The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-08-26

poultry culture. The secret of our power Is to turn nature inside out and wrong side up. Fall matching is as feasible as spring matching. The wilderness bird Is unprotected from the merciless frosts of winter She is therefore dependent upon the whims of climate in the hatch ing and rearing of her young. But the domestic fowl should be as independent of climatic conditions as her owner.
 It is true that eggs will be fewer and egg prices higher than in the spring. But the meat produced will also be of higher value, and the demand both of home and in the markets will be greater In midwinter than in July and August. It will thus be readily seen if examined from any point of view that the poul- tryman, like the dairyman, ought to make little difference between seasons of frost and seasons of sunshine in the pursuit of his business.
 Equipment for Fall Matching
 Equipment means everything for any kind of business Conditions should be made as favorable as possible. It pays to get ready. Failure here will mean failure all along the line This Is as
 
 matching.
 The weather conditions are likely to be fully as favorable for this work in September, October and November as in March, April and May. In fact, the autumn quarter has the warm weather at the better end of the line. It will be much easier to handle September matched chicks than March matched.
 Every variation of temperature that rao onr I4 faI fo be prepared for in the natural season of incubation. Nothing more than this same sensible standard is required in the unnatural season. Chilly days and nights may be looked for after the mid dle of September. Mother hens with broods should have well protected quar- ters. If breeders are used instead of hens, heat ought to be ready to be turned on at any moment of day or night This is matter of prime inn portance with newly matched chicks
 The large amount of fresh green food available in early autumn furnishes s great advantage in the rearing of chicks at this season. It is truy amazing what a large proportion of a growing broods food may consist of tender green stuff that is worthless for any other purpose Such diet Is most natu- val and therefore best for them. They S1t1~NtNNAiJ | tender grass clippings, and many kinds O. weeds that grow very rank and rap ldly as the aftermath of the summer i crops. The most possible should be made of this costless and yet invaluable l food source Such vegetable roughage Keeps the digestive processes in excel lent tone besides furnishing much of the wholesome nourishment
 Table scraps should be also carefully | conserved ma far al ~P +L;. l 1 can be gathered from the Kitchens of neishbors who keep no animals of any kind, and are glad to dispose of the table refuse in this way. If every 1 thing of this kind were fathered and used in the feeding of poultry it would mean the saving of millions of dollars worth of food for this great world ] crisis. Care should be exercised, how ever. in the feeding of such garbage to young chicks. Much of it is richer than poultry food ought to be- Some of 1t | Is disturbing to the digestion But with due care a great work of. "con- servation" may be done along this line,