The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1890-10-16
OUR RURAL TOPICS,
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers
BRoILER RAISING.

detailed account oil the raising of chickens by
incubators at Hammonton, N. J. There are IL
establishments (seyen run by women) with
total capacity of over 10000 chicks every 10
weeks beside numerous smaller ones of 200 TO
900 each. The buildings are an Incubator
house 16xl6 feet of rough boards lined inside
with building paper and brooder attached 72
feet long, for l 400 chickens 100 to an apart
ment. Various patent incubators arc used
with success, and also a homemade ono oper-
ated with hot water. Each brooder section has
mother "a table one yard square on adj
Unstable legs, with n curtain about it cut in
strips and is heated by hot water pipes undor
the floor in a pipe-box, which supplies pure
warm water.
While % per cent. of good eggs can BIO
hatchcd the average is nearer 60 per cent,
owing chiefly 10 the difficulty of procuring good
eggs in Winter, so that the cost Of 4 chick fresh
from the shell may vary from O cents to 81.
The average loss in broods is about Is per cent.
The chicks are motherod " for "a hours, then
fed rolled oats, oatmeal, or a cake made Of corn,
oats, bran and mddlingE, seasoned with salt.
Small grain is given as soon rs they can eat IL,
and then the cake is scaidcd instead of baked,
and the middlings omitted. Mashed potato or
turnip is allowed but no green food, except
cabbage to pick rs they grow larger. Little
meat is used. Stale bread, broken crackers and
refuse popcorn used to vary the diet At a
month old they are fed four times a day;
scaded mixture night and morning, grain
other times. Food costs cents a pound to
produce one pound of broiler, up to three or
four pounds.
Chicks arc sold when they weigh about one
and half pounds. Average weight is: Four
weeks, 10 ounces; six weeks, I3 ounces seven
weeks, % ounces; eight weeks, one and half
pounds. They are sold dressed, the work being
done by "drcssers " at conts per chick, being
bled picked, but not scaldod, thrown in ice.
water, then packed In barrels and boxes, with
out wrapping. Prices vary from 20 TO 40 cents
per pound, selling season being December TO
June best in April and May.
IN regard to breeds, the Leghorn proves very
desirable. both pure and as a cross. The chicks
are more meaty on the breast, mud eggs from
hens mated with Leghorn male are more
fertile. When the 4'rahma chicks weigh one
pound eight ounces, the LoghOrn chicks will
weigh one pound seven ounces. Crosses of
game are good, but chicks arc tender; Houdau
and Langshan cross is one of tho hest The
main points are short legs. compact body, plump
breast fat on each side of spine. Color OF legs
is not noticed.
Cost Of outfit for /, 500 chicks is about 81, 900
The business requires close attention, and eau
not be intrusion TO hired help. 1t Is not an
easy pursuit for women, yet several have been
very successful. Hammont0u has q mild
climate aud a sandy soil, aud cholera and gapos
are unknown. It IS within reach Of We or six
markets. More br0ilers arc said TO 10 raised
there than in any other place in this country
or Europe.
FALL PRUNING.
IL IS now time 10 pruno all vines. aud It Is
better 20 do II right away before the cold
weather sets in. Same persons begin to pruna
as soon as the leaves start fail from the vines
and We think that this Is IA good idea. II the
vine to be prnned Is only year old, then cut
away all Of the seasons growth from about one
inch beyond the first Teli-devolopcd bud from
its base, that IL from where tho cane started.
IL the vine be two years Old then cut the rnnes
back 10 two eyes from the base, aud when
above two years cut % the single cane grown
from the short spar from the top OF tho stake.
and cnt away all Of tho uthsg cane which has
ffuitcd aud is branches, To one inch above the
lowest branch. and that back 20 one or two
eyes above the base The long cane is de-
signed 10 bear the principal part Of the fruit
HtAb Hli anu Aiic liiF 80 EibH fAne ApF iINtlr
ing for the year following. III tho vine Is
strong and healthy at is 9th or sixth year,
You may be able 10 double tho frriting canes
il the wood is intended for cuttings, extra
care should be- taken. When You have secured
ali tho cuttings yon want tie them In bundle
and then bury them under three inches OF soil
| and when Winter approaches throw some litter
over the place. This way is said TO be better
then either celler pit. In burying tho
cuttings some inyert them, but IL makes little
difference, AS they all will grow except perhaps
some Of the hard wooded varieties aud even
these will succeed much better when buried in
tho Fall DO sure 10 protect the vines during
tho Winter. as they cannot stand much change
In the temperature.
TRAPPING GROUND MoLEq.
EDITOR NATIONAL Tribune: Please ask In
the Rnrnl Topics II any of your readers can in
form mo how To de1tfoy ground moles They
eat my roots and bulbs in tho Spring and are u
great uuisance.-C. II. MORRIS Grafton. w. Va
We would like some of our readers to an
swer this question. for are certain that they
must have excellent methods to trap these
little pests OF course there are u great many
ways OF getting rid of these animals, but a ma
JorIty OF them either take too much time or
cost too much to arrange them. Not long ago
QUO OF our rural readers said that whenever
he was troubled by the mOlea he went t0 work
]
found out that they could not safely stay there
they invariably went away. We do not think
| much OF this plan, however, and would ad wise
our readers 10 try some other method. What
| Is claimed to be the beat way is board with
long iron teeth inserted in one end, placed on
top OF hgurcfour trap. and SO arranged across
moe's track that whenever an animal passed
| by he would strike the trap and be impa,ed
| by the iron teeth. We would. however, ke
our practical readers TO answer this inquiry.
NOTES.
@. W. Kenan. Upper Sandusky, o., SAYS that
| he viii send remedy for chicken cholera on
receipt of two-cent stamp to pay postage.
Ono thing must be attended TO now IL we
| expect To have our bees alive aud in good con =
diton next Spring; that is, sec 10 it that every
hive Is supplied in the early part OF September
with stores enough TO carry than through the
| Winter Ia some sections the bees may gather
an abundant supply from the Fall bloom, but
IN others they will have to DO fed IPcstern
! RRrdi.
During this month the most Of our Fail ap-
| pies should be picked and shipped. The Winter
| varieties may remain on tho trees until about
| the time OF hard killing frost they will,
| however. keep longer and better if not too
| ripo In keeping apples OH the trees too long
| they are sometimes caught by hard freeze
| that Injuries them. This hard freeze has &C.
Cured several times ia October, 80 we should
| be on tho lookout for t.--Orchard and Garden.
| This is a good time 10 save seed corn. Saving
aud by selecting from the stalk instead of
selecting ut time of husking the crop. or taking
from the crib in Winter or Spring, has many
advantages. Tho largest and earliest ears