The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-03-13
Practical Poultry Culture.

Boston II6u6Cf1pt.
practical Poultry Culture" was the sub
ject of an essay read this morning st the
Plowman farmers meeting In the John
Hancock building by A. +. Hunter. editor
of Farm Poultry, who spoke of the value of
poultry raising to the individual farmer
and explained the methods by which q
substantial addition GO his income might be
made.
Eggs" he said, "are an all-the-year-
round crop. They have ready market at all
seasons OF the year, and as a basis OF the
poultry business an all-the-year-around
income is assured the farmer. Winter
eggs pay the greater profit and bring up
the average price for the year to about
264 cents. If the fowls lay we'll in No
VEN Der and the winter months, when eggs
are 40 cents a dozen. the average price for
the year will be emInently satisfactory.
The whole story of getting eggs in winter
can be resolved into three rules: Hatch
the chickens early: keep them growing. as
the pullets will come TO laying maturity In
October; and keep up the laying by good
food and good care. For the heaviest va
rietles such as Brahmas and COchlns, the
last of March Is none too early 60 hatch.
1t Is we'll to hatch Langsbans. Plymouth
Rocks and WyandOttes in April; Leghorns,
Ham burgs and Minorcas can be Matched In
May for best results. To keep the chick
ems growing. the rule of sweet. whole
some food must be followed. Feed five
times q day for six weeks, then four
J1IQeb n uaS uUbll LuS UulicIS Are put INFO
the pens TO become layers. The oockerels
should be separated from the pullets as
soon as they can be picked out and nsnt TO
market and the pullets given a chanc &c TO
grow. To keep fowls profitably through
the winter there must be plenty of eibo W
room. If one has a house suitable for
twenty fowls it would he folly to crowd
forty INTO that space. The result is fe yer
eggs from the forty so treated. An excel
lent plan for q house is one twenty-four
faAs l,px and ninhfaon tnaf x-,Au fo,. fA.t
high at the back, six feet IN front, with u
shed roof. Snch q house can be di-
vided into two compartments and
give all the accommodations for thirty
should be coarsest oatmeal, slightly moist
ened with sweet milk. and waste bread
from hotels and restaurants. Stimulate
exercise. as the cold weather approaches.
by covering the floors three or four inches
deep with chopped meadow hay or straw,
into which tho grain is dropped. This is
an excellent idea. Whole wheat is the best
grain food for fowls. whole barley Is next.
buckwheat next. Vary the feeding and
induce the searching and scratching for
food. 1t costs from Si.25 TO 81. so per year
TO feed O fowl In q common sense way.
with a return Of from s2.87 to s.. 12 net
profit, and thar liberal profit coming In
without much effort is gained by following
the rules spoken of in the foregoing.
Broom Corn Culture.
Country Gentleman.
A warm. rich soil is best shifted to the
growth Of broom corn, such as the best for
common corn; good river flats are particular.
ly we'll adapted TO It's growth. /: does we'll
on inverted sod, if turned over the previous
autumn. and made thoroughly mellow by
cultivation. Well puiverized barn manure.
thoroughly mixed with the soil. answers q
good purpose. Broom corn may be planted
in bills three feet apart. in rows three TO
four feet distant from each other. Enough
seed should be used 10 leave SIX plants TO
the hill after thinning. The time of plant
ing is nearly the same as common corn.
AS soon as the plants are fairly visible.
run a cuItiyator between the rows and fol-
low with n hand hoe. This may be repeated
several times. Breaking the tops should
be done before fully ripe. or when the seed
is a little past the milk. which Is done by
bending over the tops of the rows toward
each other, for the convenience of cutting
afterward. They are then dried under
cover. The brush is cleaned of its seed by
hand. or 10y machines driven by horse
power. We would not advise any one TO
go largely INTO its ~cultur. withou: some
previous ex perieDce. as certain parts of the
process require particular skill. aud it 10
we'll. therefore. 10 begin on Q moderate
scale.