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* *
PRACTICAL MINTS FOR THOSE WHO WOULD MELP THEMSELVES

IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF

CONVENIENCES FOR USE ABOUT

TME YARD, THE GARDEN AND THE FARM,

WITH ESPECIAL REFERENCE TO
POULTRY-KEEPING.

[eee * * * BY * * *

mS Se

joORNRY LEE, {POS oC orriaan
WY 17 i994 }

INDIANAPOLIS IND.

Mase |
H) 374s

PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHOR:
1894

—

— COPYRIGHTED 1894.—

#* This Book is Copyrighted to protect my rights as Author, Artist and Publisher. Others cannot copy or otherwise use any of the

contents,— whether text or illustrations, in whole or in part,— without rendering themselves liable to prosecution under
the laws of the United States. But the Copyright is not intended to prevent the construction and use of the
conveniences described, by any purchaser of the book. The Copyright is a necessary protection
against dishonest publishers and artists. J. HENRY LEE.

oe a = oar et 3 Sy Poe ee
ELECTROTYPED BY THE) PRINTED AT OFFICE OF

2 INDIANAPOLIS | THE OHIO: :

: ELECTROTYPE | POULTRY .

FOUNDRY POSES Ee 5 :

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INTRODUCTORY.

THE one great idea with an American, in any enter-
prise, is that it must pay; and the constant study is to
make it pay well. That business pays best in which
the resources, of whatever nature, are managed with e-
conomy, — and by economy I do not mean merely an
expenditure of the least possible amount of money,
(which idea too often results in neglect and consequent
waste, ) — but I refer to the proper admixture of brains
with business, so as to secuze the best results obtaina-
ble. And if these results can, by more careful study,
be reached with a smaller expenditure of cash than had
before been considered necessary, so much the better
for the business. That is what the average American

aims at every time.

An example from the following pages will serve to il-
lustrate my meaning fairly. The small wooden button,
with a screw or nail in its center, has been used from
time immemorial to fasten doors, because it is cheap
Yet, with a little
thought, the idea is immensely improved by simply

and handy: to use it is economy.

driving a small nail above the button: it is therefore
truer economy to use this small nail, notwithstanding
it is an added expense. That is the key-note of this
book, — to present ideas that are useful, cheap, con-
venient, and (what is these and more ) economical in
the truest sense of the word. Many of the ideas ad-
vanced are original, — I cannot claim that they all are;
possibly some are not the best of their kind, — there
may be a difference of opinion as to that.

It is not within the province of this work to argue
that poultry-keeping pays; those who have kept poul-
try, with brains, know that it pays, while those who
have failed at the business are past all hope and this
book will never reach them. That it will be a practical
benefit to those who are now keeping poultry, and to
others as well, is the hope of

THE AUTHOR.

HOUSE DESIGN NO. 1.

“*SOME OF LEE'S IDEAS.”

GENGRAL OBS@RVATIONS,

A CARPENTER need not be hired to make the con-
veniences about to be described; the average owner of a
home will prefer to make the improvements himself, at
odd times, and they are specially designed with this in
view, — even the buildings will not be found beyond the
capacity of ordinary intelligence. And there is a satis-
faction in applying the improvements one’s self, — not
to mention the saving of expense. The tools needed
are generally the property of any householder, but they
can be purchased at small cost as compared to hiring
the work done. The necessaries are a saw, a hatchet,
a square, a screw-driver, a three-corner file and a pocket
knife, — a surprisingly short list, — to which might be
added for convenience, a pair of combined wire-cutters
and pliers and an anvil; however a very serviceable
substitute for these can be made by driving an axe into
the end of a heavy block for the anvil and two large
spikes driven deep at one corner of the same block, a-
bout an eighth of an inch apart, will serve for shaping
wires and holding them while being filed. A smooth-
ing plane and a brace, with two or three sizes of bitts
for it, might be added. All of these tools, of good qual-
ity, including the axe, can be bought for not to exceed
ten dollars. The lumbér can be purchased ready-
dressed on one or both sides, as required; old boxes

are GENERAL OBSERVATIONS, — BUILDINGS.

will many times supply the boards wanted. Wire-nails
are best for most purposes and a given weight contains
a greater number than of common nails; smooth wire-
nails are the most generally useful, and where great se-
curity is desirable the trick is easily learned by which
a gentle squeeze and twist of the wire-cutters will raise
a pair of barbs near the point of the nail.

xX UK KE EK HEH K HK He KE

BUILDINGS.

SUITABLE house is the first consideration in the
profitable care of poultry, whether for home use
or market, or the fancy, so-called. An expen-
sive building is by no means a necessity; and
on the other hand the time has almost gone by
when feathered-stock is required to shift for itself.
Hens that pay their owners a profit while compelled
to roost in trees, do not deserve to live. The best loca-
tion is on dry and slightly sloping land, with a south-
ern exposure. But when this is not available, any dry
situation should be chosen, or sufficient earth filled in
to provide for this. Dryness is imperative.

Believing that a cheap house might be an advantage
to some, and perhaps induce others to give their fowls
better accommodations than the too-frequent open shed
I designed the house illustrated on the opposite page,

“‘SOME OF Lee's IDEAS." __

several years ago. The full details of its construction
were published at that time in the Poultry Bulletin, N.
Y., the American Poultry Journal, Chicago, and I be-
lieve in some of the other prominent fanciers’ periodi-
cals; and I am told that the design has been adopted
both in a small way and on extensive farms; it is well
adapted for use in the colony plan or it can readily be
extended to an indefinite length. The original house
is still in use in my yard.

The original plan allows for one hundred square feet
of floor-space, which is divided into two pens to accom-
modate two pens of fowls ora pen of breeding fowls
and their chicks. It is 10 feet square, facing south,
with common window sash for light and warmth. It
is a common mistake to fill the whole side of a poultry
house with glass ; beside the unnecessary expense, this
is inimical to the health of poultry confined in such a
building at the season when the warmth which it is in-
tended to supply, is most needed ; the sunshine during
the day will warm up the house more thoroughly than
if asmaller surface of glass were used, but a second
thought will remind us that the large surface of glass
also reduces the temperature very rapidly and thor-
oughly at night ; moisture is thus precipitated from the
warm air upon the inner side of the windows to such an
extent that the glass is soon completely covered with
ice, and the lee side of a snowbank is warm, in com-

aoc BUILDINGS.

parison. The amount of glass shown in the house il-
lustrated, is sufficient to afford the necessary light, and

at the same time, it furnishes a warm spot on the floor
for the fowls to bask in, when confined during severe
weather, without subjecting them to extremes of tem-
perature each day. Glass is one of those good things
of which too much is bad; a poultry-house can’t be
properly heated by it.

In summer, when the sun’s rays fall perpendicularly,
the slant of the sash in this house keeps the floor in
shade, while in winter, when the sun is much further
south, its rays penetrate even to the rear wall, and thus
every part of the floor receives the benefit of their in-
fluence, during the course of the day. In a later page
of this book, I will carry this idea of utilizing and a-
voiding sunshine, still further.

Having selected a site for the building, the first item
to be considered, in its construction, is whether or not
it must be rat-proof; this is to be considered, whether
a foundation is placed under the house or not. By my
plans, no foundation of any sort, is required ; I do not
even use sills, and the house is also built without cor-
ner posts. A house practically without frame or founda-
tion may seem entirely wrong to a professional builder
but, as durability is not sacrificed, I have ventured to
set aside the ordinary rules thus far, thereby cutting off
a large part of the expense. The surest way to head off

**SOME OF LEE'S IDEAS."

the rat burrow is to bury pieces of tin or sheet-iron a few
inches underground on both sides of the wall, — old
stove-pipe, or anything which the rat cannot penetrate;
of course a brick or stone foundation, set deeply into
the ground, will keep the rats out; likewise tin, or
other such material, if placed perpendicularly, would
accomplish the same purpose ; but it is generally more
convenient to lay the material flat and cover it with
earth, banking against the wall on both sides. This
protection must be placed inside of the house, as well
out,— otherwise his ratship will burrow from the unpro-
tected side, and doubtless be glad to have a tin roof o-
ver his head. A foot or so each way is all that is nec-
essary, because the rhodent always begins his mining
operations near the wall.

