The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-01-24

/ r.on,d he necessary to keep the groun
| clean. but since cleanliness IS essen. !,
| :, ,.ucess, the ground on when IN
house stands must be cleaned IN
newly Uttered frequently.
| Some of the best materials 70 use c
/ litter are moss HtterS, clhoe'o
ashes, straw or hay.
Sawdust is not a good litter in sue
= place. whatever it may be on OF.
floor, because it absorbs and retain
rnilch moisture from the grOurd.
it is advisable to keep the walls
the house off the ground by staldlh:
them on sills made Of the most aura
bic wood, an din this way they ar
kept from early decay, and the Woo
will also hold longest by placing tn
boards upright and fixing them IN tnl
position to the framework
A dry floor is absolutely essential Z
the health of the birds and any pain
that may be taken to secure drynes
will be Well repaid. In most soils J
ray be well to take off the clay unit
the gravel is reached and fill in thu
excavat'o with stones finishing off th'
floor with gravel.
In this way it can be raised few
inches above the surrounding grGunt
and water cannot run into 1t.
II the house is to be of WoO1 {
made of stone and mortar in order tt
raise the wood off the ground and
keep it from decaying.
i)raughts may be excluded as it !:
most necessary they should be, by
mailing thin strips X. lnci1es wide
over the joints between the boards OF
TIE 2:,tside walls.
The boards of the roof should, or
the other hand, run lengthwise from
u l.
with the ground, for though they may
not old SO long in this position as il
placed upright, they can be preserved
by annual painting or tarr,ng. and il
IS the only way of making d thorough
rain-proof roof that will remain rain.
pnof for years in all chan o.
weather.
1t is advisable to line both walls and
roof with tarred paper and this adds
greatly to the comfort Of tie house
without considerably increasing ths
cost.
If the house is to be used for sum
mer as well as for winter it is advisa
bic to have both walls and roof double
with an air space Of a few inches be
tween tie seets Of boards.
Tin, rough and cheap boards viii
suffice for the inside shectin, if
layer of paper is put between the lin
ing and the outer walls.
In this way drafts are effectively ex
Guided.
The most convenient position OF TIL
door is in one of the gaD,e ends, s.
that it may be almost the full heish
OF he house. A window may b.
placed in one of the sides. ard the nec
boxes may be arranged Oh the outsld
OF the end opposite the door will
openings to them from the house ane
"a n o{t
take away the eggs without enterin:
the house.
Pv this arrangement it is unneces
sary to leave a passage in tn hs'us
and the perches may be stretched Ell
/ tircly across it from one side to tn
| other.
Farm buildings are generally :,r
ranged, SO far as I have been able &
! see. to from two to three sides of
| square and the doors open into tn
yard which is enclosed on two o
! three sides by the out houses, Will
/ the dwelling house near the publ
| road.
| If one Of these houses is to be use,
/ for poultry. / would recommend tina
the doors should be made to open a
! the back of the house, so that the bird
/ can run out into a field rather th Al
! into the farmyard.
The field at the back may then b,
| divided into two or more runs with
out Inconvenience to the other farm
stock, and the house may be divide.
/ into as many parts as there are runs
SO as to provide both roosting pen
and runs for as many small hocks q
may be kept.
Winter eggs are OF course desire:
and we can only get them by maxim.
our hens comfortable by day an,
/ night
The roof of the poultry hone
/ should be double and I consider it
good plan to put corrugated IRON on
side with a lining Of wood but il i
better still to build the house highe
than may be required for the fowl
and TO loft it in the usual way TIL
loft can be used for storing food III
ter, etc, and the warmth of ~,
house Will be considerably incraarad
HANDLING HONEY
II HleiIhS candied extracted homo