The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1888-08-04

In warm weather the vermin will
multiply rapidly and increase their activity
Extra precaution should be taken TO
counteract them. The roots should be
washed with kerosene oil the nest ma lerial
should be thrown out and burned, fresh
hay or straw placed in the boxes and
heaping tespoonful of sulphur sprnkled in
each nest; the dust baths should be re-
plenished and teaspoonful of sulphur
added to the dust; the sitters should be
tho oughly cleansed of body lice by Dalma-
ton powder sifted through their feathers
If an egg gets broken in nest where
hen is sitting, examine the eggs carefully
and wash with tepid water any that are
daubed; sometimes no more than two or
three eggs will be fouled, but they must be
washed or they will not hatch.
keep the little chicks growing. Feed
litile at time and feed often is Che key
note to early laying pullets.
See that the hens have fresh grass It
is almost always necessary to keep them
shut within their yards for some weeks
cow to keep them out of the garden or the
moving. IL will take but few seconds
to pull liberal handful of fresh grass and
toss TO each pen; try it once and watch the
birds devour IL; you will be convinced that
they enjoy it as much as a feed of wheat
When the hens run at large they eat great
quantities of grass probably half of all the
matter consumed by them), and it is a
| great hardship for them TO be shut away
from it.
| Spade up part of each yard and SOW
a few handfuls of oats in the fresh ground
the hens will scratch up part of It., but
some will sprout and grow, giving biddy g
bite of green. If practicable shut the hen.
away from one yard for couple of weeks
SOW oats in 1t, and when they are three ol
four inches high let the hens in again
Not only does this give them fresh, greer
food but it freshens the ground itself
This last is an important matter, as thu
earth in the yards is contaminated by tn,
droppings and in two OF three years be
comes poisoned so chat IL will kill the fowl
confined upon it. This poisonous matte
can be worked out by growing crop upoi
it or by spading it oyer and sowing grain
If the hens can be moved to other quarters
for season splendid crop of squashe
can be raised in the hen yard. Squashe
are rank feeders and greatly enjoy ricl
ground to RUIZ on. l have been told tina
Mr.. Hawkins planted squashes in an aci,
or so of hen yards last ear, and got such
tremendous yield that he debated whethe
is wouldn't pay to build a spur track from
the railroad oyer TO his yards to tighten th
labor of shipping them to market!
Don't keep the cocks after you hav
got all the setting teggs you want. 4
fricasse makes good hearty dinner, an,
you've one less bird TO feed when yol
have eaten him.
1t is sometimes great bother to breal
up broody hen that you don't want t,
set. keep one pen vacant at this seasol
on purpose to confne broody hens in; o
course the nests boxes are removed. 1t /
a comparatively easy matter to break up
broody hen if it is taken in season. l
they haye been left on the nest one or tw
nights and become confirmed in their de
sire to set it is difficult to break them. bu
If taken to the prison pen at once a coupl
of days confinement will usually cur
them.