Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1890-07-25
a New Use Suggested for our Adam
dOued Firms,

The business best adapted to these farms
is that Of keeping poultry. In the Seai
1888 there were imported no less than the
number of II .O33, 2SS dozen eggs. This
large number OF foreign eggs, which repre-
sent no less than 50 2lj. i54 IN money values
plainly show the poultry business caunol
easily he oVerdune, aud can at least be u'ad,
profitable under most any circumstances
that are in the least favorable.
In making over IA farm to that of poul-
try ranch or egg farm there seem to be
many preliminary preparations to bc per
formed or money expended. Most of the
abandoned farms have various buildings
Including of course the dwelling " here the
farmer and help live which are about
worthless. These buildings can be readily
transformed into poultry houses by carefully
taking them to pieces and putting the lum.
Der up in little henneries all over the farm.
as far apart as practicable, that each
family of fowl can have all the forage neces
sary without interfering or mixing with
any other family.
The houses need not be more than GXS
feet, and six feet front and four feet rear,
with IA good shed roof Shingles need not
be used only on the roof at first, as the
cracks between the boards can be obviated
by covering the interior of the pen with
tarred paper, or some like substance, which
will effectualy stop the wind and also be "A
good preventive against lice. A house con
structed of entirely new lumber can he sub
stantially built for less than $40, with its
walls and roof covered with good cedar
shingles at that; so it can be seen that the
building of small houses out of the lumber
already on the farm cannot be "a heavy eX.
pendture of money but more matter OF
time and labor. When completed these
houses, containing As square feet surface
each, should he stocked with 10 hens and
if breeding is to be attempted, one rooster
The houses should all face the south, and
contain a large sash to admit light on
stormy days. The interior should contain
the roost, elevated 10 inches from the boarC
which catches the droppings, the board be
ing of such width and height from the grounr
as to allow the nests to slide under Tn,
hens when liberated, after short time To
gether in confinement so as to get used t,
their quarters, will be noticed to roost anC
lay only in the houses TO which they belong
The poultry business conducted on th
plan will net the owner at least 81 30 pei
fowl each year, although some of our egl
raisers claim 81, and that is u handsome
profit when a sufficient number of fowl
are kept and properly attended. This move
method of utilizing our unused farms ha
the advantages that hired help need not b
secured, for any members of family ma!
perform all the work necessary and GU
children will not be so fast to get to tn
big city or the great West, for at hom
an easy competence can be obtained in
few years.
The above clipping is from a contrbutio
to Grange Homes by H. f. Tileston.
reads we'll, aud the profits are easily figure
out but the fact is, as we believe, tina
there are few cases where poultry farmin
on IA large scale in New England has prove
profitable. As rule the profits decreas
about in proportion as the number of hen
goes above twenty or so.