Miscellaneous

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 227, 5 November 1887, Page 3

Miscellaneous

Fvttl\i\y: Poultry. —An c\'c;?llent plan is to pla^o tlicm in fattening houses confitt acted specially for the purpose. Each house may be made to contain from ten to twenty fowl«, and should be warm and aiiv, m . ith raised earth floors, covered with a Li nf gravel strewn slightly with straw. '. -i '.ou.se must be kept perfectly clean, rfevcial troughs for food and water should be placed in the house, .so that each bird may have easy access to them. For fattening fowls, the use of a perch is contrary to the usual practice ; but it may be allowed dining the first portion of the time. For this purpose, a few perches may be placed in the house, but they will not bo required for long, for as soon as the fowls begin to fatten from feeding, they Mill prefer to roost in the straw. By this method fowls may be fattened to as high a degree, and their flesh will be as delicate, as if they were fattened in a farmyard.

Mvkixo Fowls Pay. — Why should we expect poultry to pay when they get poor keeping and no provision is made for their comfort, any more than we would expect the best results from horses, cows, or sheep under like conditions ? While all fowls iray be made to pay well with good care, the pure breeds or their ciosses, wore judiciously selected and fed according to the requirements, will give the best results ; the heavier breeds, such as the Brahmae, Cochin.-?, and Plymouth Rocks, me too often over-fed ; their quiet disposition gives them a tendency to lay on fat too readily when fed all the/ will eat, and care should be taken to avoid this. The lighter breeds may, vith impunity, be fed as much as they will eat up clean. Aside from a conbtant simply of gravel, ground oyster shells etc., wo all know, or ought to know, the value of green food for poultry the year round. Under this head, may be named potatoes, cabbage, onions, turnips, beets, etc. Few know what an excellent winter food is qhe mangel-wurzol. Belhune,"the sprinter, ran a great race at Platt^burgh, U.S.A., on September 1. He handicapped Saunders, a fast man, three and a half yards in 100, and won in the remarkable time of 9 4-ssec over a heavy track. In the morning Bethune led the Relief hose team in a race against time, and landed them in 41sec, but a quarter slower than the fastest record. Bethune also won tho 200 yards race in 19jtsec. Tho tracks were full distance, and the timers will make affidavits as to the time. An item of San Francisco news is that Gaudaur was beaten by two lengths, in a match rowed at Orillia, Ontario, by a sculler named Wise.