Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-06-04

How = fiock nj Two Hundred Chicken. ws
Suddenly wiped Out.


impressed my mind most deepiv wss
calamity that hrfel nv immediate family iuri-
my early boyhood. sAid . government osiieir
10 q STAB reporter. my father was farmsr
We kept chickens. about 200 IN number. Az
eggs and tender progeny Of which we're sent :.
market and furnished no, ipconsiaerable fr.-
ton OF the family income. IL Is said that
well-managed hen viii produce = clear profit 4,
y pcr annum. Such an estimate n a triae -
aggoraied. for no fowls we're ever more care
fully and occ-cmieaIl. bred. fed and cared
than ours. ana we Thought that they did exosl
lently when they earned abou, sl2s a ve.r
How far that sum went 50 supply ncce4-Afi-
any one can imagine who has been brought a
TO agricultural pursuits.
''on farm the hen monry'-thAi H. the Cd
obtained by the sale Of egg aud hirds-is Cd
,om"fhy regarded as belonging 10 the wouss,
folks. In our case IL bought clothe. for ra
mother and my little sisters providing MAJ
small lu1uries also, and leaving each v.nf
good,v cum Go be put away In a long and M
FERROUS stocking. where the family sayings W.
kept. Our flock of chickens was. in shossI
equivalent 60 a safe investment in bonds. frstsI
which a regular income could with certainty !,
drawn. NV earliest occupation was 20 assist a
taking care Of them. II was nv task 10 ,.eare :
for hidden and surreptitious nests In the ba,
and elsewhere, and ~ soon A. I was big eaous !
made traps 70 capture the rats and otl.s
s vs1 which proved upon the young ous
without further preface let me saw that ON !
summer. at the season when the fruit was rilu,
my mother made great quantity OF cher ;
bounce, Tor tho brewing OF which rhe was 4.
nous; After completing the process she dil
rected me 20 throw the refuse OF ferments
cherries away and did 80. I throw the stsf
near the chicken houses. thinking that the fowl I
might relish n. Later on W. heard good deal A
excited squs~king from that direction, hut pas
no particular attention to it. After supper
went out as was my usual duty. 90 see that "a.
poultry Ind gone 10 roo-t all right for the night
fon can imagine my establishment and di.ma
when found all Of the chickens-hens, ro0sl
tiers, pullets and cockerels scattered in an
around the chicken houses, every Que of the.}
dead.
II need not dwell upon the CONSERVATION o.
cssioned IN the family by this appalling mi.fcs
tune. Two hundred fowls. which a short tine
before had been apparently ~ healthy ~ an !
poultry that ever scratched for worms IN bar !
yard, were stifenmg in death. 1t was no time n
indulge In Improbable grief however. A. M
mother suggested, while driving her ewes ~ifsl
her apron. the only thing TO do was 60 pluc1
them Immediately and send them 20 market III
the morning.
with all hands busily engaged we tinisbe
the job by l am, stacking up the plucksl
chlckens on tables and in corners. IL was ,
melancholy task. but we tried 10 console ouF !
selves with the reflection that the money the
brought FOR nesh and feathers would purchA.{
fair nucleus for new flock No tired wer}
We that none Of us woke up until after g. vhici
Is pretty late for farmers. I was the first 30 A 4
down stairs. To my amazement and horro@
the results Of our labors Of the previous event
ing had vanished. OF the 900 neatly pickle
fowls which we Ind made ready for market no(
one remained. The kitchen door left scot J
dentally unfastened the night before, NOD
swung wide, opening through tue woodshed "A
the garden, and showed how the robbers hs
entered.
Just I was on the point OF giving tl.4
alarm heard o familiar 'cock-a-loodle-aoot
and a most rensrkable-looking creature. whioI
i hesitaied momentarily 20 identify ~ q bird
hoped upon the threshold aud croxed thrice
ran 10 the door Of the wood shed and there. II
the garden, were all of our chickens-2OO "A
them. plucked. but none the less alive-busl@
scratching up the vegetables. family council
quickly summoned. found no difficulty ID
analyzing the situation. Evidently the fowl{
had Jed upon the fermented cherries. which
had thrown where they could get them ans Z
when We had supposed them dead they we're IA
reality dead drunk. While we were asleep tho 4
recovered their senses and walked out OF doors
Happily, none Of them seemed 10 be injured :
all by the process of plueking they had under
gone. The hens kept on LAYING just ss well ans :
ue BOOSTERS were as proud ever In fact
my mother afterward said that the feather ,
brought her considerable profit aud she
seemed TO think that perhaps chickens woul.
yield better returns ne matter Of ordinary
business if they were deprived Of their plunesl
like sheep Of their wool, at judicious intervals