Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-12-02
Farm Pointers.

Just the day the fowls are Drouehl
into the house and confined to the run
of a small yard they begin to pine for
animal food which they had in abund-,
ance on the range. 1t is this lack
that is at the bottom Of the egg fall
ing off rather than any other cause,
jas will be discovered, If one will take
the, trouble to look into, the matter.
1t must be understood, however, that
animal food does not mean anything
in the shape of meat one can get.
There are plenty of meat scraps ON
the market that are good enough LOT
fertilizer, but decidedly not Of value for
feeding poultry. If one can arrange
with the local butcher to supply what
meat is wanted for the fowls he Will
have no trouble provided he buys meat
that Is not tainted and does not lay IN
a supply too large. Green bone an
swers the same purpose to some ex-
tent but it is hard to grind and must
be ground fresh to be of value. with
a small supply of animal food, green
bone and green food of some KIND one
ought to have n good production OF
eggs throughout the winter, following
any plan of feeding that has reason
able amount of variety.
To decide properly to which kind Of
storage the grower or buyer shall send
his fruit requires the best of judgment,
for many factors must be considered
III making the choice and upon their
just balancing will depend. to quite
an extent, the profit or loss in handling
the crop. Growers. generally, are
more interested in storage this year.
- al
to those who usually hold more or
less fruit for winter sale or home use,
and to the buyers who must plan for
the best keeping of the purchased
fruit. the bulletins of the agricultural
experiment stations will be of inter-
est and value. One of these discusses
critically the factors which influence
the keeping quality of apples. as as
certained through many years expert
ence at the station or by correspond
ence and interviews with the leading
apple handlers of the country. 1t also
gives retailed results of the storage
of 165 varieties of apples. in the ordi-
nary temperature room of a station
fruit storage house, or in a cold stOr-
age building, with notes upon most
Of the varieties as handled by practi-
cal storage men.
Dust is death to lice, and fowls
should have full access to it. Sifted
coal ashes are good for this purpose.
But wood ashes bleach the legs of the
acknowledged breed.
If, in section where snow has not
yet covered the ground. better gather
up all of the leaves that are obtainable.
dry them thoroughly, pack them away
in barrels or bags where they will
keep dry, to be used on the floor dur
Ing the winter in place Of the more ex-
pensive hay or straw. Then get two
or three large boxes. fill them to the
brim with dry road dust. This will
come in very handy during the
winter to supply the dust boxes
the fowls will need so much. In an
other box throw alt the broken crock
cry, all flower pots and the like, and
also gather a lot of sharp stones,
which may be broken with the hammer
later, so that the birds can get the
food grinding material they need.
These things cost practically nothing
but a little labor, but they will be very
instrumental in making the fowls heal
thy, happy and profitable during the
winter. If the floor of the poultry
house is of earth, see that it is high
enough above the surface of the ground
outside so that it will not be damp.
A wagonload of gravel drawn now
and the floor built up with it may mean
absolute health for the fowls.