The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-02-18

81 feed my chickens with scraps from the
table meat, vegetables and bits of bread,
while they drink milk just as people do.
On the contrary, little guineas are perfect
epioures, If an eplcure can exist who dis
likes highly seasoned food. Salt is fatal
to g. guinea and milk is very bad for them.
they like red pepper. They like all sorts
Of green things. like water cress, lettuce,
celery and onion tops
well, they are rather fastidious, aren't
them?" I suggested.
ooh, yes, and they have to be kept out
of the rain when they are young, just
like children, else they contract colds and
die of pneumonia or some other awful dis
ease. In fact. they are never allowed out
of the broodings yards in the morning
until the dew is off the grass. In the
spring, during long rainy spells, I have
often kept my young guineas up for four
days at time
''How old must baby guinea be before
it can go out without its mama?'
inquired.
Once it reaches the broiling size, 1t is
allowed to have night key and come and
&C at WILL said this clever woman, an
swering me in the spirit of fun, which
had suggested. "But their early training
tells on them and often on rainy day
you will see great crowds of them hud-
died up together, as If they wished they
were back home again, snug as a bug In
a rug, out of the damp and cold.''
IT never could abide them on account
of their noise, and fearful 'pot-rack,'
'pot-rack,' that they screech out at all
hours of the day and night" said.
There's no use denying that they are
the noisiest of all FOWLS said the farm
er's wife with enthusiasm. But do you
know that much of that noisiness may be
avoided by training the guineas to roost
near home? They are very dependent on
human companionship, and they roost
near house. You will always find that
they make much less noise than If they
are away off in the field by themselves"
Il had no idea they had so much intelli-
gence.' / remarked.
why, they are the best sentinals in
the world" said she. do you know that
at regular hours of the night one bat
talon goes on duty just as another is re-
Deved from 1t? In fact, l don't believe
they-never sleep. Geese you know. have
the same system of sentinel signals.
have raised geese successfully, too; in
ract l was born on a plantation, and
everything connected with farm life dates
farther back with me than memory even"
so much is being said and written now
adays about the farmer and his possibili-
ties, and some OF the great men of our
nation are so strongly advising the men
of today to return to farm life that any
word on the subject is very interesting"
1 said.
We'll, the life is a perfect joy to me-"
said the farmers wife as I arose to saw
goodby, after our pleasant little chat.
Il don't believe l could ever conform to
city ways A little bit of frolic and fun
goes long way with me, and then
long for my country home, where the best
friendo / have are my dogs, and cows,
and birds, and pigs, and chickens, and
guineas. When I leave home for few
days I always feel that my affairs are
being watched over very carefully by my
guineas, who are the last to go to bed at
night and the first to stir In the MORN
Ing, SO that If anything happens my lit
tie sentinels are there to give the alarm
and the household Ia aroused to dutyln