SCRATCHINGS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1315, 13 May 1897, Page 28

SCRATCHINGS.

Simply because poultry raising in a cold English climate does not pay, you will hear some stupid people say, “ Oh;, there’s nothing in poultry." This prejudice should be 7igorualy wiped out of existence. Look at Prance, and think of the millions of pounds’ value she raises in poultiy produce every year. Avoid feeding the lading hens on maize: it fa'tens the inside of the bird. A little maize is useful for fattening purposes.

Artificial incubation is the best where poultry farming is made a business, but for ordinary farm poultry grown in limited numbers artificial incubation is not necessary.

Between two and three million eggs are consumed in New York city every day. The eastern States do not raise a 3 many eggs as they consume. If there are any onions that are too small or otherwise unfit for market they should be given to the hens. The tender sprouts are excellent for early hatched chickens in thospring before there is other green food. The germ of an egg may be destroyed by|dipping the small end in boiling water for half a minute. Running a fine needle into the large end, then closing with chalk or wax, is another method. Infer tile eggs will keep longer than those which are fertile. It is sometimes claimed that fowls hatched and reared by artificial means gradually lose the disposition to brood, till after several generations they become hen-sitters. There seems so be no good reason why this should be so. Nature does strauger thing than this in her efforts to adapt herself to new conditions. But how it must try her patience when she gets hold of some of the Asiatics 1