The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1860-09-11 00:00:00

PRACTICAL AGRICULTURE.

Lrrnit No. XXIX.

ON ME SCAReITY OF PoULTRY AND EGGS ; WHY
HENN GENERALLY DO NOT LAY ELGN ENOUGH TO
PAY FOR THEIR FOOD; AND WHY THE FARICES
WHO Don NOT PAY PROPER ATTENTIoN TO ME
PuYLTItY IS NOT DOING HP: DUTY.

To the Editor of the Dorset County Express amid
. . .

.
A yriculleu al Gazette.

Doreheete•, 10th September, 18430:

Spc,—The scarcity of all kinds of poultry this
sata,o, and the consequent dearness of this occasion,'
article of food, him been felt by the public generally,
and supposed to have been caused by the wet •0010116
This supposition is perfectly correct so far, that ta,
the weather has killed the chickens where they hart
not been properly cared for; but the real canoe of the
'shortness of the supply is ea ing to the want of
proper houses and careful persons to attend the
birds. Care should be taken to keep fowls dry,
and during such rainy days as we have had of late,
they would pay well if kept entirely iu-donrs ; an
empty barn or some large airy plsce would do well
for the purpose; and although it may be said that
they would keep themselves if allowed to roam
shout, what good can they be if they lay no eggs and
[ rear no chickens!

Now, Sir, the principal cause of fowls not paying
for their keep is flow the number of old
which are usually kept for years and years without
any comparitive number of young ones hying intro-
duced to keep up the stock of la)ers. This is bad
mummement, for although sonic hens will lay well
tor many years, it will always be found that the first
awl second years arc the most productive; and I
will venture to say that if all hens were killed after
two years. and the saute number of young one. kept
In4eal, the numbir of eggs throughout this country
would be doubled.

A little attention should also be paid to the variety
that is to be kept, in order to make fowls profitable.
It is a great mistake to keep a sort that is
wed for the table and for laying, for we have no
variety that answers both purposes : so 1 recommend
that kr.unah Pootras, or wine such kind, be kept
for laying, and two or three Dorking% or tame jest
to lay eggs enough to be set under the Brawahs for
table purposes, taking care to set only as many of
the liraniali eggs as will be required to keep up the
stock of hens for laying, and care must also be taken
to kill all the surplus stock of young cockerels before
they get too large. Some persons say that these kinds
consume more food, but they forget that the more
they eat the more eggs they will lay, and surely it
must bettc r to keep one good large egg•producing
machine than to have two that will give you the
some number in proportion to the food consunied.
- Now. Mr. Editor, I must say that when you
cinsider the number of eggs that are imported
annually, and the large sums of money that go out of
our little island for an article that might easily be
produced at home, you will agree with me in saying
that the farmers are not doing their duty, and it
must be seen that this inattention and carelessness is
the cause of sending away so much of the precious
- metal in exchange for eggs, to the benefit of the
fnreigner, and a step at least towards the ruin of old
England.

I remain, Sir,
r..uni respectfully,
PROFITA BLE: AG R ICU LTURE.

Ply Letter, No. XXX., will be cm "The fattening
of Piga ; how to do it at a cheap rate; and a moos
for recomniending farmers to +rodeos a large
quantity of well-fed pork immediately.]