HOUSE AND GARDEN 
February, 1915 
7i 
naturally arises, how much peat can be 
mixed with a given cjuanaity of manure to 
get maximum crop increase? In the use 
of peat for composting and as a litter, a 
minimum is set by the amount which will 
properly absorb all of the liquids and 
gases from the manure. If, however, this 
minimum could be exceeded it would 
mean a corresponding increase in the 
amount of manure. The answer to the 
question will probably vary with every 
different deposit, and no general statement 
can be made in regard to it. Each bed 
must be tested. Where manure is scarce 
and such muck is available it could be 
made quite a factor in the maintenance of 
soil fertility and in crop production. 
Flint Grit 
M ANY poultrymen are apt to forget 
that grit is absolutely essential to 
the health of the fowl—the lack of grit is 
in many cases the cause of hens not lay¬ 
ing—it is essential in more ways than 
one; it is the hen’s teeth, and the gizzard 
requires it, hence it is indispensable. If 
fowls do not have sufficient grit, a great 
amount of the food they consume will do 
them no good, for the reason that the 
gizzard must be supplied with grit in 
order that the fowl may extract all the 
nutriment there is in the food, and, fur¬ 
ther, the fowl that is not regularly sup¬ 
plied with grit will more readily contract 
disease. Thousands of fowls die annual¬ 
ly for the want of grit. Good, sharp 
flint is the best, but if this is not easily ob¬ 
tained, broken crockery will do as a sub¬ 
stitute. 
Oyster shell does not serve the same 
purpose as grit; while oyster shell supplies 
the system with lime and carbonates, 
good flint grit serves as a good grinder 
and enables the fowl to get all the good¬ 
ness from the food, and without grit of 
some kind the fowls will soon become 
victims of indigestion, sicken and fail to 
be a paying member of your flock. 
While we believe in breeding up for 
heavy laying, at the same time we would 
rather have our hens average 165 eggs a 
year and remain in robust health than to 
have their systems drained of vitality in 
the race to pass the 200 mark. There is 
reason in all things. If we are to force 
our stock ahead to be champion layers, 
we are doing it at the sacrifice of some¬ 
thing else. 
What about the meat side of the ques¬ 
tion, if all the force is put to work up 
eggs? When we spend our food and at¬ 
tention on the fowl with a view to creating 
an ideal carcass, do we not make the egg 
yield suffer? Why not concentrate on 
both eggs and meat and have a limit? If 
we can gradually increase the powers of a 
hen so that she will average 200 eggs a 
year and still maintain health and meat 
qualifications, it is advisable to go ahead. 
But to build up the one at the expense of 
the other will eventually produce a deli¬ 
cate race. We want the 200-egg hen as 
much as anyone, if we can get her within 
reason and without injuring our founda¬ 
tion stock. 
If You Haven’t Seen 
Vanity Fair 
for the last few months, get the 
February number and look it over. 
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—your favorite Fashion Magazine 
—your favorite Sports Magazine 
—your favorite Humorous Magazine 
Then compare all four with 
VANITY FAIR 
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then you will surely like Vanity Fair. 
Fashions enough are shown to suit the most fastidious. Every¬ 
thing new on the Stage is pictured and discussed. There are por¬ 
traits of the notable men and beautiful women whom everybody is 
talking about. Sports have their full share of space. The Fine 
Arts, too are amply represented—the lover of books, music, sculp¬ 
ture and painting will always find in Vanity Fair something well 
worth his while. 
For Less than the Cost of 
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109 University Avenue, - Syracuse, If. T. 
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