THE GARDENING WORLD. 
[By Rosecomb.] 
The Best Method. 
In my last I promised to give what 1 con¬ 
sidered the best method of keeping poultry 
on a farm ; but when I say farm I do not neces¬ 
sarily mean a, large agricultural farm, the 
plan is suitable for a small dairy farm, or even 
for any one with a few acres of grass land 
used for grazing purposes. In such circum¬ 
stances my system must prove the best, be¬ 
cause it is the most economical, the most 
hygienic, and gives the best results all round. 
Economically Considered. 
My plan, wherever it can be adopted, is to 
have movable houses and runs. By this 
means the birds can be removed continually 
from one place to another, the ground is regu¬ 
larly manured, yet does not get over done 
and become sour. The grass receiving regulai 
nutrition, in its turn gives forth more sus¬ 
tenance than when it is poorly manured, and 
allowed to grow anyhow. Thus the fresh 
ground and sweet grass combine to give far 
better results in the egg basket than if fowls 
are kept in permanent fixed runs. In fixed 
runs the ground soon becomes sour, and the 
grass disappears, but when everything is 
easily moved the sanitary surroundings are 
more healthy and the birds are more vigorous 
in consequence. When fowls have entire 
liberty they walk off a great deal of the force 
which should go to nourish the egg-producing 
organs. What is wanted is exercise without 
too much of it, and this can be obtained if 
the fowls are given runs of about an eighth 
of an acre and kept in lots of twenty-five. 
Disadvantages of Unlimited Range. 
When fowls are given unlimited range they 
dc not go over the ground thoroughly, thus 
the herbage is not kept down, and grows rank 
in places^ Further, the insect life is not 
consumed so thoroughly as when the birds are 
given a confined range. Then another point 
is that the rank grass is not so rich in egg- 
producing properties as young, fresh, sweet 
grass growing upon land which is regularly 
rested. 
Birds and Space. 
I have said the run should be about an 
eighth of an acre and give accommodation to 
twenty-five birds. On this basis three acres 
(without the cow) would give accommodation 
for 300 fowls, that is 100 to each acre, and at 
all times .one-half of the land would be rest¬ 
ing. My remarks are not necessarily in¬ 
tended only for those who have three acres, I 
mentioned this area because one must give 
some figures in a practical matter of this kind. 
If the eighth of an acre inns for each twenty- 
five fowls' could be given to 300 fowls on six 
acres of land, the results would doubtless be 
even better than upon three. But with ten 
acres it would he otherwise, because the grass 
would not be worked often enough by the 
•birds to keep it from getting coarse and rank. 
Protection. 
Not fiscal protection, but security from 
foxes and other enemies is given by this 
system of movable bouses and runs which 
cannot be obtained when birds have free 
range over a farm. Another advantage is, 
that should a bird be rick or ailing it can be 
detected at once, as all come under the eye 
each feeding time. 
Other Stock. 
If other stock is kept upon the land, then 
double or treble the space will be required. 
But with careful and regular moving of the 
houses the land I have mentioned will afford 
the necessary accommodation for 300 fowls. 
In my next I will endeavour to point out how 
a start should be made in poultry farming 
or egg raising on the lines I have indicated. 
Answers to Correspondents. 
Pigeox with Lump on Wing (R. O. B., 
Taunton).—This probably arises from a blow, 
and the resulting effect is a deposit of scrofu¬ 
lous matter. Pull the feathers on and around 
the lump, and paint with tincture of iodine. 
Do this every other day, but should the skin 
show any sign of breaking desist at once. 
You might also give the bird a pinch of Epsom 
salts morning and night every other day, 
about as much as will cover a sixpence each 
time. 
Pullets not Laying (Kitty, Hammersmith). 
—Black Minorcas batched at the beginning 
of April certainly ought to be laying before 
this. Probably the fault is with yourself and 
not with the fowls. Have you been feeding 
too generously and made them too fat? Fat 
fowls cannot lay well, and never do. Or is 
if tha'j you have forgotten the grit? If you 
want your birds to> give you plenty of eggs 
you must not forget to mix a handful of sharp 
flint grit with the soft food every other morn¬ 
ing. This quantity of grit will be sufficient 
fa- your half-a-dozen pullets. • Don’t give 
quite so much corn and more green food, this 
may perhaps bring them on to lay. as from 
what you say I think they are too fat. 
THE 
FLOWER iGARDEN V 
IN 
STRING and AUTUMN. 
As generally understood, the flower garden 
is a certain number of beds an 1 borders in a 
more or less regular design, in close proximity 
to the mansion, and forming ^ connecting link 
between it and the surrounding park or wood¬ 
land scenery, besides bringing Dame Nature 
moulded and improved up to an 1 acting as a 
setting to the piles of masonry. Much may 
be done to make this garden beautiful, in 
spite of the hard lines of the beds, but it is 
a matter of no little difficulty to have a change 
year by year, and most gardeners have to do 
this, as it is the only form of garden where it 
is possible and desirable. Fresh ideas are 
always acceptable, for if they cannot be 
wholly adopted, there is generally one or two 
combinations that can be made use of. This, 
then, is my excuse for placing a plan of spring 
and summer bedding in one of the formal 
gardens usually seen throughout the country 
before the readers of The Gardening World. 
Ncs. 1, 1 may be fillel with double Tulip 
La Candeur, white edged with double red 
Daisies ; Nos. 2. 2 may he double Tulip Rex 
Rubrorum, scarlet, edged with double white 
Daisies; Nos. 3. 3 Silene, pink, ■ lgo.l with 
blue Forget-me-nots ; No. 4. Primula Sie- 
boldii ; No. 6. Anemone St. Brigid ; No. 7, 
Gentiana acaulis ; No. 9. Anemone fulgens ; 
Nos. 5 and 8, A I vssum saxaitile : Ni s. 10 and 
11. Narcissus Cynosure, primrose yellow ; 
No. 12. Wallflower Old Gold : No. 13. Wall¬ 
flower Blood Red : No. 14. Wallflower Belvoir 
Castle ; No. 15. Wallflower Vulcan : Ncs. 16, 
