 
nails practically indestructible. 
Moisture, exposure, even salt air cannot 
affect them. 
Work done with these nails lasts twice as 
long as work done with thinly coated nails. 
“ MIFCo ” nails cost a little more at the 
start but it’s economy to use them for all 
exposed work. 
it is the only way you can insure the far 
more costly work of roofing, fercing, etc. 
Owners’ stories and the nails themselves 
prove these nails have been in use on roofs for 
twenty-nine years. 
Yet these shingle nails today are as free 
from rust as on the day driven. 
Think what this long record means to you. 
Then specify these nails for all exposed work. 
Hardware dealers have them in all sizes, 
both iron cut and wire, but if yours is not sup¬ 
plied write us for the name of your nearest 
dealer, and for booklet. 
MALLEABLE IRON FITTINGS CO., Branford, Ct. 
YOUNG MEN WANTED to learn 
VETERINARY profession. Catalogue 
free. Grand Rapids Veterinary 
College, Dep.15, Grand Rapids, Mich. 
I Promise 
To Save You 
$37 to $300 
On a Gasoline Engine 
G ET my new 1911 Engine Book—and 
convince yourself. I’ll positively 
prove just how I save you $37 on 
al^H.P. and$105.50ona5 II.P. Engine. 
No matter what power you need—or 
what work you want to do—be sure to 
send me your name. A Postal will do. 
SH.P. Gasoline Engine 
11950 
Only 
For Pumping 
and all Chores 
The greatest work-saver and money-earner 
ever installed on any farm. The only other 
engine chat compares at all with this Galloway 
is sold for £225. Here I save you just $105.50 and 
give you a better engine. Equally large savings 
in proportion on all other sizes. Just send for 
My Engine Book and astonishing proposition 
It gives you the real reasons why Galloway,with 
his enormous factory, and the steady trade of 
thousands of his farmer friends can offer the best 
Gasoline Engines and save you from $37.00 to 
$300.00. And every Engine is covered by the Gallo¬ 
way gjarantee, and sold to you on 30 days to 
365 days free trial, I want to make you my 
special proposition. Just send me 
your name on a postal. Address me 
personally, Wm. Galloway, Pres. 
Wm. Galloway Company 
665 Galloway Station 
Waterloo, Iowa 
Get This 
Free Book 
