The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1897-11-05

Not many more years than can be
counted on the fingers Of one hand not
one farmer in ten knew the names of
a half dozenbreeds Of poultry. But to-
day the farmer who cannot tell his
choice Of the different breeds, and the
reasons of his preference, is consid-
cred behind the times. This is as it
should be, for nowhere else can a small
flock Of fowls be made to yield so much
clear profit as on the farm.
II seems 10 me best that the farmer
shouldkeep but one variety Of chickens,
if he intends raising only for eggs,
broilers, or market stock.
We have settled on Buff Cochins as
the kind that suits us best. They are
extremely gentle, Of large size, quick
growth taking only about two months
TO reach frying size. They are heavily
feathered, and so stand the cold
weather well, and lay better in winter
than in summer, which suits us, as
we do not care to sell eggs when they
are down to five or six cents. When
they reach this price, we think it pays
to boil few occasionally for the little
chicks, if we have more from the COM
mon hens than we need for kitchen
use.
Eggs from our best hens sell readily
among the neighbors for a good price,
for setting, if we have more than we
wish to sci ourselves.
We aim to have our early chicks
ready for market as early as possible,
and these are sure to bring good prices
in the home market.
Later, whenFeverybody and all his
folks are taking chickens to market
prices take a leap downward, and as
by this time all except the very small
chicks can almost pick up a living, anC
as fowls, live or dressed, are in de
mand about Thanksgiving, Christmas
and New Years, and often between
times, we keep our chickens GROWN!
on to be ready for the market at SON,
of these times.
When setting hens, we set two a
one time, and when they hatch, pu
all the chicks with one hen, and if tn
other hen seems doing well--if sh
seems bright and in good Aesh-pu
more eggs under her, and set anothe
hen at the same time. This is late il
the season, when one hen can take car
of twenty-five or thirty chicks; earle
it is not safe to allow more than ffteel
to the hen.
We often hear people say there is n
use in setting eggs to hatch in June
for June chicks will "sleep themselve
to death" This is often true, because
the weather being pleasant, chicks ar
not cOoped, but allowed to wad
through rank grass and get wet wit
dew.
We have never had but few Jun
. chicks droop and die, and those fey
deaths have invariably followed close
~ after a failure to keep them coope
until the dew dried oil in the morn
ing.
Another thing which causes man
among warm-weather chicks is til
practice Of feeding almost exclusivel
on corn-meal dough or batter.
Corn-meal should not be fed at all
raw. Bread made Of corn-meal is be
ter. Bread made of mixture of met
and wheat bran is best, and to thi
should be added q generous allowanC
of table scraps; meat, fruit and veg,
table trimmings, and what sweet mil
or clabber can be spared for then
need never be considered wasted
A flock Of poultry on any farm ca
! be made the source of neat incom
but, even should the farmer only rails
enough for his own family, selliu
never an egg nor feather, still the
will pay better than almost anythin
else requiring no more outlay eth,
in time or money, than they'll
King, in Farm, Field and Preside.