Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-01-01

Selecting Poultry.


poultry, and which may be ofuse 10 some
of your readers who may not be familiar
with the age of poultry:
rev housekeepers, and fewer cooks,
are as good judges of the age of poultry
as they ought to be. We al know when
poultry comes upon the table, whether
1t Is tender or tough; and there should
be no difficulty in knowing Just as GER
tainly whether a chicken, duck. goose or
turkey is old or young, when it Is offered
for sale. Now the following il offered
as a rule, by which poultry can be safely
judged, which If read over for a few
reference when needed, no person need
purchase old, tough poultry unless from
choice.
If n hens spur is hard, and the scales
on tie legs rough, she is old, whether
you see her head or not, but the head
Will corroborate your observation. III
the under bill is 30 stiff that you cannot
bend il down, and the comb thick and
rough leave her, no matter how fat and
plump, for some one less particular. A
young hen has only the rudiments of
spurs; thes Gales on the legs are smooth,
glossy and fresh-colored, whatever the
color may be; the claws tender and
short, the nails sharp. the under bill
The old hen turkey has rough scales on
the legs, callosities on the soles of the
feet and long, strong claws; a young
one is the reverse of all these marks.
When the feathers are on and the old
turkey-cock has long tuft or beard, a
young one has but sproutless one and
when they are off the smooth scales ON
the legs decide the point, besides the
difference in size OF the wattlcs of the
neck and the elastic shoot upon the
nose.
An old goose when alive is known by
the rough legs, the strength of the wings,
particularly at the piniens, the thick
ness and strength of the bill, and the
plucked, by the legs, the tenderness o:
the skin under the wings, by the pinions
and the bill and the coarseness Of the
skin.
Ducks are distinguished by the came
means. but there is this difference-thst
duckling's bill is much longer in pr9
portion TO the breadth of its head than
the old duck. A young pigeon Is dis
tinguished by its pale colors, smooth
scales. tender, collapsed feet, and the
yellow long down interspersed among
its feathers. A pigeon that can fY has
always red-colored legs and no down,
and is then too old for use.-Germdn-
totcn Telegraph.
Feeding Pigs.
A Yorkshire farmer IN England saws
of different food for pigs: after trying
nearly all the different kinds of cereals,
and weighing my pigs once in fourteen
days, have come to the conclusion that
If you want TO gain weight fast, give
plenty Of barley-meal and milk. Corn
l1a1s he l.x
Indian corn" says DR.. Voelcker, an
eminent authority, "is richer in fat
forming matters than almost any other
description of food. The ready-made
fat in corn amounts to from five and a
half to six per cent. But animals should
not be fed exclusively on Indian meal,
because the fiesh-forming matter in it is
small. Bean meal (or pea meaD sup
plies the deficiency" Five pounds of
Indian corn-meal to one pound of pea-
meal is a mixture which contains the
proportion of fiesh-forming and fattening
matters nicely balanced. If the farmer
has not the pea-meal to mix with the
corn he may use oatmeal rs q substi-
tute. A very common food for hogs is
boiled apples and potatoes, mixed while
hot with corn meal. This is 3 good
food, but lacks in the nitrogenous ele-
ment, which should be supplied either
by the addition ofcotton seed meal. bran,
pea meal or oat meal. II cotton seed
meal is used, only one part to ten of corn
meal would be about the right proper
tion, while one part of the other kinds
TO five of corn meal might be used. Any
one who has had any experience in feed
ing pigs must have noticed the differ
ence there is in the readiness and cheap
ness with which some can be tattened as
compared with others. In Lawes' and
Gilbert's experiments two pigs in eating
one hundred pounds of corn gained
three pounds, while one pig, which ate
one hundred pounds of corn during the
same time gained nineteen and one quar-
ter pounds. 1t is readily seen that il is
highly important TO secure the right
kind Of pigs if the feeding Of them is to
he made the most profitable possible.
With a judicious selection of pigs and
the right kind Of feeding and general
management, there is money to be made
on our farms in pork-raisiRg. notwith-
standing the gloomy picture of the busi-
ness presented to the public during the
political campaign by Solon Chase
| LetCtston Journal
wheaito Apply Manure.
The common practice among farmers
is to make a general clearing of the yards
and barn cellars once a year, either in
the spring or fall. Either practice makes
heavy draft upon the teams, and IL has
its disadvantages. If this work is done
in the spring, II is when the ground is
wet and other work is exceedingly press
ing. II the manure is drawn out In the
bin and dropped in heaps upon the field
to be cultivated next season. there is
more or less waste by teaching and by
evaporation. There Is growing dispo-
sition among our intelligent farmers to
apply manure directly 10 growing crops,
or rs near the time OF planting and SOW
ing as possible. II is felt that the sooner
manure is put within reach of the roots
of plants the better for the crops and
their owner. Manure Is 80 much capi-
tai invested and bears interest only as IL
Is consumed in the soil.
The barn cellar may be 30 managed as
| to manufacture and turn out fertilizers