Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1846-02-19
From the Farmers Library.
MANAGEMENT OF POULTRY. ,

AAHAAN1AOLNAEN Of IOOLlRL'
Being little rusty in our youthful 1em-
iniscences ofPoultry management, we wrote
If we must tell the whole truth-to an old
maiden sister, still left to us by a kind Pro-
violence, as the guide and the oracle, among
her friends, in all that she pretends to know.
She was nurtured in the strict principles of
the old school, and would have practiced
them from nature, "any how''-direct, plain
spoken and religious-one of those who,
as the Scotch proverb says-SWearS like q
horse-shoe-the LANCER The 6righter'-but
she will be sure to scold us, if ever she
catches US, for putting her in the papers!
From her we received the following, in
answer to our inquiries, and which we tran
scribe nearly to the letter:
Featbers.-As have experimental and
found out fact, that every housewife should
know, and as wish to be useful the little
time | have TO live, should like it TO be
we'll known, that feathers, smelling ever so
badly, may be restored to perfectfreshness,
by washing them clean Gin soap suds) and
letting them lie day and night in lime
1rater, about as strong as we drink it, medi-
cinally. They should then be dried as soon
as possible in the air, or by the fire. 1t is
not known what quantity of dirt there is
in very nice looking feathers. But it is not
the dirt that makes them smell, so much as
the pen, or unripe feathers.
J. Fl. w. keeps the old hens up Gin coops)
from the time the chickens are hatched I'M
til they are fit to eat and a most excellent
way it is, but | think it too great punish
ment If had my choice, would raise
ducks, both sorts, and chickens, with old
turkey hens. True, they take them away
from the house, but then they travel so slow,
so gentle, that it suits much better.
Food-For young chickens nothing is
better than Indian corn dough, until they
can eat corn or the refuse of wheat. They
will eat the latter in few days, and small
grain in less than three weeks. The soon
er they get to eat grain the better.
.Nusc0uy and Puddle Ducks.-These diff
fer very much in their habits, but will do to
feed together. Both should always have
access to water, particularly in very hot
weather. They require place where they
can cool their feet. prefer pond, if run
ming water is not convenient ! have seen
their feet parched with the heat OF the
ground
Food for Ducks.-Wet meal or wheat
bran for week or two, kept in coop OF
place that they can 60 at pleasure. After
some time, a rich aUash, made of any kind
of Notwithstanding better than parsezy
thickened with the husks of Indian meal
1t will not do to keep both sorts of ducks
for breeding on the same dung hill. .
Turkeys-These should not be disturb
ed by any means, avhize they are Matching;
and if they could be set to hatch so farapart
as not to hear each others young, it would
be better. Some people have the nests SO
fixed that the old ones can't leave them
while they are Matching.
Food for Turkeys.-The first thing is a
grain OF pepper to each-see that they swal-
| low it; then corn-meal wet. After few
days, a spoonful of tobacco seed put in vic
ftuals for thirty turkeys for the day. This
may be done every day, if convenient, and
now and then about tea-spoontu1 Of cop
peras, say three times week, in the even
ing. One great point is to keep them clear
of lice (you may call them what you will,
The only thing to do that is soft grease, ii
dry weather; but there should be great care
used so as not to make them too greasy
Lately a more certain remedy has beer
found: it is fshberry, stepped in whiskey
sold by the apothecaries. But after being
raised, there is most fatal disease for tur
keys, which attends them soon after going
into the tobacco fields. They are taken with
choking; seem to draw their necks down
as it were into their craws, and then dis
charging from their mouths the creates
quantity Of matter of the most shocking or
der. Out of forty, large enough to eat, W.
saved but seven. We think that was done
by giving them lard-a piece as large as /
nutmeg. When first taken twice will b.
enough to give it. -. .... ........