St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1894-12-27
Horticultural Affairs.
POULTRY TOPICS.

colo W6dIDe COIncS, dS COiuS COulS
among you flock from exposure and
neglect See that the house is put in
good order and made comforta BILE for
the approaching winter season.
Sell your surplus now, especially
YOUR cockerels and older stock,
which you do not intend to keep over
winter. Make room for only such
birds as you wish to retain for laying
purposes and breeding next spring.
Feed nothing that does not pay its
boarding, as corn will be higher in
price during the winter; this means
expense, and possibly more than you
will derive from the flock.
During the past summer a poultry
man of my acquaintance tried the
experiment of shutting up his poultry
house, compelling his fowls to roost
on the trees and elsewhere. The re-
suit, he tells me, has rid his henhOuse
entirely of vermin, as they are starved
out because of the vacation the hens
have taken He has now cleaned up
his house, and thoroughly white
washed it with strong carbolic
solution mixed with the lime, and
now he will turn his flock indoors
until spring and repeat this plan
every summer. Any one can try this
himself and prove its value.
Watermelon seeds are highly relish
ed by the poultry as we'll as the fruit.
1t is amusing how eagerly they de-
YOUR the seeds nrst, and then the
melon itself, and how clean they pick
every morsel of melon from the rind.
Musk melon and pumpkin seeds are
also relished by them. During the
season for fruit it is adviSa bic to free
ly feed them all they will consume,
for it is a change and good for them.
Do not allow any bird in your flock
TO be afflicted with scabbv legs, be-
cause it is in every way detrimental
10 the Bird usefulness, and will ulti-
ma telv make 1t an eyeSOre to you and
become useless. Rub on a mix ture of
sulphur and lard or coal oil and lard
twice a week just as soon as you dis
cover it, and it will eventually kill
out the germ of the insect that i'm
beds itself under the scales on the
legs.
In destroying rats about poultry
.
feed them every day some delicate
morsel for a week until they expect
it; then put poison on it, and nine
times out of ten you will be sure to
kill your victim. More damage to a
hen comes from these rodents than
anything else, and every one should
be destroyed as fast as it makes its
appearance
In breeding for early market it is
important to have breed that grows
rapidly and f1eshes up young; the
skin should be yellow, and if the
feathers are ali white both the chicks
and the old fowls will look much bet
ter when dressed than those with
colored feathers. The color of the
skin is important, yet half of the
fowls that are sent to market have
anything but yellow skin. Small
bone, short legs, and a well-rounded
form are also desirable, and a size,
when full grown, not less than five
pounds and over six pounds before
dressed, give the best early chicks for
market. None of these qualities are
an injury to a laying hen, and if they
are also good layers, hardy and quiet,
we have combined the points neces-
sary for both meat and eggs.
1t has been recommended, in order
to prevent hens from eating eggs, to
put two tablespoonfuls of fine salt
and one half pint of wood ashes in
one quart of corn meal, or in that
ratio, and mix with boiling water
feed once day until they leave off
eating their eggs. But if little salt
were put in food every day and ashes
put where they can have access to
them, they would never eat their eggs
unless the eggs freeze and the shells
crack open. Hens seldom eat their
eggs except during the winter
months.
A tonic for general weakness and
moping about may be given with
good results by dissolving tea
spoonful of tincture Of iron in a gill
OF water, adding a teaspoonful of
quiniue, and the same each of spirits
OF camphor, brandy and tincture Of
red pepper; shake we'll and give four
or FIVE drops on a small piece of bread
to a chick and half teaspoonful to
an adult. For diarrh9 add drop
of laudanum to the dose for chick
and three drops to that for adults.
This season after or during melting
most fowls droop or look sick; a
tonic of this kind is essential in brac-
ing up their rundown condition
which comes largely from the painful
mott they have just passed through.
Now is the time to commence cut
ting up fine fresh clover hay, and
steaming it before feeding to your
young pullets and laying stock. 1t is
decidedly one of the most essential
foods forlaying stock in cold weather.
1t should be ted cit her in the m orning,
with their soft food. or about eleven