As before stated, I designed this house with the idea
of making it as cheap as possible; its size,— 100 square
feet of floor-space, — is very convenient for ordinary
use, and the cost of the one I built, was as follows:

240 feet of eight-foot fencing, at $14.50 per thousand, cost, 33 48
zoo ” " ten-footflooring " 16. a Paes 296
4 ten-foot boards, 12in. wide, 18. ” a Bp 72
BrakaUSGANtl i ep LEN TECK OND ym setae tele ramen ne) ell (ase 2
2 bundles lath, 5 5 eee nets Ser NGAP evigne, firm o-n- co 30
2 second-hand sash, Be 8 tered pou 100
20 pounds of tarred paper, at 3 ante per mem ae! go a 60
1 pair half-strap hinges, with screws, ...... .- 15
Malis Rican pant. 1. cet inm Site y cater vp <le''s pla <s 58

Total $10 00

-. BUILDINGS,

The fencing and flooring came in six inch widths.
To begin the construction, first saw 20 of the fencing
boards to a uniform length of six feet; these are for the
rear wall. The scrap ends are then to be trimmed all
to two-foot lengths, for the lower part of the front wall,
a fencing board being ripped in two strips, to which.
these scraps are nailed, as shown in Fig. 2; two boards
near each end, are left for the doors for the fowls.
This done, all is ready for nailing together the base of
the whole house ; three of the wide boards are used for
the base and-the fourth for the partition. The front
base slants outward, as shown in Fig. 1.

“SOME OF LEE'S IDEAS.”

The frame is then constructed by erecting a long fenc-
ing board at three feet from the front end of each side
base and a shorter one at the rear ends, as shown in
Fig.1, (which shows these boards trimmed to fit under
the roof.) These two sets of uprights are then con-
nected by scantlings, for the roof, scantlings being re-
quired to give the necessary strength to the roof; under
the ends of these scantlings, fencing boards are nailed,
uniting the uprights; the third scantling is then fas-
tened in place, midway between the others. The top
of the two longest uprights is then connected with the
front base, by a fencing board, and two boards nailed

ea A SA
J

ee See
Aste] VA Geta Ranches

Aer BUILDINGS.

across the front, to support the sash. The whole frame
is then complete and ready to be enclosed. Figs. 1 and
2 show side and front details of the frame. Fencing
boards are used on the sides and back and flooring for
the roof and front; flooring is best for roof and front,
because, being smooth, it sheds the rain readily, and
being tongue-and-grooved, there is no trouble with
leaks. The sash are adjusted in their proper places,
with strips of tin above them to turn water, before the
boards are nailed on. The cracks on the sides and back
of the house are stripped with lath; the inside of the
house is lined with tarred paper; and the roof and
front are painted with a cheap mineral paint. This
makes the house sufficiently warm for winter in almost
any northern latitude; for the South the tarred paper
might be dispensed with, but it is an advantage any-
where as a disinfectant and also because it is very dis-
agreeable to all kinds of vermin; and preventive meas-
ures must be taken against lice wherever the English
sparrow is found. The roof might be painted with tar,
instead of mineral paint, as the slant is not enough to
run it off in hot weather.

The partition is made of lath, nailed closely, on the
broad base board, a narrower board being used for the
top. Enough scrap pieces will be left to make dust and
nest boxes, roosts, etc., and the arrangement of these
can be made as best suits the convenience of the owner.

**SOME OF Lee's IDEAS.”

The gate in the partition rests on the top of the base-
board ; this prevents sagging and leaves the base-board
unweakened. The same principle is applied in the
construction of the yard gates, as will be explained
later. The small doors in the front base are raised and
lowered by cords, which can be reached while standing
at the main door; these cords pass over home-made
pulleys, and each is attached to an iron bolt on its door
which is heavy enough to fall into its socket when re-
leased. I arranged this to fasten or unfasten the door
by the lifting-cord, and it was very satisfactory; but
I found, in use, that the mud from the feet of the fowls
in moist weather, would accumulate in the socket into
which the bolt was expected to drop, and thus interfere
sometimes, with its free movement. For this reason,
I have practically abandoned these doors, adopting a
vertical door, which is so constructed that no lever can
be inserted under it by a thief, or has an automatic
fastening above it, which will be described and illus-
trated in that part of this book specially devoted to the
subject of doors.

Ventilation can be provided in either of two ways.
Holes can be cut at the top of each side wall, thus sup-
plying “‘top ventilation,’’ and these holes may be coy-
ered with a movable shutter, by which to regulate the
size of the opening, according to the temperature, the
number of fowls housed, or any other condition which

aneece BUILDINGS.

may arise. However, the ventilator most commonly
employed is a tube made by nailing together 4 boards
long enough to extend froma point near the floor at
the center of the house, out through the roof. Each
style of ventilator has its special advantages, and the
builder can choose for himself ; the important point a-
bout a ventilator is to avoid subjecting the fowls toa
draft at night.

My perches are placed at the center or each compart-
ment; they rest on blocks nailed to the side walls and
tothe partiton. The perch is two inches square, with
the corners rounded off, made of proper length to
spring into place firmly. They can be removed when
occasion requires, aud are not in the way, like benches,
when not in use, as they can be leaned up in one cor-
ner of the house. Young birds of the Asiatic and A-
merican classes should not be permitted to sit upon
perches of any sort until the ‘“‘keel-bone”’ is well past
the gristle state. The dust-bath must be placed under
the window, as chickens will not use it ina dark or
cold place, in winter.

It will be readily seen that this house can be ex-
tended to any length desired, by using three posts every
ten feet, to support the roof, a partition at these posts
taking the place of the end wall in the original plan.

eee A MODEL HOUSE, ee e
coke

UT a thoroughly good and convenient house”

is more often desired than one in which the

greatest recommendation is its cheapness. I

have therefore designed a house which pos-
sesses about all the features really desirable in a house,
I think, and which can be built at a small cost, also.
In connection with the other conveniences which I
shall describe, I believe little is left to be desired, in
the ordinary range of poultry keeping. The illustra-
tion on the opposite page gives a perspective view. No
attempt at architectural beauty has been made, but a
careful reading of the description will, I think, con-
vince anyone that it is ‘‘built for business.’’ Reasons
why are all pointed out.

This building is of the same dimensions as the one
first shown, viz., 10 by 10 feet, and is 12 feet high at the
rear, the roof sloping to a height of eight feet from the
ground, at the top of the sash. The change in the di-
rection of the slope of the roof is practically the only
difference in the external design of the two houses; the
slope and length of roof are the same, the slope of front
the same and the windows are in the same position.
The reason for the change in the direction of the roof

was hinted at a few pages back. I noticed, in winter,
that the snow or sleet would stay on the roof of house
No. 1, long after the front had become perfectly dry in
the sunshine. The difference in angle would make a
less amount adhere to the front, of course, but this did
not fully account for it all; investigation developed the
fact that the sun’s rays touched the roof at such an
angle as to make them powerless.
roof having a northern aspect.

This is true of any
It therefore became
advisable to reverse the slant of the roof, to give the
sun a fair chance. Warmth is desirable, and, if the
elements can serve or harm us, they should be looked
after. If the sun shines squarely against the roof, it
will remove the snow or ice or morning’s frost quickly,
and adry roof is certainly better, in every way, than
an icy roof. We therefore find that house design No. 2
not only admits the sunshine, for light and warmth, to
almost the whole floor of the house, but also takes ad-
vantage of the same element to secure the best possible
conditions all around, in the winter season. The prin-
ciples I have pointed out apply, also, to our advantage,
in summer, in house design No. 2. Glance at Figs. I
and 2, next page,— the dotted lines representing the

““SOME OF LEE’S IDEAS.”

WINTER SUN.

sun's rays, the others representing the slant of the roof
and windows, of house No. 2. It will be noticed that
in winter the rays enter the window and also strike the
roof squarely; but, in summer, when the sun is much
further to the north, its beams cannot enter at the win-
dow and they touch the roof at the angle at which our
winter experience demonstrates they have the least
power. Thus this design utilizes the sun’s warmth to

aot A MODEL HOUSE.

Fig pe
SUMMER SuN.

the best advantage, in winter, and avoids it, as much
as possible, in the heat of summer.

In this design the roof projects out over the top of
the windows sufficient to shed water, but does not ob-
struct the light ; this makes the tin flashing used above
the sash in house No. 1, unnecessary in this design,
which is an advantage, because such work, even when
done by a practical roofer, is not always free of leaks.

