Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-03-14

country. and in the roads this has been
churned into slush and mixed with mud.
This makes the meanest sort of walk
Ing. but | wore my rubber boots and
was pretty well winded when l got to
the station, but l was in time to catch
my car.
Yesterdays work got the house into
fairly habitable condition. but the snow
made 1t almost impossible to do any
thing out of doors. Jane was so anxious
to get some hens that l decided not to
wait to repair the old chicken house.
cleaned 1t out and put fresh straw in
the nest boxes. and last evening the
boys and / went over to Mr.. Browns
and brought back the two dozen biddies
] had engaged from him. / liked the
looks of the little brown leghorns. but
we want as many of them to sit as pos
sible. and the leghorns are a non-sitting
breed So We got a few Rhode Island
reds and barred rocks. and the rest are
just hens. But SO they lay eggs and
hatch chickens for us it doesn't matter.
i am going to telephone today from the
Office to poultry plant over in Alexan-
dria county and engage eggs for hatch
ing thoroughbred white rocks and white
leghorns. Also | have got to buy an
incubator and have it sent out. We've
decided to get one with a capacity of
40 eggs to begin with.
No Feed for Chickens.
Our hens would have gone breakfast
lass this morning had it not been for
broken bread and table scraps. l had not
expected to get them until next week so
had neglected to buy any feed. l placed
an order for feed at Lovitts store this
morning, and he promised TO send it up
by noon. The choice of a ration was a
problem to which we gave considerable
thought. We finally decided on equal
parts of wheat. oats and cracked corn. to
be fed In a deep litter Of straw, and Il
dry mash to consist of two parts wheat
bran and one part each of niddl;nes.
cornrneal. ground oats and meat meal.
] am going TO make a hopper from which
10 feed this and il will be kept in front
of the hens all the time | decided not
Z, add either alfalfa meal or cut clover
because as soon as the snow is off the
ground there'll be plenty of grass and
other green food for them. Jane and tbs
boys have undertaken to feed and care
Tor the chickens. so my only part will be
an advisory one.
that hog pen and yard and get then
ready for the two pigs 7 have engaged
from Mr.. Brown. It doesn't look as Il
il ever had been cleaned, but several ton.
of manure for my garden will pay TO
the work I'll get wheelbarrow ant
shovel and go at it, and as Mr.. Brow
says 1t will be month before the pig
are old enough to take from their moth
er I ought to have no trouble getting tn
place ready.
The fruit trees are another thing tina
j know ought to have attention, but
haven't the slightest idea In the worl,
how to go about It. 1t doesn't look as i
they ever had been pruned. and the.
need spraying of course There ism
enough of the fruit to justify me in go
ing to any considerable expense. but tn
improved quality undoubtedly would pa
for my work, If only knew what worl
to do. It's apparent here is place
need expert advice. SO I think I'll pay
visit to the fruit men of the Department
of Agriculture.
Jim and Ned are going to start +
school Monday morning. Mr.. Brown,
find. Is one Of the school trustees, an
Bud" Brown has offered to act as thei
chaperon. There are four rooms In tn
school building, with two classes in eac
room. This makes the course about t
correspond with the first eight grades O
the Washington schools. Jim is in tn
fifth grade. 80 1t probably win be thre
years before It will be necessary to SEN
him to the city to high school.
Confronted by Boy Problem.
Our FIRST day In the country jumped m
square into boy problem such as / ha
never bean asked to solve in town. Bud