1913. 
THE “UNIT” SYSTEM HEN BUSINESS. 
Mapes, the Hen Man, Talks. 
Part II. 
The males are removed as soon as possible, ancf 
the pullets spend the whole of their lives “at home” 
in the same spot, after they emerge from the incu¬ 
bator. The radiators are protected by a wire screen, 
which keeps the chicks from crowding under or 
against them. I get the best results by keeping up 
enough heat to drive the chicks about a foot away 
from the radiators; 110 degrees near the radiators 
three inches above the floor is none too hot. They 
always form on the floor in a cluster for the night. 
Watch them a little at this time. When the cluster 
is once formed, with one edge under or against the 
warm curtain, they are safe until morning. The 
whole cluster will move towards the source of heat as 
the night advances. 
As a laying house, all fixtures are made so that 
there is no place at night where a hen can perch, aside 
from the perch poles, hence they do not get soiled. 
By removing the perches, and cleaning and disinfect¬ 
ing the floors, the brooding fixtures can be replaced 
and a new stock of day-old chicks introduced. I have 
had equally as good luck with such methods as in 
new houses. 
The Orange County poultry house, which is 24x36 
feet, will accommodate 250 hens in close confinement, 
or 300 with free range. It was designed with the 
slogan, “Let your head 
save your heels” con¬ 
stantly in mind. It is 
calculated that no false 
or useless moves shall 
be made in egg produc¬ 
tion. “Efficiency” is the 
watchword. I have dis¬ 
posed of all my small 
colony houses and now 
have my 1900 hens all 
housed in the group of 
Orange County poultry 
houses shown at Fig. 114. 
The plan of piping water 
to them, even in Winter, 
through gravity pipes 
laid above ground, is a 
success and is a great la¬ 
bor saver. It can also 
be used on perfectly 
level land, or on a site 
partly ascending and 
partly descending, with 
equal success. One man 
can take care of the 1900 
hens by working about 
an hour and a half a 
day. This includes all 
the regular daily care at 
this season (January). 
As the season advances 
and more eggs are pro¬ 
duced, a little more time 
will be required to gath¬ 
er the eggs at night. 
I propose to charge up 
to the hens all the extra 
time consumed in their 
care, such as cleaning out, fighting lice, filling feed 
hoppers, etc., for the year 1913, as well .as all feed, 
etc., consumed. I believe that three hours a day on 
an average will more than cover it. If some one 
would enter an equal amount of time and labor ap¬ 
plied to milk producing cows, it would be an inter¬ 
esting “contest.” 
My program at present is as follows: About 8 
a. m. I turn the faucets and fill the water troughs 
for the day. While each trough is filling, I unlock 
the door and throw in the day’s supply of green feed 
(beets) and step inside and open the nests, which 
were closed the evening before after the eggs were 
gathered, looking at the same time to see that the 
dry mash hoppers are not clogged. It takes about 
three minutes per unit. We will call it a half hour 
for good measure for the eight houses. The pipe 
line is immediately drained while it is still warm. 
1 he hens now have water, dry mash, and green feed, 
and I bid them good-bye and tell them to take good 
care of themselves until I see them again. 
Between 1 and 2 p. m. I go back and scatter the 
day’s supply of mixed grain in the litter on the floor. 
I his I have handy in a covered barrel in each house. 
About 4 p. m. I gather the eggs, close the nests, ancT 
again lock the door. A half hour after dinner is am¬ 
ple for scattering the grain. I consider it immaterial 
whether this is given after noon or earlier in the day, 
so long as it is given regularly. In Summer when 
XirdtC RURAL NEW-YORKER 
they have free range I give it to them mornings be¬ 
fore they are released from the house. The time re¬ 
quired to gather the eggs varies according to the 
time of year and the number of eggs laid. When the 
nests are well filled I can gather 30 dozen every 15 
minutes. At 4.30 in Winter the day’s work is done. 
What a contrast this routine presents to that of the 
milk producer! He must start his day’s milking three 
hours earlier, and at the time he begins his evening 
chores and milking I can don my slippers and have a 
long evening of leisure. Judging from my own ex¬ 
perience with cows I should say that it takes as much 
time to take care of six good cows properly as it 
does my eight units of hens. If I do not clear a 
profit of about $1,900 above the cost of feed in a 
year from the 1,900 hens I shall be disappointed. 
How much profit will you realize from six cows? 
I am buying feed for the hens this year ready 
mixed and delivered, so there will be no charge for 
cartage. I can get the eggs cleaned and packed for 
20 cents a crate, carted to the express office for 10 
cents. Expressage to New York City is 22 cents, 
and the crate (second hand) costs eight cents, mak¬ 
ing a total of two cents per dozen to be deducted from 
selling price. 
Query No. 1: If a man can take care of eight 
units of 250 hens each by working a third of his time, 
what is to hinder a farmer from employing a little 
more capital and keeping 24 such units? He has the 
land, and the time, and the fertilizer secured will 
repay liberally for the extra capital employed. A 
bushel of pure droppings per year at 10 cents per 
bushel from each of 6,000 hens will pay the interest 
on $10,000 at six per cent. 
