New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-04-13
AGRICULTURAL.
INSTITUTE FARMERS CLUB.

TUESDAY, hpfll H-Iho weather hahS pfopo1o"
| proved true IL did rain. and there was only one
| woman in tho front row. But Chairman Ely was
| on hand promptly, also Secretary Chambers, also
several of tho savans, and the tide OF talk flowed
bskIy for inst two hours by the electric clock that
| hangs over the rostrum.
FOWLS FOR VILLAGE AND FARM
| Gcorge r. Pratt. Homer. N. Y: have II hens.
Retwecn the middle Of December last and March l6
sold As dozen eggs many SsS We're ta a fsTIv Of
| which no account was kept NV hens are mixture
of Poland, Black Spanish, and Bralma. conslder
| are small for tho table The Brabma cross makes
them better size and the Black Spanish makes them
more hardy and active. My hen-house is on the
south side and opens into the barn, where the hens
| have tho range Of a warm underground stable The
feed has been and oats, with the scraps from
| the table. They have also eaten half bnshel or
more of old ar-slaked lime. and what gravel they
Wanied once q week Oftener. i have chopped
UP old bones for these they were very ravenous'
flying at mo soon as came in sight WIN thcin,
| and irving TO pull them out OF my hands Inc pest
way have found to cut and break them ~ WIN
| hand-ax on the end of n block OF hard wood De
ovo most people burn the bones for their hens. Dni
that spois them for my hens. Something u burned
| ont, so they don't much for the shell that Is
left If any one can beat this lay" OF the hens, let
J. Flomoriclt Peapack, j.: My hens began to
| hatch about the middle of January. Having some
coOps IS inches square, placed them in the ground
in unite steep bank facing TO tho south, and put
ben in each COOP with an egg or two to, accustom
tbem-to The change from the nest in which they had
| laid. After about one day they will remain quiet
| in and thus have succeeded in Matching eleven
| twelfhs of all the eggs set The first hen was set
JAM and we ha Sor Ap conned %
cOOps similar to those in tho bank. We have not
| lost a chicken The cOops in which they hatch have
| Stats across the front One OF them ~ movable.
The hen is taken out once each day to feed, and,
thus managed the eggs will hatch in the very cold
| est weather. When the chickens were about one
| 4 al 10 haf nt of rnf
| the head and under the throat these We removed
| immediately by rubbing tho parts affected with
Kerosene; this kills the knits Also and does not in
lure the chicken in the least The oldest chickens
now are abont like quails in size, and very healthy
We find poultrykeepng an agreeable ana profitable
employment in connection with farming
| Mr. Ely-These statements are not only interest
ing and valuable aiording further proof OF what
may be done with poultry but they arc also models
| the Club land can't have too many OF these
| records of experienced would say what he or sho
| has to say in as condensed and straightforward
way as possible; and then let them further initiate
Messrs. Pratt and FlOmcrelt and write on one side
| of the paper only. sheet with writing on both
sides prOvOkes profanity in the printing office; and,
beside that notice that the gentlemen of the press
who are generally models OF patience but who al
| ways seem hurried and oyerworked, and without
whom the Club would soon be very dead indeed not
infrequently cast aside such Objectionable manu-
scripts Probably this has been the deserved fate of
not few communications the authors Of which have
been and still vainly waiting for their appear
| ance in the solid minion of The TRIBUNE.
CITY correspondent asked the broad question,
what breed cross of chickens Is most pr0hable,
Mr. BTnen-I repeat what I have been saying, off
and on for the last 80 years that it is more III care
| than in crosses. have kept fowls almost from my
youth up losing few by disease. and having always
| plenty Of Spring chickens, and 9meet timber in
abundance. My hens bring me each, on an average,
AZ eggs year. From 81, in one year got 6G dozen
and eight eggs | have never bothered my brains
about breeds. fight shy of the fowl dealers in eggs
| at So a dozen. Feed WELL keep clean quarters give
| nj of
ply pounded oyster shells, in Winter dust heap,
fumigate with sulphur if by any chance lice APPEAR
and my word for it you will have eggs enough and
| To spare have neghbor who keeps nothing but
| white Leghorns, and when he wants chic ens he
puts their eggs out to be hatched by Doring, or
other good getting breed; He has no trouble about
deterioration but he feeds we'll The reason people
| do not make chickens pay is because they make
| them shift for themselves
Mr.. Siewart--I kept a Dorlng hen setting steadily
till she Matched out 100 chicks. This took her about
three months At the end OF that time moved
away from that part of the country. My successor
may have kept her at the same business TIL this day
for all know to the contrary:
plished certain requisites necessary. The white
1eghOTns lay great many eggs and are good to eat
they are tender and juicy The poultry raisers Of
Monmouth prefer a cross Of some English breed with
the Brahma. Some think the Dorking is the best
extant; they give good. rich eggs If 1t is intended
to raise capons, Dominiek is the best ..,,
Mr.. DOdge-My "pennywOrth OF observation"
backed by experience, leads me to conclude that
for eggs, the best breed is Black Spanish and White
for market, coarse, fast growers as Cochins or
BTahma5.
Mr.. Ely took great pains to have all breeds and
keep them, as the sexes at the Shaker Community
are said to live. strictly apart" This was trouble
some, and did mt pay, so let down the bars. and
since this anal gamation have had good success. But
follow brother Bruen's practice, and give and
good feed, and oyster shells and dust, and so forth
Dr. Smith-Dr. Trimble has accomplished notable
results with poultry on city lot Let us hear from
Dr. Trimble-I keep poultry for but one object
Enthusiastically fresh eggs all the year round-and in
this | have had satisfactory success. With some
breeds the setting propensity Is great annoyance,
and have been trying many breeds, so as to find
the of s ard % a renc
answer well, but for the last two years have had
several well-bred white Leghorns and far | pre-
connt with my hens, and find they average about
bushel of grain each year, and give me near 100
eggs in return. Corn and wheat are the chief food
sometimes buckwheat, cracked corn. barley are
given by way of variety. The grain is always sound
and sweet. j do not approve of giving hens dam:
aged grain because they will eat it,. | never feed
them; they feed themselves from feed-boxes always
pentifuy supplied. have now 80 hens, and during
January, February, and March they supplied us
fortably housed, and the floors of the stables
arc covered about foot deep with earthThere
took home from this Club contrvance for water
ing poultry. 1t is perfect and saves much trouble.
A constant supply of broken oyster shells is
another requisite of well-managed poultry-yard.
As to the setting instinct / certainly should not
keep hens at all if we had none but the old kinds.
have tried many waysof breaking up this propensity
patiently melt them away. and be thankful for q
fresh supply. Lately, put them in old frllit-crates
stats all round-and by placing the crate so as to
stand at an angle of 45 degrees, they cannot set
Biddy is really out-generaled, and shows temper.
MORE OF OIL MEAL.
William Erwin, Bourbon, Ind. asked about oil
meal and will it increase the milk of owes with
lamb.
Mr. Curtis-This feed is suitable for any kind of
stock In any condition IL fed snarnply IL kecns the