“SOME OF LEE’S IDEAS."” 13

If it seems inadvisable to allow the water from the roof
to flow over the windows, the common form of cheap
gutter can be erected on the roof, without obstructing
the light in the least. This gutter is made by fastening
a narrow board vertically on its edge, near the lower
edge of the roof and filling the angle with a board,
which has been tapered to about a half-inch width at
the outlet end. Tin is then shaped over these strips
and tacked to them and to the sheathing of the roof.
The shingles, or other roofing materials, are then made
to lap over the upper edges of this tin covering. No
doubt the water can, in most cases, discharge from the
end of the gutter, no spouting being necessary.

As before remarked, a poultry house should front to-
wards the south. If located on a city lot which fronts
north, I find some will cling to the idea that the house
must be placed at the rear end of the lot, and conse-
quently cannot have a south front; this is a mistake,
because, if a space is to be allotted to the fowls, their
house can be located at the front of that space, or in
the middle of it, and would be more safe from depreda-
tors, if so located. Ona lot which extends east and
west, the building may be located at the side of the
space set apart for poultry. In this, as in other affairs,
“what is worth doing at all, should be done right.”

Perhaps the most important difference between the
two designs is in the floors. No.1 has an earth floor,

ss» A MODEL HOUSE.

which is kept covered with straw or other litter. No. 2
has a floor made of tongue-and-grooved stuff, and this
floor is two feet above the ground. If we study the
subject of floors, we find the first essential is dryness;
this is secured by an elevated floor better than in any
other way. Again, the trouble with rats is avoided;
the precautions against these pests, detailed in the last
chapter, are unnecessary with design No. 2. A board
floer on, ora few inches above, the ground, forms a
capital retreat for the rat, as well as for other small an-
imal pests; the elevated floor, with dust underneath it,
as is contemplated iu this design, furnishes no such
harbor, aud the animal, of whatever kind, which at-
tempts to burrow into this house, finds the dust in its
nose anything but agreeable; however, if it should be
courageous enough to not turn back, it would find it-
self in an empty room, no nearer the fowls than before
entering, and its place of entrance clogged with dust.
The floor is made tight to avoid drafts about the fowls,
thus insuring their comfort, and to keep the litter and
droppings where they should be,—which is not in the
dust-bath. The location of the floor is indicated by
the dotted line, in design No. 2.

If the flooring boards are sawn into short lengths, to
be put in the house crosswise, only three joists will be
needed for each half of the house; and 2x4 scantlings
will answer very well for joists. My idea is that the

“*SOME OF LEE'S IDEAS."’ iu

partition should be made to extend from the ground up
through the floor, be made of lath nailed to a board at
the ground but not at the floor; the lath to be about a
half inch apart, or so close that the fowls cannot pick
at each other, or very small chicks creep through the
cracks. The ordinary length of lath is four feet; this
places the strip to which the upper ends of the lath are
nailed, at two feet above the floor, — the proper height
for the perches, where my method of arranging the
perches is adopted. A second course of lath is placed
above this, to make the partition of proper height; it
will then extend above the floor six feet, which is just
the height of the roof at its lowest part, and sufficient
to turn back almost any ‘‘flyer.’’ A partition thus
constructed, leaves a series of small holes, at the floor-
line, which forma part of the system of ventilation
employed in this house; this will be fully explained
later on. The believer in no ventilation is at liberty to
make the floor solid, and erect the partition above it.

Fig. 3 shows the end elevation of this house. The
door can, of course, be placed at whichever end is most
convenient. The line of dashes, marked F, shows the
location of the floor, two feet above the ground. The
roof, at its highest point, is twelve feet from the ground
and at the lowest, eight feet. The door is six feet high
and three feet wide. A battened door, as here shown,
answers every purpose as well as amore expensive

A MODEL HOUSE,

Fig. 3:— END ELEVATION.

style. It is made of the same material as the sides of
the house, —tongue-and-grooved stuff,— and the bat-
tens which are nailed very firmly at about a foot from
the bottom and eighteen inches from the top, may be
of the same material, also. The position of the perch
is indicated at R, with drop-board pB beneath, covering
nest-box N, which has a lid, L, to open outward when

**SOME OF LEE'S IDEAS.”’

Fig. 4:— FRONT ELEVATION.

gathering the eggs. This is the usual method of ar-
ranging perches and nests, and is not objectionable in
any way; but I.will explain a better arrangement,
when I touch that subject, in its proper place. The
closed end of the gutter described on page 13, is shown
at G. Ata the front base of the house is shown raised
to keep the house cool, in summer; in winter this front

15

Fig. 5:— REAR ELEVATION.

is fastened down, for warmth. One of the upper ven-
tilators, v, is located at each end of the house. The
references F and G, are the same in Fig. 4 asin Fig. 3.
The dotted line in G shows the position of the tapered
strip which forms the bottom of the gutter, (see p. 13.)
In Fig. 5, F is the floor-line and v v the lower ventila-

tors. All the ventilating holes should be covered with

**SOME OF LEE'S IDEAS.”’

wire-cloth, such as is used for window and door screens,
to keep out small animals and birds. Fig. 5 shows the
method of cutting the boards to best advantage and ap-
plying them to avoid weakening the structure; this is
technically known as ‘‘breaking the joints.’’ The ends
of the boards are made to meet alternately upon the
two scantlings, (represented by the dotted lines at s s,)
to which they are nailed. The height of this wall is
twelve feet, and the two scantlings give the necessary
firmness to that length of tongue-and-grooved stuff.
The upper ends of these boards will be nailed to the
scantling which supports the roof, and an inch board
will be strong enough for the lower ends.

In other respects than those noted in this chapter,
house No. 2 is to be constructed by the details given
for No. 1; no foundation, no sills, no posts. If a brick
or other foundation is deemed desirable, it will only be
necessary to add eight short posts, (at each corner and
at the center of each side,) extending from the joists
which support the floors down upon the foundation.
The roof is supported by three scantlings; is made of
eommon boards covered with roofing-paper or shingles,
and the slanting front is made same as the roof.

In the floor plan, Fig. 6, D is the door, RR the
perches, DB DB the boards under the perches to catch
the droppings, and beneath these boards a place for
the nests. This is the usual arrangement, but my plan

16

A MODEL HOUSE.

Fig. 6:— FLOOR PLAN.

is different. As only a few fowls are expected to be
kept in each side of this house,—a ‘‘breeding-pen”’
consists, ordinarily, of from seven to twelve birds, ac-
cording to the variety, and not over twenty birds
should ever be housed together, at any time,— it will
be a waste of time to clean up the house daily. But
the dropping boards soon become very unsightly; I
therefore discard them altogether. My plan is to fasten
a strip on each outside wall at the proper height to
support the end of the perch,— see the dotted line un-

**SOME OF LEE’S IDEAS."

der R, in Fig. 3, p. 14. This isthe same height as the
top of the first course of lath in the partition, as men-
tioned on p. 14; and the inner end of the perch is to
rest on the cross-piece of the partition, or ona strip
fastened to it. The perch is long enough to spring into
its place firmly, and it should be removed during the
daytime to be located at a different point for the next
night. I recommend the removal of the perches during
the daytime, when the fowls are confined to the house
by severe weather, as they will take more exercise if
there are no convenient perching-places. Exercise is
absolutely necessary to keep the fowls in good health,
and it is a noticeable fact that they will not move
about as much as is good for them, in gloomy weather.
The perches are to be set at a different place each night
to avoid an accumulation of droppings on the floor.
The floor is to be kept covered at all times with chaff,
or some such litter, which will readily absorb the
moisture from the droppings, and the fowls are to be
encouraged to scratch this about, by grain scattered
through it. Managed in this way, there will be no
necessity for cleaning up the house every day, or even
every week, as the floor is always dry, and the litter
can be used a long time before it becomes so foul as to
necessitate its removal. The safe rule is to clean up
and supply fresh litter whenever a bad odor is noticed
on opening the house, in the morning; that is all

Vv

A MODEL HOUSE.

the trouble one need take, in the matter. Of course,
in damp weather the litter will have to be changed fre-
quently, while in dry warm weather it may not require
attention for many weeks; hence no definite time can
be set apart for this work.

