I2G4 
The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
Artificial Lighting for Poultry 
Most of the commercial poultrymen 
seem to understand artificial illumination 
of the poultry house. Many who handle 
small flocks are asking numerous ques¬ 
tions about the plan. A bulletin by Prof. 
If. R. Lewis, issued by the New Jersey 
Experiment Station, gives such an excel¬ 
lent statement of the matter that we can 
hardly do better than make extracts from 
it, which we do, as follows: 
This system is, of course, specially de¬ 
signed for forcing pullets. It should not 
be used for breeding hens, and is not gen¬ 
erally profitable for older hens. At New 
Brunswick the average profit from using 
lights on pullets was a little over $1.40 
per bird. The lights induced these pul¬ 
lets to lay more eggs during the season 
when eggs were highest in price. The 
fuel and operating cost of the lighting 
was about 4*4 cents per bird in a flock 
of 1,100. 
1. It is of the greatest importance that 
all birds under lights should be graded 
and flocked according to age. condition 
and laying qualities. Pullets of different 
ages and pullets and hens should always 
be kept in different flocks. 
2. When lights are operated on pullets, 
they should be started November 1 and 
run until April 1 or later. Starting lights 
earlier than November 1 results in an 
exceedingly heavy production in the early 
Fall, making jt. almost impossible to hold 
the birds in high producing condition dur¬ 
ing the. following severe Winter months. 
3. When lights are run on hens, they 
should not be started until January 1 and 
should be run until April I or later. The 
idea in running lights on hens is to allow 
them to go through the moult normally, 
get back their body weight and to come 
into normal producing condition, which 
generally takes place about the first of 
the year. On or after this time lights 
may be used on yearlings or two-year-old 
hens which are mated and used for pro¬ 
ducing purposes. It is generally very un¬ 
desirable to stop artificial lights until the 
hours of normal daylight have more near¬ 
ly caught up with the artificial day. This 
means that it is unwise and unsafe to 
stop the lights until April T or later. 
4. When lights are finally turned off in 
the Spring it must be done very gradual¬ 
ly; about 10 minutes change in a single 
day is all that it is safe to make. 
5. Morning lights are superior to even¬ 
ing lights or to a combination of morning 
and evening lights. The best time for 
starting the lights is at 4 o’clock in the 
morning, running them until dawn, or to 
start them at such a time that during a 
normal day of 24 hours, 14 hours of light 
and 10 hours of darkness may be given 
the birds. 
G. Feeding is one of the vital problems 
in the successful management of birds 
under lights. They should be fed grain, 
if possible, four times a day. This keeps 
12. Tests show that birds will react 
favorably to lights in from seven to 10 
days immediately following the applica¬ 
tion of the artificial illumination. Dur¬ 
ing the Winter months, if properly han¬ 
dled, flocks may be expected to increase 
their production from 50 to 100 per cent 
over unlighted flocks. 
13. If birds are handled properly un¬ 
der lights, there should be no expectation 
of moult or decided check in production 
during the lighted period or immedia- 
ately following or when the lights are 
turned oil: in the Spring, provided in the 
latter ease that the lights are not turned 
off before April 1, and further provided 
the lights be reduced gradually. 
14. Birds under lights are surely no 
more subject to roup, colds, canker or any 
other diseases than are unlighted birds. 
As a matter of fact, the general results 
seem to point to the fact that lighted 
flocks are in better physical condition and 
more resistant to disease. 
15. Lighting is primarily a feeding 
problem. By lengthening the day, more 
time is given the birds to consume the 
food from which they can manufacture 
pore eggs. It is not a forcing production 
in any sense of the word. Lights simply 
advance the season of heavy production 
from the Spring months, when the days 
are lengthening, to the natural shorter 
days of the Fall and Winter. The lighted 
flock in December and January resembles 
much could he fed successfully to 100 
kens? w. u. g. 
Schenevus, N. Y. 
