The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1883-04-28
FARM AND GARDEN.
rou,try ON a Large Scale.

Eds. COuatrg ENTHUSIASTICALLY
we meet a man who will succeed In some
speclnlty. while the average man meets
with a less degree Of good fortune, If not
entire failure. The successful ones, | I'M
agine. would succeed III any undertaking
where success Is possible. Ia order 10
best success, there should be az adapted
ness OF the worker To the specially, with
all the requisite essentials ct capital, per
severance, good judgment, DC, | conclude
that a. g. Hawkins, OF Lancaster Mass,
IS such person. | took the liberty of re-.
guessing his father TO iurn!sh me with IN
formation, such as he telt free TO give,
which he has kindly dole Although not
as full in details as might have been
drawn out in personal interview, II Is
valuable SO tar rs il goes and is embodied
IN the following:
Mr.. Hawkins has about 1000 laying
hens, aud 200 cocks During the last two
years he mas raised about 5000 chicks per
year. The cost Of keeping varies with
the price of grain; the la,t year it cost
guile 81 80 per head. HIS mode OF feeding
is to give soft, warm food in the morning,
such as boiled small potatoes, trrnlps
mixed with middlngs, and meat. Al
=
barley aud wheat. Raw lurnlps and clio
yer rOwen are given every day fresh water
and oyster shells are kept before them all
the time. His range and buildings for
fowls occupy some fifteen acres, the land
beng mostly in grass and orcharding.
The building consists Of four houses, each
200 feet long, 1873 feet vide; t~o houses,
each 50 feet long and l2i2 icet vide all
facing south, partitions rom II to ID feet
apart, with yards so feet long in front.
These yards he plows once a week in sum
mer, feeding green grass freely.
He says eggs to hatch we'll and bring
strong chicks, must be from hens which
have their liberty, with plenty OF COCKS;
for market eggs the hens must be confined
and no cocks allowed. Ills hens have land
an average of about eight dozens of eggs
each per year, and the price of eggs aver
ages about 80 cents. He thinks that un-
der the best Of care hen will lay e!ght
dozens OF eggs, and bring up brood OF
chicks. say an average oil lve chicks. 10
care for his poultry Ae employs one man
the year around, one other eight months,
besides himself The dressing OF fowls
Tor market he lets cut to families IN the
neigh D0rhoOd and numbers OF these will
pick and dress ten 10 twenty pairs III
single day and evening He has tried sew.
eral breeds aud crosses and settled down
the last season on Plymouth Rocks, and
makes them a specially. He says farther,
that he thinks stock Of 1000 hens, cured
for in the very best manner, should show
q profit of $4,000 per year.
In converting with Il ncighbor, formerly
of Upton, he said he had a nephew Who
started few years since with Il stock OF
100 hens and about 10 cocks, and IN JauU-
airy obtained 26 dozen eggs; in February,
80 dozen; March, 50 dozen April, rs
dozen, and May 100 dozen. He could not
give other months following, but said that
the father Of the young man told INN That
If he kept on he would make more Oh his
hens than from has whole farm Of some
hundreds OF acres. The young man used
lncubators, and was quite as successful in
raising chicks AS from natural mothers.
Eggs vary III different seasons and times
IN matching, even with natural mothers,
and he thinks that incubatOrs are quite rs
reliable, or no more uncertain.
w. Ii. WHITE,