A ten-foot 2x4 scantling, ripped through its center,
makes four perches for this house. These will be two
inches square, and the corners should be planed or
whittled off, to permit the fowls to grasp the perch,
without discomfort. A more thorough consideration
of the subject of perches will be given ina special

‘chapter, later on.

Instead of building the nests in, asa part of the
house, I advise the separate nest-box described in the
special chapter on that subject; this is best located
at the space designated NB, in Fig. 6. It should be
made double, with the entrances at the end which is
to be placed toward the outside wall. This is away
from the direct light of the windows,— the hen’s in-
stinct causes her to seek a secluded place for her nest,
and when once accustomed to the arrangement which
I have described, there will be no trouble about stolen
nests. This makes a dark nest, which is the best pre-
ventive of the egg-eating habit; for an innocent hen
sometimes learns that habit by seeing the vicious at
the nest, and generally an egg accidentally broken
by a hen that is innocent of the habit, is considered

‘‘SOME OF LEE's IDEAS.” ts

a feast, if it is in sight,— and thus the pernicious hab-
it is started; but, if broken in a dark nest, it is not
discovered.

I have so far said nothing regarding the entrance for
the fowls. Of course the ordinary entrance, a hole in
the wall with some sort of an arrangement for closing
it at night, will meet the wants of most poultry keepers
but, for the benefit of any who may wish to use it, I
will explain an inexpensive plan by which to shut out
the cold wind of winter, as much as possible, while
permitting the fowls to passin and out‘at will. Re-
ferring to Fig.6, Bisa box which may be eighteen
inches square, more or less, according to the size of
the fowls kept, and should be a foot or more in height.
Two of these boxes are shown in Fig. 6, one for each
side of the house, and the description and references
are the same, but as they adjoin the partition they are
made to open right and left into the house. The open-
ings in each box for the fowls to pass through, are
marked EE, while P is a partition which shuts off the
direct course between the two openings. In Fig. 7 this
is more clearly illustrated. The partition is seen at P,
and the arrows indicate the course of the fowl, in en-
tering. That side of the box next to the outside wall
is removed, since it would be useless and inconvenient
to match an opening in the box with an opening in the
wall. The five vertical dash lines indicate the boards

race A MODEL HOUSE.

Fig. 7, STORM-PROOF

eo0e000°0 21: ENTRANCE.

of the outside wall, with the opening. The opening
for the use of the fowls is usually about a foot wide, as
here represented, and a foot or more in height, accord-
to the size of the fowls which are to use it; Leghorns
and other fowls having large combs liable to injury,
should be given ample room to pass through.

It might be well to protect the fowls against the drip
from the slanting front, at the entrance. This can be
done in a variety of ways. Perhaps the handiest meth-
od is to fasten a strip, on the slanting front immedi-
ately above the entrance, in the same manner as in
constructing a gutter for the roof, (see p.13.) But if one
end of the strip is placed a trifle lower than the other,
the water will be turned off, and there will be no ne-
cessity for the complete gutter; the vertical strip used
need only be about two feet long. A joint of old stove-
pipe, split in half and tacked on at one edge, would
furnish the necessary protection for both openings.

-”

“SOME OF LEE’S IDEAS.” re]

Having passed through this box entrance, the fowl
is in the lower part of the house. To reach the floor,
the fowl immediately climbs toward the light, first
hopping upon the box through which it entered, then
to the floor. The opening in the floor above the box-
entrance is of the same size as the box; this opening
is itself boxed up to a height of eighteen inches and a
trap-door, falling to an angle of forty-five degrees and
secured there by a drop-bolt, closes the fowls in safely
at night. The outer entrance-hole is also closed by a
drop-door, so that, if desirable, the fowls can be let in-
to the lower part of the house but not permitted to go
outside, in stormy weather. Both of these methods
for closing up entrances, will be found explained in
detail, in a special chapter, later on. Of course an ar-
rangement of the vertical drop could be made to close
the inside entrance of the box and the floor opening at
the same time; but I do not consider this desirable, for
several reasons. For example, by having the floor-
opening with a slanting top to the boxing around it,
the light from the windows will penetrate well under
the house, which would not be the case if the boxing
were vertical and open only at the front.

In summertime, when the front base is raised per-
manently, (see Fig.3,) to keep the house cool, the box-
entrance should not be removed ; it will still be needed
by the fowls in reaching their roosting-places.

A MODEL HOUSE.

Fig. 8 :—

UPPER VENTILATOR.

The two holes under the floor at the back of the
house, two at the highest point in the side walls, and
the small open spaces along the floor at the partition
constitute the system of ventilation, along with the
box-entrance, in winter, and the open front, in sum-
mer. In Figs. 8 and 9, v is the wire-covered opening,
c isthe board or tin cover, working on a round-head
screw, and s is the cord which operates it. To open the
upper ventilators, the cords are pulled down,—when re-
leased the cover falls over the opening, where it is held
by the nail, p; to open the lower ventilators, the cord
(which passes up through the floor,) is released,— to
close, the cords are pulled until nail, d, stops the cover.
Each of the cords should havea loop toslip overa
nail; it will be necessary to regulate the tension of the
cords to hold the upper ventilators open and the lower
ventilators closed.

Fig. 9:—
LOWER VENTILATOR.

‘SOME OF LEE's IDEAS.”” 20

When the front base isup and all the ventilators
open there will be a noticeable draft up through the
small holes in the floor at the partition; and the
warmer the weather, the stronger this action will be,
of course, since the heat rises naturally to the highest
part of any house and this movement is accelerated
in house No. 2, by the location of the upper venti-
lators at the points where they will most readily carry
off the heat. With a tube ventilator, starting near the
floor, cooling the house is out of the question. The
principal idea, ina tube ventilator, is te remove the
foul gases which, being heavier than the air, settle at
floor. But, like the contagious diseases which they en-
gender, these gases are better prevented than cured,
and the high, dry floor, with dry and dusty air be-
neath it, is an effectual preventive, along with the
sanitary precautions which I advised on page 17,—q.v.
In wintertime, it will doubtless be best for the health
of the fowls to keep the lower ventilators closed and
have the upper holes half covered, at least; for, no
matter how carefully built, a house that is not plas-
tered permits some air to enter below and escape above.
With a fair amount of judgement in such matters as
these, there is no good reason why house No. 2 cannot
be kept comfortable and healthful, at all seasons of
the year, and in almost any climate in which fowls can
be profitably kept.

..--. A MODEL HOUSE.

I have made frequent mention of dust under the
house. This is a very important item and should be
fully provided for. The spot upon which the house is
built should be higher than the level of the ground
around it; or a load or two of earth should be filled in
to make it so, if need be. With this precaution in the
beginning, there will be little trouble to keep it dry
afterwards ; and, if thoroughly spaded up and pulver-
ized at first, and given an occasional stirring up, the
earth under the house will quickly be reduced to what
is wanted. In addition to always supplying the dust-
bath, which is indispensable in keeping the fowls in
good health and free of vermin, the dust aids in
keeping the air dry in the house, thus avoiding, so far
as can be, the unhealthy vapors which are created in a
damp house. In winter, the only moisture that can
get under the house is what is carried in by the fowls
through the round-about box entrance; in summer the
open front renders it an easier matter for the fowls to
destroy the dust; but when the front is raised, there is
pfactically over a foot added to the width of the space
under the house, because the base then acts as a roof.
Hence the dust is well protected from even the storm-
iest weather.

Another advantage of this dry, open space under the
house is in the care of young chicks, in summer; it af-
fords a very ready refuge, in the event of a sudden

““SOME OF Lee's IDEAS.” 21

storm, and the ventilating arrangements make it a cool
shelter from the hot sun.

Of course, in early springtime, or in chilly weather,
the young chicks will be confined to the board floor of
the house, and such arrangements made for their ac-
commodation there as best meet the fancy of the per-
son having charge of them. I should advise placing a
board at least six inches wide along the partition at
the floor; there is always some draft there, and very
young chicks are easily injured. Free from dampness
well ventilated and affording ample provision for ad-
mitting light and sunshine, I see no reason why early

A MopbeEt House.

chicks could not be reared in this house with entire
success, by the natural method. Ido not favor arti-
ficial hatching and rearing, for thoroughbred poultry,
and those who engage in the market-poultry business
will adopt a differently arranged house.