I do not think that dried beet pulp has 
ever become very popular, asj ...^.altry 
food, though I know of no reason why it 
should not be fed as any other ' •''tni Je 
food would be. In my own trio I 
have had difficulty in getting the ,^wls to 
eat it, even when mixed with bran or 
some other palatable food. If the fov Is 
will eat it, however, it may be given them 
in moderate quantity, as you would give 
cabbages or whole beets. It. should be 
understood that vegetables are not “green 
foods,” that is, they do not contain the 
same food principles that are found in 
the green leaves of clover and the grasses. 
A egetables are succulent foods containing 
juices that are of greater value than their 
mere food content would indicate, but 
they do not contain the chlorophyl that 
gives color to green leaves, aud they can¬ 
not wholly replace this element in the 
diet. Both vegetable and green foods 
should be supplied if available, but if 
only one is to be bad the green foods are 
to be preferred. m. b. d. 
Giving Epsom Salts to Hens 
T wish to give my hens Epsom salts, 
but do not know how much to give them. 
How much should be given each hundred? 
Should I dissolve it in water before mix¬ 
ing it iu the mash, or give it in the mash 
in its natural state? j j. 
Ml. Kisco, N. Y. 
One pound of Epsom salts to each 100 
fowls is an ordinary dose when admin- 
October 22, 1921 
toes, $2.50 per bushel, and two bags fer¬ 
tilizer at $5.75 a bag. sirs. e. l. 
New Jersey. 
If you bad an agreement at the time 
you sold your interest in the property 
that you were to have the crops, there 
seems to be no'reason why you could not 
go aud harvest the same. I would not be 
much afraid of a trespass action. You 
must be certain that you can r your 
agreement, however, if it was n*. ,u writ¬ 
ing. 
A tenant whose estate is terminated by 
an uncertain event, which lie could neither 
foresee nor control, is entitled to the an- 
nual crops which lie has sown or planted 
while bis estate continued. One being a 
tenant for years or for any other certain 
time knows when his estate will termi¬ 
nate, and it is folly to sow or plant when 
he knows he cannot reap the harvest It 
seems to be a well-established rule that a 
tenant has no right to crops when his 
lease is terminated by a paramount title 
subverting his own. For instance, where 
a tenant rents property on which there 
was a mortgage and the mortgage was 
foreclosed the tenant cannot go back and 
harvest his crops. n. t. 
Alien School Trustee 
At the district school meeting in May 
an alien was elected sole trustee for the 
ensuing year. The patrons were not 
familiar with the law, and as he is a 
taxpayer aud parent of children consid¬ 
ered him qualified. Section 203 of the 
school law provides that a voter must be 
a . citizen of the United States, and Sec¬ 
tion 221 provides that every school dis¬ 
trict officer must be able to read and 
write, and must he a qualified voter of 
the district. Apparently the majority of 
the voters of the district desire to remove 
him from office at once. What is the 
proper procedure? e. r. s. 
Having elected an alien for office of 
sole trustee, and so much time having 
elapsed since the school meeting, the dis¬ 
trict now stands without a trustee, for 
the alien has never been qualified to act. 
Your procedure, is to notify the district 
superintendent in your particular super¬ 
visory district, who will call a special 
school meeting or appoint a trustee. 
n. r. 
The Berrangs Are Moving West 
them active and exercising. The exact 
time will depend upon the time the lights 
are used. 
7. . Birds under lights must he fed more 
heavily of grain than birds not under 
lights. Without this precaution a rapid 
reduction in body weight of the birds will 
follow, due to the heavy production which 
they are making. Such rapid loss of 
weight will put the birds in a condition 
to go to pieces more easily in the Spring. 
During the Winter months. 14 lbs. of 
grain per day to each 100 lions under 
lights seems to he the correct amount. 
Be sure that dry mash is left before them 
constantly. 
S. Electric lights are far superior in 
efficiency, in labor cost and in cost of 
operation to any other method of operat¬ 
ing illumination. Two 25-watt lights in 
a standard multiple unit section. 20x20, 
poultry house seems t<> be a sufficient 
amount of light and gives the best distrib- 
tion. Two lights are far superior to one, 
as the pen is more evenly illuminated and 
the amount of shadow is reduced to a 
minimum. 
