Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-01-25

IN the nest, remove tne louleu Anatelioi
at once and put in fresh:
The feed trough should be cleaned out
daily. At night, after the fowls have gone to
roost, is a good time; then it is ready for
the morning feed. The water dish should
be well rinsed out every day and thor
oughly washed out twice month, fresh
water being kept constantly accessible. In
cold weather it is better to- make the
water luke-warm about twice day, morn
ing and noon. The hens will like it bet
ter, and then their bodily heat does not go
to warm the water they drink. If luke
warm water is always accessible, the fowls
will drink jus. what thew want and when
they want it, which is quite help toward
good health and egg-laying.
FIFTH, THE DUST BATH.
This is one of the most essential things
in the fowl-house, and yet it is the one
most commonly neglected. Busting the
earth through her feathers is the hens
method of bathing, and it cleanses her
feathers and skin just as soap and water
cleanse that of human being, or the
curry-comb and brush does that Of the
horse Many advocate gathering dry
road dust for the purpose, but If hens
dust hole out of door be examined, the
earth will be found to be as damp as the
surrounding soil, and there seems to be no
good reason why the earth should be bone
| dry. | take common sandy loan, put a
couple of carloads into a corner of the
barn cellar in the summer, and draw upon
the supply as needed.
A good size for dust box is % feet
square Tor feet wide by long, and about
7 or inches deep. 1t is well to nail a
couple of strips of 2x3 seantling across
the bottom of the box to raise it bit from
the ground Fill this box about two
thirds full of dry loan and stir small
handful of sulphur or Persian Insect Pow
der in it, then watch fowls enjoyment of
it some day and convince yourself of its
necessity.
DOES IT PAY?
"What lot of fussing with old hens p.
l hear some farmers say, and it is work,
but it is work easy to do when properly
systematized, and it certainly pays.
On my farm last winter was kept 112
pullets, Matched the previous May, and Is
| one-year-old hens, and these fowls, cared
for as above, with most of the work done
by two boys, aged Is and Is, who were at
tending school regularly besides, paid me
over a dollar a day profit in twenty-five
weeks, November l, 1888, to April l,
1885, The ignres are:
Total receipts for eggs "a weeks .......s22O 81
Cost of food and supplies. g. e.
3l57 %
Which is over S157 profit in 154 days.
| Can any farmer earn dollar day in
! the dull time of winter any easier?
Everybody's hens viii lay in April and
May. Only well-cared-for hens will lay in
December, January and February, and it
is winter eggs at winter prices that pay the
profits. A very suggestive illustration of
this can be made by comparing the egg ac-
counts of December, 1888, and April, 1889,
from the same l25 fowls:
Total number eggs................... 22S2 CPS
cas- eosn Of ga toed aboIj p 90 90
Profit..................... ........sl4 81 $50 50
Could there be more instructive lesson
upon the value of getting the pullets to
laying in October and November, and
then keeping them laying? 1t costs no
more to feed fowl in December than
in April or May. In fact, she has
|
and if she lays eggs, even though lower
in number, still the price is so much
| higher the profit is nearly three times
greater, and this profit can be pocketed by
any farmer who will take the pains to care
for his fowls for this result.
DELAYED WORK.
Work in the orchards and vineyards is
greatly behind. The continuous rains and
soft condition of the ground has prevented
work of any kind. Pruning is not near
completed in some of the large orchards,
and it may be just as well that it is not,
for the stoppage of the unusual flow of
sap that would be started by a few warm
| DAYS would make the buds burst into
bloom and danger of frost is not yet past.
In some parts of the State weeds are get
ting such start that if the pillow and Gull
tivators cannot soon bepu in, the first work
ing will prove quite difficult. 1t is mis-
take to work the ground too wet. Even if
you have to be late with your work, it is
better than putting your land in bad con-
dition, as it will sometimes take two years
to put land in good condition after being
worked too wet. Great care should be
taken to keep the soil well worked down
after blowing, as the ground is packed
from the heavy rains and is liable to clod
should it come off dry.
Some of the VINEYARDS that were pruned
early are still bleeding, which shows that
the vines are not exactly in the proper
condition to prune, even should the
weather stay clear for few days. There
are no indications, so far, that the coming
fruit crop has been materially injured any
where on the Pacific coast. If the weather
STAYS clear for while tree planting will
commence in earnest and nurserymen will
have their hands full for a time. If you
are late with your work it is very import
ant to see that everything is in running
order so that there will be ne hindranees
when the time comes to go into the Or
chard. While there is plenty of time look
carefully over all of the implements and
appliances to be used and see that they
are in perfect condition. 1t is simple
matter to send to the blacksmith's shop
when there is nothing doing; but, unless
looked after at the proper time, later on
you may have to lay off your force of
hands to wait for repairs. There is moth
ing more annoying than an interference of
this kind Just when one feels that it is of
the utmost Importance to rush the work
along.-Fruit Gro'cer.
KITCHEN CABINET.
A most convenient kitchen cabinet or
table said to have been designed by
woman and made by her husband should
have place in every kitchen. The table,
which is of hard wood, is oblong in shape
and not very high. 1t contains four draw
ers, two at one end of about the same size,
long one in the middle and a fourth
small drawer at the other end. These
drawers are to be used for silver polish,
soaps, securing material, brushes for silver
and glass, for dish towels and cloths, and the
countless other small things needed in dish
washing and baking.