Instead of the matched-stuff which I have recom-
mended for the sides of the house, some may wish to
use ‘‘drop-siding.’’ I have not recommended that ma-
terial because it requires a frame, which adds mater-
ially to the cost of the building, while the result has no
particular advantage, for our purpose, over the con-
struction I have described.

=.

i a

=

rh
abe

nae os

HOICE of three kinds of fencing material

is generally available, where an inexpensive

fence is desired; and, unless the fence is ex-

pected to turn large stock, any of these—lath,
wire-netting or picket-and-wire,— will answer fully as
well as astronger or more elaborate construction. Of
the three, wire-netting is, perhaps, the most popular.
It is to be recommended on several counts, being very
durable, handily put up and obtainable at a very reas-
onable figure, in most of the large cities; it is sold at
one cent or less per square foot, in some places.

There are certain principles which apply in the con-
struction of all fences, no matter which of the three
kinds of material is selected. Stability is the great
problem, always. This is to be secured, primarily, by
anchoring the posts deep in the ground. The depth
to which they should be sunk will vary according to
circumstances. If in hard clay they would not have
to be set as deep as in soft sandy soil; and a post that
is driven is more stable, fora given depth, than one
set ina hole dug for it, because the earth can seldom

be tamped in around the post as firmly as it originally
was, while a driven post has compacted the earth more
firmly than its normal condition.

Again, a wire fence will uot offer as much resistance
to a strong wind asa picket or lath fence, and con-
sequently will not require as much firmness in the
posts. Lath or pickets close together will, for the same
reason, require the posts to be more firmly set than if
wide spaces are left between the pickets. The picket-
and-wire fencing will require stronger and firmer posts
than any of the other materials named; in fact where
it is used without a base board it is almost certain to
pull the posts down, sooner or later. Posts for it
should be 4x4 inches, set at least twofeet into the
ground. Lath or wire-netting is more to be recom-
mended fora poultry-yard or garden fence, however.
Properly constructed, either is strong and durable e-
nough for the purpose, and certainly they present a
better appearance and the lath fence can be made more
ornamental, by a small amount of extra work in
trimming the top ends.

**SOME OF LEE'S IDEAS.”

A very convenient tool for tamping the earth solid
around a post is made of a piece of hard wood about
five feet in length, with the upper end trimmed fora
handle, the lower end to be about four inches wide and
not over an inch-and-a-half thick. This will pack the
earth better than a round stick; but whatever is used
for this purpose should have a flat side to strike close
to the post. The dirt should be filled in and tamped
at the same time, because it cannot be packed firmly
at the bottom, if the hole is filled full of loose dirt at
first, and a post so set could easily be pulled over.

A fence that separates two yards in which fowls are
kept, should always have a solid base about two feet
up from the ground; this is to prevent fighting through
the fence, a pastime common to all_breeds of domestic
poultry and by no means confined to the sterner sex.
But a solid base is advisable for all poultry and garden
fences, for other reasons than the one just noted. It
prevents the straying of small chicks into possible
harm for themselves or mischief to adjacent grounds.
It gives strength and stability to the fence. And it is
less convenient for the entrance of rats and other
harmful small animals. For a wire-netting fence the
base is usually made of broad boards, placed horizon-
tally from post to post; and as it will not often happen
that single boards two feet wide can be obtained, the
hint, which I gave in the last chapter, in regard to

24

casa ON THE FENCE.

“breaking the joints,’’ had best be applied in putting
several boards together for the base of the fence. The
same rule should also apply in nailing on the single
board used for the upper rail of. the fence, (for these
light fences, inch-thick boards take the place of scant-
lings used in the ordinary fence, answer every purpose
and are not so expenmsive,) the ends of these upper
boards should not meet ona post directly over a sim-
ilar joint in the base; these joints should be at alter-
nate posts; this is particularly true if the base is made
of only one board. I suppose I need scarcely mention
that this is done to keep the fence from danger of
breaking or racking at the posts ina strong wind.
The broad base fora lath fence can be made more
cheaply, and at the same time more ornamental, by
using two strips of inch-stuff eighteen inches apart,
upon which half-length lath are nailed, alternating
with the full-length, thus making the lower half of
the fence solid. However, no harm would result from
leaving a half-inch space at each side of the short lath,
and less material would then be required to build the
fence. The tops of -both the long and short lath
should be trimmed to a point; this can, after a little
practice, be readily done at one stroke, with a sharp
hatchet, or one stroke for each side where the point is
to be at the center of the lath. When so trimmed this
makes a very ornamental fence, and chickens or birds

“SOME OF LEE'S IDEAS. =

will not attempt to alight upon it. Few chickens are
bold enough in flight to go over a fence; they generally
fly to the top and thence start again.

The lower base board should extend across the gate-
opening, from post to post, to give greater strength to
the fence, as will be explained in the special chapter
on gates.

The height of the fence may vary according to the
breed of fowls kept or the kind of material used in its
construction. Wire-netting two feet six inches wide,
with a solid-base two feet wide, will make a fence of
sufficient height for the American and Asiatic breeds
and for bantams; and such a fence, with no strip along
the top to tempt the fowls to fly up, will generally con-
fine any of the other breeds. And I should here re-
mark that if poultry is to be profitably or satisfactorily
kept anywhere,—whether it be on a farm, in a fancier’s
yards or merely about the premises for family use,—
proper provision should be made for keeping it within
certain bounds; the keeper of thoroughbred stock fully
appreciates this fact, but poultry, as ordinarily allowed
to forage about the farm or back-yard, (usually unfed, )
becomes a nuisance ‘“‘from the very nature of things.’
This is particularly the case where the fowls are taught
to look for scraps at the kitchen door and scattered
grain where the horses and hogs are fed. The poultry
should be fenced away from such places, if given free

aan On THE FENCE.

Fig. 10:— SELF-SUPPORTING Post.

range, and I certainly believe the trouble of opening a
gate in sucha fending fence does not counterbalance
the vexation and waste occasioned by ‘‘having the
chickens always in the way.”’

The height of the ornamental lath fence, which I
described on a previous page, would be over four feet,

“SOME OF LEE'S IDEAS.

and as the base of it will entirely shut off the fowl’s
view beyond and there is no alighting-place on top,
there is little danger of an attempt to fly over.

But a movable fence is often desirable, and in such
cases some plan for a post that will remain firm on
the ground must be adopted. The idea shown on the
preceding page is probably the best of its kind.
The post, for a lath or wire fence, need not be heavier
than 2x4 scantling. It is set into a 2x4 base piece,
(2 in Figs. 10 and 11,) by a half-mortise, as explained

26

sssee ON THE FENCE.

in Fig. 11. The board, (1,) about six inches wide, is
then nailed on at the bottom. The post is then
placed in an upright position and the braces, B, put
on. The block, a, (which is sawn from a 2x4 scrap,)
is also nailed on. At this stage, the post is to be
placed in position and the base boards of the fence
nailed upon it, after which a block like a is to be
braced against the base, instead of against the post
on that side; this is better than to cut the base to
fit over the block. Nails are driven through the base
of the fence into brace B. The pieces 1 and 2 need
not extend out more than two feet each direction, as
a wind which would overturn a fence so constructed
would break down any fence, and providing against
extraordinary circumstances is out of the question.
The braces and blocks are fastened on by driving
the nails diagonally, as shown at B in Fig. 10; this
is, oddly enough, called “toeing”’ or ‘‘toe-nailing.”’

The base boards, being fastened to the braces, add
firmness to the post; block A is not in the way, brace
B would be in the way, on that side of the post; at
first glance, it would seem that brace B is more need-
ed on that side of the post, but the construction of
the half-mortise is such as to make it scarcely pos-
sible to move the post “out of plumb” in that direc-
tion, with no brace against it; the mortise is not so
rigid in the other direction, however.

**SOME OF LEE’S IDEAS."

The same principles would apply in constructing a
corner post, and the only modification of the post in
Fig. 11 would be to place one of the braces on 2, in-
stead of 1; the blocks will then be on the outside of
the corner and the braces inside,— see Fig. 12.

setae . ON THE FENCE.

) LETTE hy

PTAA

Fig. 13.

Ordinary 2x4 scantling make very good posts for
lath or wire-netting fences; aten-foot length would
make two self-supporting posts, but if to be driven into
the ground they would have to be longer, Scantlings
can be readily driven, thus avoiding the trouble of
digging the holes needed for larger posts.

