THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
22 
WATCHMAKER 
JEWELLER 6 
142 GAWLER PLACE. 
Renowned for his Watches .Jewellery, and Repairs. 
May 1, 1907 
a 
ADELAIDE 
Pure BREEDS vy. MonGRELS. 
It will not be out of place here to warn 
beginners against starting with mongrels, 
that take up the same time and space and 
the same amount of food as the purebred 
bird. The class of bird that pays best is, 
the bird that has been carefully bred for 
generations, with all the useful qualities 
handed down. This must appeal to the 
intelligent farmer, who knows that, if he 
is a wheatgrower, he must select the very 
pest seed available. Ifa dairy farmer, he 
‘selects only stock from pedigree milkers ; 
so in poultry farming laying qualities are 
bred by careful selection from pedigree 
laying stock, Is it reasonable to suppose 
that a mongrel that has been produced by 
haphazard means can compare with a bird 
that is the production of careful mating 
of pedigree laying stock? The fact is so 
patent that 1 will not take up any further 
space with an argument that must be so 
plain to even the beginner. 
I would advise all intending to start, or 
those who already have stock and are 
anxious to improve, to purchase stock or 
eggs from known producers, 
For choice. I would recommend the 
purchase of stock rather than eggs, for 
+his reason: That it only means a little 
more outly, and you have a whole season 
start, as in the case of purchasing eggs 
you have all the risk attending the hatch- 
ing and rearing of chickens, that are not 
available as breeders till the following 
season, If you purchase, s1y, a trio of 
pirds, they will soon lay their value in 
eggs, and are good for several seasons, 
depending, of course, on age when pur- 
chased. 
Tf the beginner cannot afford to pur- 
chase stock, then by all means buy eggs 
from pedigree stock and start on a fair 
basis. The day of the mongrel is past; 
like the stage coach, he has served his 
turn, and must bow to the inevitable. 
Useful Hints for the Poultry— 
Keeper. 
A setting of eggs will give you intact a 
share of the best blood in the State, and 
produce an extra fine pen of fowls. Pro- 
vided you are willing to sell. 
_ All or nearly all the people who are ex- 
poultrykeepers hold to the belief that they 
could make a success of it instead of a 
failure if they had the chance again. 
Light and pure air in the poultry-house 
is an absolute necessity, and the inmates 
must have it to be in a healthy and cheerful 
condition,‘for fowls will not thrive in a 
dark and cheerless place any more than 
plants will <~ 
“If the penalty for selling decayed eggs 
were a heavy fine ora six months’ holiday 
a vast crowd of tradespeople, who don’t 
know how to tell a good egg from a bad 
one, would speedily discover a way to 
do it 
Hens that lay eggs that have blood 
spots in them would be benefited by 
homoepathetic pulsatilla, Find the hen 
that lays such eggs, pen her separate, and 
give ten drops of the first dilution in half 
a pint of drinking water and feed non- 
stimulating food. Thereis inflammation 
in the oviduc:. 
The warning cannot be too often re- 
peated not to sive medicine in drinking 
water contained in metallic vessels. Not 
to dose a whole fleck to cure a few sick 
ones, 2nd not to use tin drinking vessels, 
Glazed or earthenware fountains make the 
best drinking vessels for poultry 
Highly fed chickens which grow fast 
are mostly subject to leg weakness, which 
simply arises from outgrowing their 
strength, and must be met accordingly by 
animal food and tonics. Three or four 
grains of ammonia citrate of iron for each 
chicken given every day dissolved in the 
water in which their meal is mixed 
When chicks die in the shell, the 
chances may be that too much draught of 
air came over them. When a hen is 
hatching, she will fight if even a feather is 
lifted from her. She will allow not the 
slightest change of temperature, and 
she will hatch as well in a dry place as in 
a moist location: hence never open the 
egg-drawer except to turn the eggs 
Produce Packers, &e. 
ge WORTH, C., Sen., Wholesale 
Fruiterer, 13 & 14 Hast Terrace 
main Entrance to the Fruit and Produce 
Exchange Market. Garden Produce 
Packed to all parts of the States for Cash 
Atrial solicited. 
HATCHING—THE. NATU 2AL 
METHOD. 
Selecting Eggs for hatching.—In select- 
ing eggs for hatching, care must be used, 
and all imperfectly shaped or thin shelled 
eggs should be rejected as well as abnor- 
mally large or small eggs. They should 
be gathered daily and carefully stored in 
as cool a place as possible. : - 
Eggs to be hatched by hens or incu- 
bators should be as fresh as possible. 
Much better results will be obtained if 
this rule is followed out, particularly in 
the case of the incubatcr. Eggs should 
uot be two or three weeks old at most 
and fresh eggs would give better results. 
Fair hatches have, however, be-n brought 
off under hens from three week old eggs. 
Eggs, of course, will kéep longer in 
winter than in summer. 
TIf the natural system of incubation — 
viz , the hen—is to be used, a nest made 
of a bottomless box with clean straw 
placed on the ground should be provided; 
a shallow hole should be scooped‘out and 
covered with straw, on which the eggs are 
placed. The hen should be placed on the 
eggs at night, and should be well dusted 
with insect powder; she should be free 
fromm scaly legs or vermin in any form, A 
good plan is to set three or more hens the 
same day, in a very quiet place, and when, 
later on, the eggs are tested after all in: 
fertile and possibly broken eggs are 
removed, the egys can be replaced: under 
the hen, each having her full quantity, 
which will probably leave one hen without 
any. She can be then givena fresh lot, 
By this means every hen will be likely to 
have a gocd percentage of chicks, aud no 
time orspace is lost. Cards should be 
tac,ed on the box showing the date when 
set, the number set, the number of infer- 
tiles, and the date due: and lastly, the 
result, If these cards are kept they will 
furnish interesting and instructive records, 
Food for Setters—The best food for 
sitting hens is whole corn. ‘hey should 
be taken off the nest daily if they cannot 
or will not get off. See that they return 
to their nest. If a number of hens are 
set together, they should be taken off the 
nest two at atime, and ou these return- 
ing, others to be allowed off. ‘his should 
be done at the same time each day. Cold 
water, grit, and a dust bath shvuld be 
provided for each hen. If a hen is par- 
