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New York AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. . 189 
to their close confinement and retained for from ten to twenty 
days. These small pebbles of limestone had been subjected 
to conditions which are seen to have made‘oyster shells available 
material, and it is probable that enough lime was dissolved from thém 
or from smaller fragments, no appreciable portions of which were left 
in the excrement, to have supplied the three or four grammes of lime. 
Hens that have been allowed free access to pounded glass mixed with 
oyster shells, ground bone and charcoal or with either oyster shells 
or bone have never been observed to take such an unnecessarily large 
amount of “grit,” and it seems not improbable that in this case they 
were instinctively searching for something which the glass alone 
failed to supply. 
GENERAL REMARKS. 
The feeding of oyster shells during the laying season, where they 
can be cheaply obtained, is recommended. One pound will contain 
lime enough for the shells of about seven dozens of eggs. 
Fine gravel containing limestone will probably as well supply the 
deficiency of lime existing in most foods, but the use of some sharper 
grit with it may be of advantage. 
Long or sharp splinters of glass or dry bone should be avoided. 
The size of particles of grit had, for hens, better be larger than that of 
a kernel of wheat and should be smaller than that of a kernel of corn. 
An unlimited supply of pounded glass has been attended with no 
bad result when the food and other grit available to the fowls con- 
tained an abundance of lime, but, when the food was deficient in lime 
and no other grit was attainable, hens ate an injuriously large 
amount of glass. 
SKIM-MILK For GROWING CHICKS. 
During the past year quite a number of chicks were grown to 
maturity at this Station with no drink other than skim-milk being 
given them, excepting not more than three or four days when 
skim-milk was not available and water was supplied. No water 
was accessible to them except as dew, or that to be found for a 
few hours after a rain. These chicks were raised by the ordinary 
method of keeping them with a hen in a gmall coop, the chicks 
being allowed to run at will over the grass in a young apple 
orchard. No sickly chicks were at any time noticed among them, 
the few lost when young being from accident and from lice get- 
ting among one brood. The growth of feathers was much more 
rapid and full than usual, and this was especially noticeable in 
the case of Light Brahma chicks. - 
ay 