0. Barn lanterns, while showing some 
influence on production, arc not as effi¬ 
cient as electric illumination. They do 
not provide sufficient light and there is 
the great burden of caring for them. 
However, on a farm or with a small flock 
their use may be profitable. 
10. Gasoline lanterns have been tried 
extensively in New Jersey and have been 
found to possess serious deficiency. The 
great amount of labor involved is one se¬ 
rious drawback. The danger from fire is 
an important matter which cannot be 
overlooked. The fact that dust which is 
plentiful in the ordinary poultry bouse, 
continually clogs up the air intake in 
spite of frequent cleaning, is a serious set 
back to their efficiency. 
11. In order to operate the electric 
lights automatically, expensive time 
switches are not. necessary. Many poul¬ 
trymen are finding it economical and effi¬ 
cient to accomplish the automatic turning 
on of the lights by using an automatic 
alarm clock placed so that the winding 
key comes in contact with a lever switch. 
When the alarm goes off the key turns 
and pushes the switch over. 
Our readers are taking a great interest 
iu the Western trip of Mr. and Mrs. J. (\ 
Berrang, who are journeying to t lie Pacific 
Coast with an ox team. Several of our 
people have met them on the road jogging 
along at the rate of 10 miles a day— 
happy and viewing the slowly passing 
world with quiet contentment. Now we 
have the following note from one of our 
people with a picture of the ox-Pullman! 
Thinking it might interest the readers 
of The R. N.-Y. to know how far Mr. 
and Mrs. Berrang and the oxen are on 
tlieir way by this time, * 1 will state they 
stopped over iu this town (the Tenth 
Ward of Wheeling, \Yest Virginia) Sat¬ 
urday afternoon. Sept. 24, for two or 
three hours to graze and rest the oxen. 
They were well, and the oxen standing 
the trip fine, in good order and looking 
"'ell. They left this place Saturday after¬ 
noon for Ohio, traveling on the Old 
National Road. They were, I have no 
doubt, meeting expenses by selling these 
cards, three for twenty-five cents, and 
other articles. They have a long drive 
ahead of them, but we hope they will get 
through some time next year. 
West Virginia. John j. jacob. 
in every respect the heavy producing flock 
in April under natural conditions. 
1G. One should never attempt the use 
of lights unless he is willing to put every 
possible personal effort into caring for 
his birds. The birds will not respond by 
the use of light alone. First, good birds, 
properly graded; next, the lights regu¬ 
larly and properly operated, proper and 
careful feeding, proper watering, and last¬ 
ly, regularity in every practice, with the 
greatest regularity in hours of lighting. 
istered to a flock. The salts may be dis¬ 
solved in water and mixed with a moist 
mash, feeding the latter so that each hen 
shall get her proper share, or the salts 
may be dissolved in the full day’s supply 
of drinking water and administered iu 
that way. The salts should not he given 
in a small amount of water, however, 
when administered to the entire flock. 
M. B. P. 
Dissolution of Partnership 
A, B and G own a farm, each au equal 
share. A bought at the start the greater 
part of the stock and implements, etc., to 
start '.he farm. B and O work ou the 
farm and make improvements, as build¬ 
ings, fences, and farm in general; also 
buy new stock, etc. There being no reg¬ 
ular agreement made as to stock and im¬ 
plements. it was put off and off until now 
it is nearly four years, and still no agree¬ 
ment. O desires to withdraw entirely 
from the farm. What steps must he 
take? Can he compel A and B to buy 
him out on reasonable terms? Does each 
partner own just what he bought and 
paid for? Your information will be 
greatly valued, as C desires only the ac¬ 
tual money invested in Hie farm, plus 
what money he spent on stock, etc. lie 
is willing to sacrifice the extra gain, 
what the farm is worth today, f. z. m. 
On dissolution of a co-partnership ex¬ 
isting under an agreement whereby each 
partner contributed equal capital aiid was 
to share the profits and losses equally, 
advances made by one partner in excess 
of the amount agreed to be contributed by 
him must be repaid to him out of the 
partnership property remaining after pay¬ 
ment ol partnership debts, before the sur¬ 
plus to b<> divided among the partners or 
the loss .to be apportioned can be ascer¬ 
tained. When no time is stipulated for 
the continuance of a partnership either 
party may terminate it at bis election. If 
an accounting cannot be arrived at by 
agreement, any partner may bring an ac¬ 
tion iu court for an accounting. n. T. 
