Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-10-19
The Pumpkin Season Inspires PerpIexing Situation

Please advise me as to the construc-
ton of a cheap chicken house tor some
10 or 100 fowls. Would there be any 90
lection 10 placing front roosts near the
ground and getting higher until they
reach the opposite size?
While it is always better policy to ro-
tate crops, there is no serious objection
to growing oats and wheat on the same
ground occupied by the crop last year,
provided you do not continue the prac-
tice. Where one crop is grown on the
land continuously certain of the fertiliz-
ing elements are more likely to be eX-
hausted than where a rotation is follow
ed, and there is q greater tendency to in
troduce and disseminate certain diseases
which may make it difficult or impossible
to grow the crop profitably on the. land
for many years to come. Under the cir
curnstances we would break the land
very thoroughly, either with a disc or
turning plow This should be idone as
soon as possible so as to give the land
a chance to settle before seeding. After
blowing the land we would harrow in op-
posite directions, and If IL were rough and
lumpy disc it. Pains in preparing a seed
bed will always be repaid. We would
seed oats IN the open furrow. either with
a heavy type of grain drill, or If on a
small scale, with a one-horse planter and
fertilizer distributor. Wheat may ID be
sown with an ordinary grain drill. We
believe broadcasting is inadvisable, as a
rule, for any cereal crop planted In the
south. Deep covering is desirable, and
we would leave the land ridged between
the drill rows as much as possible so the
freezes of the winter will cause the soil
to crumble down and fall in around the
roots of the growing crop. This land
should be fertiliEed with a mixture con-
tanning about 2 per cent Of nitrogen,
per cent of phosphoric acid and to 4
per cent of potash. Two to four hundred
pounds per acre will be enough to use.
The need of top dressing in the spring
with nitrate will be determined by the APP
pearance OF the crop.
The rule where chickens are closely
confined Is to allow five square feet OF
floor space for each fowl In a climate
as mild as ours probably two-thirds Of
this area would be sufficient. The rule
for air is to provide to 10 cubic feet
per pound Of live weight. AS a much
more open structure can be utilized In
this climate than in many others, prob
ably one-half to two-thirds of this area
would furnish a sufficient amount of air.
The breed. that is whether large or small,
exercises but little influence on the size
Of house needed. since the small breeds
are much more active than the large ones
ana require practically as much space.
A good chicken house for this climate
may be very cheaply constructed, but we
believe It .nadvisable to build anything
that is not substantial as the cost of re-
pair Is so great We would suggest that
YOU put a concrete foundation under the
house mnde as follows: Dig a small trench
in the soil to the depth Of one foot. This
trench need not be over eight inches
wide. Then take a board u inches wide
and place in an upright position on each
side of the trench and secure by cross
strips so it will not spread at the top
or bottom. Fill the trench thus made
with cement made in the proportion Of
one part of good clean Portland cement
to two parts sand and three of crusher
rock or gravel. The cement as poured
in should be thoroughly tamped in place.
Old field pine may be used for the franz