Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1874-07-17
1 schOoIboy's Letter on chickens.

A schOOIbOy's Letter on chickens.
Most usually it takes two eggs for to
make chicken, because, if you will put
eighteen eggs under hen only about
nine of EN- will hatch. A hen is so care
less and stubborn that most always she
went cover her eggs all over, and SO
they get chilled; then they are everlast-
ingly gone up. Also, the rats will rob
a nest; so that, if you get half of a brood,
1t is a torable crop, and you should be
thankful. Then, l think, it stands
to reason this ought to prove what
| said at first. A hen which has got a
young family is more crosser than any
thing else which can be compared with
her under the sun in the United States.
There never was thing which can ruffle
ITS feathers up backwards and rage worse
than fool hen. A turkey gobbler will
do IT. but he don't go off into a red-hot
passion about it, and make fool of his
sen, and get enemies all for nothing, like
a men would. A chicken in the spring
Tune, which was put to hatch in March,
II 1T has good luck and don't die of the
plps, or gaps, or cholery-morbus, or get
drowned or something, will be big enough
TO sell to the restaurant in June. They
will fetch 81 dozen, and chicken is
more popular where it is a spring chick
en- than if it would live long enough to
get as tough as Methuseler. They say
that a spring chicken is a luxurious
thing for broil and mix up with toast.
That's what I've heard. Once in great
while we have spring chickens for din
ner. Then we have the preacher or else
some company, and eat at the second
handed table; and | can always tell by
the savory smell agoing on in the kitch-
en- that broiled chicken ought to be good
enough for anybody. But if can't get
something to eat more substantialler
than smell, | always fall back on roast
beef. A chicken don't gather shrewd-
ness like an owl, and it never picks up
any wisdom 1t is not talented thing
like fox. If you can show me more
stupider thing than hen, wish you
would trot her out The rooster has got
what little sense there ever'was in fam
lily. 1t is one of the worst difficulties
with a chicken that she don't know its
place. She won't stay in the barnyard,
where she belongs, anyway you can fix
it. If your mother has got hower.beds
in the front yard-and it's mighty Gu
rious mother which ain't-every last
chicken on the place will get in to
scratch them, if it takes till next Christ
mas; and then goodbye to the hya-
cinthes, and croeuses, and jerryanthens,
and all that kind of foolishness. Then
is the time that you want to have two
jackets on, or else to forget to come home
early, if it was you that left the lattice
gate open. Anyhow, that's my advice.
Also, hen is hard hearted and cruel,
and will kill every little desolated stray
chicken who tries to associate with her
own brood; and this is a good enough
reason why she is like stepmother. If
hen once gets fair hold of little
chicken, to shake it by the nape of its
neck, it will never kick again in this
community more than twice. The fire.
quentest bad habit which hen has got
is going off to the neighbor's to lay; also
it is too soft thing for the neighbors;
but it is generally chronic for a hen to
do it, and the only way to cure her is to
cut her head off and boil her down into
soup. She won't go to the neighbors to
lay many times after that, l don't think.