Query No. 2: Why are there not plenty of subur¬ 
ban locations where a man can keep five or six such 
units on a small plot of land, and make a comfortable 
living by working two or three hours a day, better 
than he can make by going into the city and working 
eight or 10 hours? o. w. mapes. 
JAPANESE PERSIMMONS. 
The increasing interest manifested in the persim¬ 
mon through articles in the farm journals is evidence 
that it is destined to be improved and to become one 
of the important fruits. Several superior native 
kinds have been illustrated in the Year Book of the 
Agricultural Department. The Japanese persimmon 
of immense size has not attracted much notice since 
its introduction and the discovery that it was not 
hardy north of the Gulf States, but even in this 
family the line of hardiness is being steadily pushed 
north, until we may entertain a hope that we shall 
soon see it bearing in Missouri. One of the latest 
acquisitions of this species comes from China, where 
it was found enduring a climate as rigorous as that 
of Kansas. It is known as Tamopan (Chinese, “large 
grindstone”), and is said to produce the largest fruit 
of all, specimens measuring five inches in diameter. 
379 
A friend, J. E. Fitzgerald, of Texas, writes me that 
he is feeling enthusiastic over the success of the Japan 
persimmon, and sends a dozen or so typical speci¬ 
mens. I find these of varying shape, size and color, 
some of heart and some of tomato shape, in size 
from two to 3j4 inches in diameter, in color from 
dark red to a light red and yellow. In quality I 
found them no better than the small native sorts. 
My friend states that the Tamopan is not old enough 
to bear, and that his best trees are from a seedling. 
He has named this the Eureka, and finds it proof 
against heat and drought. Two or three other kinds 
were injured by the exceptionally cold Winter of this 
year. The trees so far are inclined to be dwarfish 
(see Fig. 124), but some are now showing loftier 
tendency. They bear quite young, when only a few 
feet high, and regularly. The tree in picture bore two 
bushels. No insects or disease have so far attacked 
them. He sets the trees 15 feet apart each way. 
The fruit ripens from September to November and 
sells well on the markets. At retail Eureka fruits 
sold at two for five cents, or 25 cents per dozen; in 
quantity at $3 per bushel. It is claimed that a pro¬ 
cess has been discovered by which the usual astrin- 
gency when not quite ripe, can be removed by a treat¬ 
ment with carbonic acid gas. Seedlings are generally 
worthless. When planted near native kinds the Japan 
varieties that are usually seedless produce seeds, and 
their flesh is darker. My informant also has seed¬ 
ling trees of the best Americans, the Early Golden 
and the Josephine or 
American Honey. Of 
these the former is “of 
the sweetest, most deli¬ 
cious flavor,” ripens in 
August and sells at 10 
cents per quart. The lat¬ 
ter (Josephine) ripens 
in September, is not 
quite equal in quality to 
the Golden, but is a re¬ 
markably heavy bearer. 
The Josephine was found 
growing wild in Mis¬ 
souri and was domesti¬ 
cated by Samuel Miller, 
a famous horticulturist 
of his time. Mr. Mun¬ 
son considered it the fin¬ 
est of all persimmons, 
either native or foreign. 
He told us that to bear 
well it should be in com¬ 
pany with one or two of 
its seedlings, and that 
most of these will bear 
true to name. He had a 
cross between a native 
and a Jap variety whose 
fruit is two inches in di¬ 
ameter and is hardy 
north to Illinois. All in 
all the prospect seems to 
be most favorable for 
the future popularity of 
the persimmon as one of 
the leading American 
fruits. I see no reason 
why it should not hold 
equal rank with the prune, fig and date. 
In answer to an inquiry as to how to graft the 
persimmon successfully, I will briefly describe two 
methods, by grafting and by budding. The latter way 
is practised by Mr. Geo. W. Endicott, a well-known 
horticulturist of Southern Illinois. A cut with little 
slant, a full quarter inch or more, is made in the 
stock. Another cut, quite slanting, is begun about 
half inch above first cut and is carried on into it. 
cutting out a piece of wood the length of the cut. 
A bud is then fitted into the excision surrounded with 
grafting cloth by fitting the cloth over it with a hole 
left for the bud to protrude through, and then tied 
with raffia securely. As soon as bud starts to grow, 
loosen raffia; a few days later loosen again and re¬ 
move it below the bud. finally tearing open the cloth 
through the bud and turning it up above it. Cut off 
twigs above bud on stock and ring stock a distance 
above bud to check sap gradually. Finally cut off 
stock six inches above bud and tie growing bud shoot 
to it so it will grow straight and so as to brace it. 
Grafting 1 : Mr. T. V. Munson, the well-known horti¬ 
culturist and grape specialist of Texas, described his 
grafting method as follows: “Graft one and two- 
year persimmon seedlings just before buds push in 
Spring and at collar of tree. .After scion is inserted 
in place, I use no wax, but put a mound of moist 
soil, pressed tightly, around the union. The tip of 
the scion with one bud showing, is left above the 
mound.” l. r. Johnson. 
Cape Girardeau Co., Mo. 
A PERSIMMON TREE THAT BORE TWO BUSHELS OF FRUIT. Fig. 124. 