Of course, the higher the fence the greater its cost
both actually and proportionately, because more and
stronger materials are required. This leads us to de-
vise means to prevent flying over a fence. As before
stated, a fence between four and five feet high will
confine the larger breeds of fowls; and, if there is no
opportunity given them to alight on the top of the
fence, there will seldom be any trouble with any of the
breeds, nor with Turkeys or Guineas. But there is

**SOME OF LErE’s IDEAS." 28

occasionally an inveterate flyer that must be circum-
vented. This is generally accomplished by clipping
the flight feathers of one wing. The lady who was so
vexed ata hen that she clipped both wings and the
tail, ‘and the old thing would fly over the fence any-
how,’’ was mistaken in her philosophy, of course; the
idea in clipping one wing (and one only,) is to prevent
a balanced flight, thus causing the fowl to involun-
tarily fall short of its aim, and it will give up, in dic-
gust, after a few attempts. Clipping the flight feathers

ON THE FENCE.

cA

square off sometimes causes such injury to the wing
that the new feathers which grow in afterwards show
defects in color or structure, and the fancier cannot
afford to take any risks, in this particular, with valu-
able fowls. Therefore, if a wing is to be clipped, he
will trim off only the webbed portion of each feather,
leaving the shaft untouched. This causes no injury,
and the feather will remain its natural length of life,
instead of dropping prematurely, as is usual where
the shaft is injured.

““SOME OF LEE'S IDEAS.”

Fig. 16.

But such a remedy is only temporary, at best; the
wiser plan is to stretch a wire along the top of the
fence, as shownin Fig. 13. It is best located about
ten inches inside of and almost on a level with the top
of the fence; the idea is to so place it that the fowl’s
wings will strike it, in an attempt to fly up. A small
wire will mistify most fowls, but almost any kind of
wire will answer the purpose.

Figs. 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 and 21 suggest different
methods of ornamental trimming of lath fences; in

ated On THE FENCE.

. cn ui

Leena Wis

some of these sketches, the laths do not extend as far

tabove the top rail as they should, (and as a four-foot

length would allow,) but the idea is explained and no
attempt is made to picture the fence itself. One post
(Pp) is represented in each sketch. The lower and
upper rails, in this style of fence should be inch-thick
boards about six inches wide; the middle rail, in the
styles requiring it, may be a mere strip.

Generally speaking, it is not in good taste to com-
bine two methods of trimming pickets. For instance

“SOME OF LEE'S IDEAS."

wssee ON THE FENCE.

the pickets shown in Fig. 20 would not look well in
combination with those of Fig. 21. An important ex-
ception to this rule, however, is shown in Figs. 17, 18,
19; side-pointed short pickets might endanger the life
of some fowl, (a young Turkey, for instance,) foolish
enough to attempt to go through the broader space a-
bove and thereby hanging itself. With the square end
or center-pointed picket there is no risk.

Asarule one small nail at each place will answer
every purpose and is really better than two because

the lath breaks easier where two nail-holes are made
in it.

A plan which is sometimes used for Bantams and
where pigeons or other birds are troublesome, is to
cover the whole top of the run with wire-netting. A
fence of the ordinary height would be auseless ex-
pense, in connection with this. Probably the best
plan would be to lay out the runs in long and narrow
form, making the side fences only about two feet high
and the end fences of the ordinary height. The net-

““SOME OF LEE's IDEAS."

Fig. 20.

ting used for the cover to be in two sections, meeting
along the center of the runway and so arranged that
they can be raised up to a perpendicular along the line
of each side fence, when it is necessary that the at-
tendant should enter the runway.

31

nee 2 On THE FENCE.

it

The long and narrow form is best for all yards, for
many reasons, where the fowls are kept confined; the
principal reason is that the same area will afford more
range for exercise, if long than if nearer square in
form.

~_

ON THE GATE.
Camo

EALING, as we are, with exactly the same

kinds of materials, in the construction of

gates, as in the construction of fences much

of what was treated upon in the chapter on
fences applies here and need not be repeated. I sup-
pose it is scarcely necessary to remark that for the
sake of appearances it is wisest to use the same ma-
terial in the gate as is used in the fence; or, in other
words, a gate made of wire-netting would not look well
placed in a lath fence, or vice versa.

As before stated, I think it best to continue the base-
board of the fence across the opening made for the
gate, as this will add firmness to the posts. This base-
board is a famous perching-place for the chickens,
when the gate is standing open, and for that reason it
is advisable, where the heavier breeds are kept, to nail
a strip on the base-board to make the top edge wide
enough to avoid an injury to the breast-bone. I hada
practical lesson on this subject once, and several nice
young Brahmas went to pot.

Another advantage in having the base-board across
the opening is that it affords a support to prevent the

Fig. 22.

sagging which occurs in a greater or less degree in all
gates of the ordinary construction.

“SOME OF LEE’S IDEAS."’

How to prevent sagging is perhaps the most import-
ant question to be considered, in connection with the
gate. The plan most commonly employed is that illus-
trated in Figs. 23 and 24. The brace may be doubled,
as shown in Figs. 25 and 26, which, of course, adds to
the rigidity. Another plan is to suspend the gate by a
wire, as shown in Fig. 22. This wire serves for a hinge

34

Fig. 24.

as shown in the sketch, which calls for no further ex-
planation, I believe.

For a lath gate no frame is needed. The laths are to
be merely nailed upon boards in the same manner as
in building the fence itself. Then, if properly braced,
such a gate, with reasonable care, will be as durable

as the fence itself.

“SOME OF LEE'S IDEAS."

Fig. 25.

The brace, as well as the two battens, should be inch
strips. The brace, being bevelled at the ends, is to be
toe-nailed to the battens, and the laths are to be nailed
Made in this

way such a gate is very firm, considering the materials.

to the brace as well as to the battens.

Figs. 22, 23, 24, 25 and 26 show various styles of lath
gates, under the method of construction which I have
recommended.

35

Fig. 26.

In constructing a gate with wire-netting, a frame
must be made, and it is well to brace this in both di-
rections, as shown in Fig. 27. In making this frame
there is no necessity for mortising at the corners; the
use of long wire nails will make it strong enough for
the purpose, where two braces are employed as shown
in the drawing. The upper and lower pieces of the

frame should bea trifle longer than is needed for the

‘“SOME OF LEE’S IDEAS."

SW ;
LoS

SESS

28S

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rer
RO)
RN
"

i

Ss

\

N

yy

MK
Ne

NK
NY

(

frame, to allow for the fastening, the nails being driv-
en through these pieces into the ends of the uprights.
Some hints on the subject of fastenings will be given
later, in a special chapter.

As atule, a gate is handiest if it is hung so as to be

pulled open with the right hand or pushed open with

sare On THE GaTE.

ee

Fig. 28:— Another Method of Bracing the Frame.

the left.

reverse this.

But circumstances often make it necessary to
For instance, it is better to hang the gate
to swing against a wall than to swing away from it, be-
cause the passage opened is more free and the fasten-
ing is more conveniently reached. On general princi-

ples, the hinge at the wall is firmest, anyway.

ABOUT

VERY-DAY DOORS are made of common

tongue-and-grooved stuff, applied vertically

and held together by ‘‘battens.’’ These are

generally an inch thick and about six inches
wide, very securely nailed at about twelve inches from
the bottom of the door and eighteen inches from the
top. Sometimes a diagonal brace is inserted, in the
same manner as in a gate, but for ordinary use the
battens make the door strong and firm enough, if well
nailed on. Figs. 29 and 30, (next page,) explain this
style of door and the method of constructing it, with
and without a diagonal brace.

The ordinary size fora door of this kind is about
three feet wide and six feet or more high. What was
said in the last chapter as to hanging a gate will apply
to a door as well. If the door is located near one cor-
ner of the house, as in Design No. 2, then it should
open outward away from the corner or inward against
the north wall. The reasons for this are,— first, if the
door were hung to swing out past the corner it would
be liable to injury if opened violently by the wind or

through carelessness; but if a fence were attached to
that corner, either at a right-angle to the door or in
line with it, then there might be no serious objection
to having the door swing northward, and probably that
would be most conyenient where the fence joined ata
right-angle: secondly, if the door were made to swing
in toward the center of the room it would, of course, be
in the way for several reasons

An_extra board should be nailed so as to
cover the crack at each side of the door. In
Figs. 29, 30 and 31 the extra boards are num-
bered 1 and the wall boards 2; the dash lines
on boards 1 1 represent the edges of the door,

2 '
in Figs. 29 and 30. These extra boards serve
a good purpose, also, in making the hinges
and fastenings more secure than they would
be on only one thickness of board.

