Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1892-06-21
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THOSE NtkS-rNAr FENCE.

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THOSE NsNs-rHAr FENCE.
igrcslfsrli Eiiior Dsaocru,:
Except In the matter of dollars and
cents probably there Il no bird or animal
80 little understood as Mistress Biddy
People In general think .he has no mind
or sense Ani knows nothing except tn
eat. scratch aud occasionally lay an egg.
! have even heard such low sarcasm n
stupid o hen;" .fst ss q hen In
the forebead;" "scsrce as hens teeth"
tine writer even went .o far az to say
that, "bens had no sense whatever. but
that rcosters did seem = little more like
people. for When Que found q tempting
mor-el he woah raise q great outcry to
call all the queens 90 his hArem to ..e
ho~ smart hs Vas and then-gobble u
up himself" such statements are un-
kind.
Hens. When understcod, are really In
telligent. They know enough "a scratch
In ths middle % hlll of squAshe-, corn
Or cacumbers, instead of at Que side.
They know Just how big hole they
can squeeze through under the fence,
and they know bettsr than To 20 through
Il while you are watching, u you stand
around for half an hour. Hut the min
ute yoar hack h turned Madame lien 10
tripping along behind YOU with q saucy
cock to her head and a wink In One eye.
n you try to drive her she knows lu.t
which way yoa want her To- 20, aud
soss In every ether direction but that.
She knows when the farmer starts out
to plow Or harrow az well as YOU do,
aud falls into line behind him, where
.he f,ssts on the luckless bugs and
worms ~hich may b. uncovered.
She !. devoted mother With the
strongest maternal Instincts. In her de
lire Zoe a icck 70 Nc hlrdiings about
her .hs ~o1ld at on china eggs for q
mouth.
last year q n.lghbor hal hen steal
her ncsi aud come 90 In August With a
broad 10 chick.. When they wer, a
fen day. old the mother hen "a. sc-
cidrntally Killed. and q spring pallet
~ho had never laid an egg adopted those
chickens, aud scratched aud cluckcd aud
ho,.rsi them q. tboagh ia. ~as their
Own mother.
4 hen knows that there u better
.crstchlng IN no~cr garden than any
~hsre else. aud shows savage exults-
ton In making the little .eedling. ny.
Fcople told me that two foot wire
fencing was sufficient protection for NV
fower beds, 50 tried II and IL answered
nic.ly exccpt Ia the cas-. of Que mother
hen: and I think Il would have baii'ed
her n there had not hr.n = stone wall
Close To Il. Shs would grt up on the
wall anl Nv from there right over the
wire. plump Into the middle % the bed.
she had large family, snd Ike some
women, had to wo'k hard to support
them. Her wisdom told her that my
garden WAS gool pay, bat she vas also
~ell enough acquainted With M" to
snow my habits and NV prciudice
against such work. - she would man
*. som. way "a get the little chicks
under or thrOugh the fence. and she new
over th. y,ry trst thlng on June morn
log. June mornings y, up very early,
,ou know. aud after Mistress biddy had
got Ia her work four early mornings,
aud had .et the seedlings hack sgaln,
th. plants and got little discouraged.
Mother love !. alsays touching. l Vas
so touched by u, At i've o'clock on the
afth morning, that I wcpt bitter tears
and then-went cut and slammed the
gate.
On account of hsn.' wisdom and ma
isrnAl Instincts, 10 I. really necc.-ary for
a farmer Ia have q hen yard fence.
Iiens need ensrvi.e, green grs.s and
shade. Hens. no pan in,endcd) he
yArd should 10 very large aud grassy
With some shade trees.
Oars, bailt q year ago, has answered
.o nlcely perhaps q description ef u may
give .ouet.ody a helpiul hint. II l. lOO
SlaO feet. aud enclosed With foar-iOot
~irr fencing, Nth one-foct boarding
Al the bottom. rhl. 1. high enough for
Plymouth Rccs and the larger brreds oi
poultry. bat the leghorns need J, higher
Oue truuble about this wire Fencing 4.
that II left Out over winter the weight oi
snow often tears Il down. Knowing this
Ne -et the post. twelye feet apart, then
nailed clcat. to the po-ts and fastened
the fencing with staples Ia the clcats.
Ia the fall the clests were unfasicned
from the post. and rolled night up With
the wlr, and stored away over winter,
and now thl. spring Il i up again as
good a. new. II WAS necessary 10 put
40 th. fencr In three ..ciions 80 that
~h.u Il "a. taken down Ia the hll IN.
posts and corresponding cleai. we're
numbsrcd. thu. saving any trouble In ~
planting.
The yard run. down back of the harm
yard, whsr. u gets the wash aud IN.
gras. I. knee deep. Last year Ne .et
out t~enty-two fruit tree. In u, aud
might properly .sy, pa.tnred thirty
i've hens and two co.set lambs, besides
cutting considerable hay la IL.
The hens, although .o Intelligent, do
not .~.m to really know that they are
shut up. -