THE WISCONSIN FARMER.                             
               373

   them without having them cost twice as much this article, simple and unpretending-for
   " they are worth. But with proper manage- utility rather than show-and
can be erected
   ment and conveniences for them, they are at no great expense. It is designed
to accom-
   among the most agreeable, useful andl indis- modate from twenty-five to
thirty fowls, and
   pensable objects in country life         that is as many as any common
sized family
   We will now mention a few points requisite would find it profitable to
keep, unless they
   for the successful managing of poultry. The have a wide range.  If restricted
in their
   sailor commences housekeeping by getting a freedom, a yard of one half
of an acre would
   wife, and then a house; but as this system  be sufficient, provided a
portion should afford
   has its inconveniences, we recommend to be- grass, and a dense shade of
low trees and
   gin with the house. First get the cage, then shrubs, to which the fowls
may retire in hot
   the bird; or, in other words, first. prepare the weather, where they will
bask in the dust,
   house, and then procure the fowl.        and spend much of their time
in a sociable
   Whether fowls are suffered to run at large, and agreeable manner.
   or are confined, there should always be a  In the first place, the location
of the house
   poultry-house and yard, where they can be should be on a dry, gravelly
or sandy soil,
 regularly fed and cared for. Previous, there- and the surface sloped and
so drained as to
 fore to getting a stock of fowls, a suitable avoid all stagnant moisture,
so destructive to
 place should be prepared for them,       chickens. The house, if there be
a choice,
   The confinement of fowls will be found a should have a southern aspect,
and the yard
 most necessary arrangement, as on many oc- on either side, as taste and
convenience Iway
 casions it is highly requisite they should bb suggest; but so long as the
ground is uncov-
 confined, as at planting time, or at some other ered, the fowls would enjoy
a range on the
 periods when they are particularly trouble- south, and would be benefitted
by coming to
 some.  Close confinement in a room or shed the ground.  The house, to aecomodate
the
 would interrupt their laying, and make them  aforementioned number of fowls,
should be 12
 sick, but a yard on a plan we are about to de- feet long, 8 feet wide, and
8 feet posts.
 scribe, would answer every purpose, and be  Interior Arrangem i..-The house
must be
 found very advantageous in securing the eggs airy and well ventilated. 
The floor must be
 of sueh fowls as had contracted a habit of made of some hard material, so
as to allow
 laying away and hazarding the loss of eggs. the droppings to be scraped
away, and the
   In order to unite all the advantages desira- floor strewed with fresh
sand, loam and spent
ble in a poultry-yard, it is indispensable that it ashes, which should be
done daily if possible.
be neither too cold during winter, nor too hot Cleanliness Is indiapecsable;
and to insure
during summer; it must be rendered so at- the destruction of ins"t vermin
the whole in-
tractive to the hens, as to prevent their laying terior of the building;
with its fixtures, nests,
in any chance place away from it. The ex- roosts and all, must be thoroughly
whitewash-
tent of the place should be proportional to the ed, at least once or twice
a year.
number of fowls kept, but it will be better  There should be a partition
across the end
too small than too large, particularly in win- of the house, starting from
between the win-
ter, for the mutual imparting of electricity dow and the door, forming a
hall, or narrow
and animal heat. There is no fear of engen- room for storing feed, &c.
There should be a
dering infectious liseases by too much crowd- door in the partition opening
into the main
ing; and it is found, in fact, that while fowls room. Nest boxes may be placed
against the
have been kept apart they are much less pro- partition, one tier on the floor,
and another
lifie                                        tier about three feet high,
over them, which
  Having settled all preliminaries, we will should be not larger than will
accommodate a
now give a plan, as illustrated at the bead of single hen. The roosts should
be placed cross-