Fig. 31. In applying these extra boards notches may

be cut to fit the battens of the door, (Fig. 29,)
or the ends of the battens can be trimmed off to make
this unnecessary, (Fig. 30.)

-‘SOME OF LEE’S IDEAS.” 98 eae e. Dae em s| , aers ABOUT Doors.

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“SOME OF LEE’S IDEAS.” Ue BJ Ape We Mean! bed Sessa Apout Doors.

FOO OUE Aas

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Fig. 31. Fig. 32.
Doors for partitions are made like gates,— Figs. 31 It would be wise, also, to use such a door to close the
and 32,— either of long strips, (31,) or of lath, (32.) main entrance, during warm weather. In winter, when

“SOME OF LEE's IDEAS.”

not needed, it can remain swung back against the wall
out of the way, or it can be removed entirely. The
wire hinge described in the next chapter is very handy
where the door is to be removed, and it will support
these light doors as well as gates.

Such doors may be braced in the ordinary way, Fig.
31, or by a wire like the gate shown in Fig. 22. This
method is shown in Fig. 32, which is, to my mind, a
very attractive design, in several ways. Full-length
lath, above the nearly solid base which is made of
half-lengths, brings the height up to six feet. A nar-
row strip, ora lath, will answer for the cross-piece to
join the laths upon. In applying the suspending-wire

soete ABOUT Doors.

the upper end should be shaped for the hinge and then
the lower end filed to a point and bent to a right-angle.
The door is then to be adjusted squarely and this point-
edend driven into hold itso. A staple, such as used
for putting up wire netting, ora hand-made staple of
about the same size, should then be driven down over
the wire near where it enters the wood, and the wire
may also be secured with staples at each lath. If the
points go through the lath they can be clinched into
the wood by holding an axe, or any weighty piece of
iron, against the lath where the points will emerge.
This is better, and much neater, than to attempt to
clinch the points after they are driven through.

ABOUT HINGES.
Ske

OR HANGING a door or a gate the ordinary
strap or half-strap hinge can be used, but if
a number of hinges are needed it may be wise
to adopt something more economical.
In applying a hinge care should be taken to adjust it
to move freely; if ‘‘on a strain’’ caused by crooked ad-

Fig. 35.

justment, the hinge will in time become loose or other-
wise occasion trouble. In applying a half-strap hinge

the broad end is fastened to the gate or door. A hinge
is always fastened to the gate or door first; then, after
adjusting the gate or door to its opening, the hinge is
permanently fixed to the support.

With the idea of a serviceable hinge which would be
cheap and easily made by hand, I have designed a

Fig. 36.

hinge to be made from any heavy wire; two pieces of
old telegraph or telephone wire, each about three and

“SOME OF LEE'S IDEAS.”

one-half inches in length, bent as shown in Figs. 35
and 36, will make a hinge that will answer as well for
the light gates and doors recommended, as something
more expensive, and will wear at least as long as such
a gate remains in usable condition. Long wire nails
can be used, but I have recommended old telegraph
wire because it can be picked up almost anywhere and

saved until needed. Fig. 37 shows the hinge complete.

Fig. 37.
These wires are so shaped that they can be driven like
nails, (a great point in favor of sucha
hinge,) and will not suffer alteration in
being driven, if they are shaped prop-
erly, in the beginning,— and this is an
imporatnt item. In the part, (Fig. 35,)
intended to be driven into the post, the
vertical end, 1, is at a right-angle with
the loop, 2, and this loop is one-sided;
if this loop were symmetrical, like the
loop in Fig. 36, the force exerted in
driving it, would enlarge and otherwise
distort the loop. Fig. 38 shows a hinge
in use,— P the post, G the gate.

Fig. 38.

42

ABOUT HINGES.

When the part of the hinge is driven into the post
until there is just room for the gate-loop to slip into
place, a nail should be driven into the post close up
under the loop; this gives greater firmness to the
hinge, for constant use. Likewise when the loop is
driven to its place in the gate, (which is just enough
to permit it to slip over the spike, 1, Fig. 35,) a nail
should be driven into the gate above the loop; this
nail should not be driven quite home, stopping when
the head is at about the point marked 1 in Fig. 36, so
as to fill up the angle in the loop. These nails, it
will be noticed, strengthen the parts in the direction
towards which the weight of the gate is pushing them,
—downward in the post, upward in the gate.

In driving the parts of this hinge it will generally
be found advisable to slant them laterally enough to
place the loops at the corner; this will allow the gate
to open wide. To permit the hinge to work freely,
both loops should be exa¢tly horizontal, one resting
flat upon the other; if they are not just right, after
driving, they should be treated with hammer or nip-
pers. Likewise, if the weight of the gate does not
rest equally on both hinges, a hammer should be used
to adjust them.

Properly made and adjusted, such a hinge will last
a reasonable length of time and, everything consid-
ered, prove as satisfactory as could be wished. Not

“SOME OF LEE’S IDEAS.”

the least item in its favor is the fact that the gate
can be lifted off at will.

Fig. 39.

A quarter twist in loop 36 will adapt the hinge to
use as a door-hinge, making the flat of the loop at

Fig. 4o.

a right angle with the ends of the wire which were to
be driven,— Fig. 39. If these ends are to be fastened

43

ABOUT HINGES.

flat on the side of the door, by the use of staples,
Fig. 4o, the points.need not be sharpened; but a bet-
ter hinge for this purpose, (and one that is as well
adapted for a gate,) is made by the modifications
shown in Fig. 41. In this, after the quarter-twist has
been made, the ends are spread toa Y, and then a-
bout an inch at the point is turned down and sharp-
ened for driving into the wood, at z,2. The part
should then be secured by a long staple near the edge
of the door; and if this staple can be clinched, it will
be more secure.

NS ON NNN cal
Fig. 4I.
The other part of the hinge is merely to be driven
dire@ly through the wall, as near to the edge as is
safe, and the point clinched back into the wood.

GATE HND DOOR FASTENINGS.
Sk

ATE FASTENINGS which can be depended

upon are among the most important items to

be dealt with, whether it be about the farm,

the garden or the fancier’s yards. On this

subje@ I cannot do better than to quote from what, I

wrote forthe Poultry Monthly some time ago, giving

a description of the fastening which I recommend for

all gates not exposed to rogues of the quadruped or
biped order.

“Where there are a number of yards each requiring

a gate, the question of a suitable fastening is some-

times an expensive one, and it is a vexatious one as

well, if the fastening fails to do its work well. Many

a charge of fraud can be traced to an insecure gate or

door fastening, which permitted the mixing of the

fowls in two yards fora Short time. I once bought

some Light Brahma eggs, which were to be selected

for me from two hens; when they were hatched, it be-

came evident the babies were mixed, for there was one

which looked like a Silver Wyandotte in color, comb,

etc., although it had slightly feathered shanks; an-

other chick was a little lighter in color, but had the
other Wyandotte characteristics and fairly feathered
shanks; a third showed traces of Wyandotte color
only. Hence I concluded that the hen which laid
those eggs had been guilty of an indiscreet meeting
with a Wyandotte neighbor; whether the impurity
went further than these three chicks, it was of course
impossible to decide. The breeder was astonished at
the result of the hatch; no doubt some of the help
about the place had separated the birds without re-
porting to him. Such cases may happen on any
poultry farm.

“A fastening that is inexpensive and at the same
time reliable is therefore a necessity. The sketch
given herewith shows a fastening for a gate that
costs next to nothing, and is as secure for either a
firm or a sagging gate, as any handy fastening that
can be devised, I think. It is self-fastening and al-
ways ready to catch the gate. It will be seen to be a
modification of the common iron drop-hook fasten-
ing, but it has the advantage of that fastening in

““SOME CF LEE’S IDEAS."

that it will permit much more sagging of the gate
before it needs resetting. If the gate in time sags con-
siderably, the nail p can be drawn and redriven higher

\ \ \ \

Big. 42.
up, thus making allowance for almost any sag that may
occur in the life of any well-made gate. But the fas-

45

GATE AND DOOR FASTENINGS.

tening itself can be readily readjusted by removing the
screw S$ and driving it lower down to make the fasten-
ing level with the gate. The fastening is opened by
raising the hook end or depressing the small end. It
should be made of hard wood,— beech, elm, sycamore
or other scraps about the place can be utilized; a piece
of old barrel stave will answer admirably. The en-
larged drawing, (Fig. 43,) shows the shape to cut it.

