American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1879-12-13

| I'll cOlQ, Incn rinse WIFI clettf coid WI
ter, into which couple of handfuls OF
salt have been put. This will make
your firkins sweet and stanch. Pack
your butter in the firkin as closely as pos.
sible, and send it to market as soon as
you can. Let cleanliness be your con-
slant care, from the milking of the cows
until you bring your butter to the mar
| ket.''
CHICKENS RAISED CHEAPLY.-Poul-
try and eggs are often so dear, and even
scarce, in the market, that the rich only
at such times can indulge in them; yet
this need not be the case, for they may
be made nearly the whole year round
almost as cheap as beef, pork and NUT
ton. One of my neighbors raised over
1,20O chickens the past year, and his
fixtures did not cost over 5000, if that.
He erected rough sheds open to the
south, with matched-board roofs, in
which to winter the hens. The soil of
his farm is a gravelly loan, and being
within few miles of the seashore but
Htlic SHOW ldliS, tlu tHiS HIS ohiN IL
short time; thus the hens have a wide,
dry grass field to exercise in the open
air during the day, and well ventilated
roosting and laying houses. For coops
he used tight old barrels, laid length
wise on the ground, with the front head
taken out. On the bottom of each for
nests he placed some dry earth, and
then little straw or leaves from the
roads, if early in the spring, if later,
the earth alone. There is nothing bet
ter on which to set Il hen than Il dry sod
laid with the grass side down, and just
enough of the soil scraped off from the
center of the top to make a hollow to
hold the eggs. In these barrels the
hens laid and sat. When the chickens
were Matched the barrels were cleaned,
and narrow sticks enough driven in
front to keep in the hen and allow the
young to run out ut pleasure, which
they would only do in dry weather. To
let out the hen to sun and for exercise it
was only necessary to roll the barrel
little on one side, or withdraw n stake or
cot to be few weeks old the hens were
allowed to come out at will. Each gen
orally kept 4 remembrance of its barrel,
and went back to it for food and water
with her brood during the day and to
hover in it at night. If likely to rain, it
was necessary to see that all got into
their coops for shelter before it began
to fall. As the slaves were set tight,
the barrels shed the rain perfectly. To
keep the premises clear of vermin, there
were two smooth-haired, active terrier
dogs, and woe to the rat, weasel, skunk
or any other vermin that approached,
for they were watchful for them day
and night; in fact, the vermin, if any
were in the vicinity, seemed to under
stand the case, and there was never any
loss of chickens from them-even crows
and hawks stood, or rather flew over,
in fear of the dogs. For food my neigh
Dor raised corn, rye, oats, buckwheat,
sweet and other potatoes, with winter
squash. These three last he boiled, and
then mixed little meal with them, or
able for raising wheat, he varied the
meal with this. OF course he also varied |
the grain feed rs requisite, using but lit
tie corn, cracked or ground into meal,
except for finishing off the fat
ting process. Oatmeal mixed up
with skim milk or buttermilk is perhaps
the best sort of food for very young
chickens, and there is nothing better to
make hens lay. a mixture of wheat
bran, half and half as to weight, with
Indian meal and milk is almost as good
1t will be seen from the above how
cheaply chickens and eggs can be pro-
iuced, as my neighbor, with son about
fourteen years old and Il daughter of
twelve, took care of them and raised al
the food required for their support. Sew
eral women, each with little daughter
Or two to assist, annually raise here
from 200 to 400 chickens, with very
cheap fixtures, realizing n handsome
profit for themselves out of this indus
try. am aware that on Il heavy clay,
and in colder climate, fixtures must
be more expensive; but we have mil
ions of acres of suitable dry soil and
climate for the production of poultry,
stretching from Montauk Point along
the sea coast to Texas, and considera
Die also in the interior of the country,
o devote to this industry. From Nor
ok south, extra early chickens could
De raised, which always command high
price in our city markets and pay a large
profit. Eggs also from early pullets
may be obtained all winter. Fresh