“Poultry Fit to Eat” 
I have just read the letter pertaining 
to “Poultry Fit to Eat.” page 1142, and 
I must really say I should not like to 
have B. M. Ivleppinger prepare any fowl 
for me, as I should not like my victuals 
washed with soap. Unless I - want to 
save the feathers, I dip them into scald¬ 
ing water for a minute, and the feathers 
then rub off readily. Sometimes I spread 
feathers out and dry them. By this 
method it saves singeing. After every¬ 
thing lias been drawn I prefer plunging 
into good cool water and washing freely 
with my hand until clean; then the out¬ 
side may be wiped or not, as one prefers, 
ami then Hie bird bung by the neck to 
drain, after which it can be roasted or 
fixed any style. I generally stuff them 
with a good dressing and put in double 
roaster, and when brown on one side turn 
onto other and let hake until it begins to 
break to pieces. The time varies, young 
fowls three to four hours, old fowls five 
to six hours, when the toughest of fowls 
will be done and fit for a king. 
Hingknm, Mass. m. e. G. 
Legal Questions 
Increased Rent 
Dried Beet Pulp for Poultry 
What do you think of dried beet pulp 
for poultry? Soaking it iu warm water 
from oue day until the next, could it be 
fed iu place of green feed? If so. how 
Tenant’s Right in Crop 
About two years ago I bought a small 
property. Former owner being dead and 
bis family living in England, the admin¬ 
istrator sold the place to me, giving me an 
agreement that iu case lie failed to give 
me a clear title lie would return my 
money. Afterwards I learned that he 
should have gone through the orphans’ 
court before sale, before I gave a receipt 
to tax sale, so I refused to take tax sale 
deed, and notified him that he should re¬ 
turn my money. lie then sold the prop¬ 
erty to another man, sending him to me 
to buy the agreement away from me. 
Meanwhile I bad planted about one-half 
acre of potatoes on the property before be 
sol dthe place. Before I gave receipt to 
new buyer for the money and returned 
agreement I notified the buyer that I 
would dig my potatoes away and not sell 
them with the property. He said it was 
all right. Now lie says I cannot take my 
potatoes. I went to see the administra¬ 
tor to see if he sold my potatoes. lie 
agreed that the potatoes were mine, but 
that he would sue me for trespassing if I 
went to dig them. Would you give me ad¬ 
vice as to what I should do? If buyer 
wishes to buy potatoes I am willing'to 
sell them for cost of seed and fertilizer. 
I planted there four bushels of seed pota- 
Tbe apartment in which we live needs 
repair. Large portions of the plastering 
in the kitchen have fallen off, etc. The 
landlord has made several promises that 
it would be fixed “soon,” but nothing lias 
been done for more than a year. Now we 
have received notice that the rent will be 
$75 per month instead of $05 as hereto¬ 
fore. Ten dollars more per month, or 
$120 more per year is what he wants. 
All tenants have so been notified. Has 
lie any legal right to advance the rent? 
Fan In' put us out if we refuse to pay the 
raise ! Even if lie does do the needed re¬ 
pairs, which could in no sense be con¬ 
strued to be extensive improvements, 
would lie have a right to raise the rent? 
What do you know about the law in this 
case? c. c. N. 
By. the laws of 1020 it was provided 
that it shall be a defense to au action for 
rent accruing under an agreement, for 
premises in a city of the first class or in 
a city in a county adjoining a city of the 
first class, occupied for dwelling purposes, 
that such rent is unjust and unreasonable 
and that the agreement under which it is 
sought is oppressive. The plaintiff may 
prove the fairness and reasonableness of 
the rent, but. the presumption is that 
where it appears the rent lias been in¬ 
creased over the rent as it existed one 
year prior to the agreement, that the rent 
charged is unjust and unreasonable. 
n. r. 