2)

Fig. 43.

A large wire-nail can be used instead of a screw, and
will answer every purpose; the hole in the fastening
should be larger than the screw or nail used, else the
fastening may not drop down to its place freely in wet
weather. The small nail Pp keeps the fastening always
ready to catch, prevents its swinging down out of place
and, if rightly located, the gate in closing will knock
the fastening down into place, in case it should remain
up when opened.”’

The size of such a fastening would, of course, depend
upon the work expected of it. If for a light gate, the

‘*SOME OF LEE'S IDEAS.” 46

cross-piece being one inch thick and the post against
which it shuts being 2x4, placed flatwise with the fence
then a scrap of hard wood a half-inch-thick, two inches
wide and about seven inches long will make a suitable
Having shaped it as shown by Fig. 43, it is
to be adjusted on the post to allow the hook to catch
freely over the gate; this should be done with the gate
in position. he small nail or brad, Pp, is then driven
into the post to hold the fastening horizontal, and for
this purpose it need not project more than one-fourth
of aninch. This small nail can be driven above and
to the rear of the screw, s, as shown in the drawings,
or it can be driven under the fastening in front of the

fastening,

screw.

The small nail located as in Fig. 43 will always keep
the fastening at the horizontal position, but if it is de-
sired the nail can be placed in such a position that the
fastening will stay in a nearly vertical position, when
thrown up. By experimenting a little, this small nail
can be so located that the gate in closing will knock a-
gainst the lower end of the fastening, when up, so as to
make it catch the gate automatically. Ishould advise
that such a precaution be taken in all cases where the
plan shown in Fig. 43 is not followed.

The same idea can be worked out in stiff wire, as I
have roughly shown in Fig. 44. A round-head screw,
S, should be used for attaching it to the post. If the

GATE AND DOOR FASTENINGS.

post is two inches thick, then the fastening will be
about five and a half inches long, when completed, and
require about ten inches of wire to make it. The ends
should be turned back, as shown in the drawing, to
avoid injury to clothes or hands in passing.

Fig. 44.

The nail for holding this fastening in position may
be placed inside of the rear loop, just over the point
marked xX in the drawing, but perhaps it is better
placed near the front edge of the post and under the
wire,—P, in the drawing. The fastening can then be
thrown up out of the way when the gate is opened,
and the gate, in closing, will touch the rear loop below
x, thus throwing it into position; the fastening adjusted
in this way is thus automatic in any position.

age

**SOME OF LEE’S IDEAS."

TCC tit

UOTING AGAIN from the article in the Poultry
() Monthly :—

“This small nail, p,is also an improvement on
the old-fashioned button used as a fastening for doors
and gates. I have often wondered that the idea has

_ Fig. 45.

not come into universal use with these buttons long
ago; but I have never seen it except where I suggested
it. Without the nail the button is treacherous; it
often turns to the vertical position, particularly if

sare GATE AND DOOR FASTENINGS.

loose, and to prevent this the common practice is to
tighten up the screw with a hammer or screw-driver.
But this nail, p, once driven would forever obviate the
trouble. The buttons as commonly shaped, with screw
or nail at the center, Fig. 45, can have the nail ap-
plied to hold them in place, but it is better to insert
the screw near one end, Fig. 46, for many reasons.”’

Fig. 46.

The nail p should not be placed so far back that
the button when thrown back, would interfere with the
closing of the door.

Secured in this way such a button will probably be
most satisfactory if it is loose enough to fall into its
place freely; a round-head screw is best, and if a flat-

**SOME OF Lee's IDEAS.”

head is used the hole should be reamed out with the
point of a knife-blade to fit the screw-head.

These buttons are usable from only one side of a
door and from only one side of a gate also, unless the
gate is so low as to permit reaching over it,— a height
which is generally insufficient. Some plan to turn
the button from the other side would therefore add
to the usefulness of the button, in many cases, for it
is freqently applied to doors of stables, corn-cribs, and
in fact to most of the many different kinds of out-
buildings about any dwelling-place.

Fig. 47.

The problem is an easy one. The button is to be
made as I have just advised and the screw which holds
it is to be tight in the button, passing loosely through
the wall and screwing firmly into a block on the inside

48

---. GATE AND’ DOOR FASTENINGS.

of the building. When this block is turned the but-
ton will, of course, turn with it. The hole in the wall
should be larger than the shank of the screw, to allow
the fastening to move freely, and the screw should not
be driven so far into the block as to bind the button
against the wall. To secure the button more firmly
to the screw, it would be well to make a wire staple,
w in Fig. 47, to be driven into the button over the
screw-head, after all is in place, the wire to be sunk
into the slot in the screw-head,— see detail at a.

The nail to keep the button from falling out of po-
sition can be applied above the button, as in Fig. 46,
or below it, as in Fig. 47.

Fig. 48.

The small metal buttons, of many shapes and sizes,
used about the house for the doors of cabinets, book-
cases, etc., should also have a brad or tack applied to
save the vexation they are continually causing. For
these, a piece of a common pin about a half-inch long
will answer.

“SOME OF LEE's IDEAS.”

>

HTT
TTT i
HE so-called secret fastening for doors affords op-
portunity for the exercise of much ingenuity; at the
same time the simplest contrivance for the purpose is
probably as good as any, and as free from objections.
In Fig. 49, which shows the inner side of the door, A is
a strip of half-inch stuff, about twenty-two inches in
length; this is adjusted to project an inch or so beyond
the front edge of the door, thus passing that much be-
hind the wall, when at rest. In the upper end of this
strip a wire-nail, 1, is driven; the head of this nail pro-
jects a little beyond the outer surface of the door and
is used to operate the fastening. A slot, 1 2, which is
too thin for the nail-head to pass through, allows the
nail to be pushed upward. Possibly a crack in the
door can be enlarged for this purpose, thus adding to
the deception. A broad staple, made of strong wire,
is fastened very securely as close to the front edge of
the door as is safe. A shoulder on the lower edge of
the strip, (at 3,) or a small nail driven there, will pre-
vent slipping too far forward, but if the slot terminates
at I so as to allow the nail to pass no further downward
this precaution will not be necessary. Sliding the
nail upward in the slot two inches withdraws the
slide A more than aninch. If the slide were longer

Fig. 49.
than twenty-two inches the nail would have to be

Fig.

50.

50

.s..- GATE AND DOOR FASTENINGS.

pushed further. The weight of the slide causes it to
act automatically, when the door is closed. Of course
nothing but the head of the nail is visible on the outer
side of the door, and, as this is not where one would
expect to look fora fastening, the uninitiated would
scarcely suspect its connection with the fastening.
A knob or some other means of pulling open the door
should be provided.

Another plan, applicable to some doors, is shown in
Fig. 50. This consists of a slide a, operated by a lever
which extends upward tothe top of the door. An el-
bow joint, B, connects the two parts. The lever is at-
tached to the door at c, by a wire nail on which it
works loosely. The front end of the slide is held in
place by a wire staple, or by a piece of wood shaped for
the purpose, and brads driven into the slide on both
sides of the staple prevent the slide moving too far
either way. A nail in the upper end of the lever is to
be reached from the outside, or what is better, a nail
kept convenient is used to operate the lever. Pushing
the end of the lever towards the front edge of the door
withdraws the slide; to fasten the door the top of the
lever must be pushed back. This fastening is in no
sense automatic.

TRAP DOORS, ETC.

HHH

OLES to allow the fowls to pass in and out of

a building should be proyided with some sort

of a door, secure, at least, against the intru-

sion of rats or other destructive animals, at
night. Such a door may be arranged to fall into place
vertically, or it may act on the trap-door principle, fall-
ing flat or at an angle, according to circumstances. I
shall consider the three kinds together, for conven-
ience.

These doors are generally opened and closed bya
cord, which is carried over pulleys to a point where it
can be conveniently reached. Some plan by which
the same cord can be utilized to operate the fastening
as well, is desirable as saving time and trouble.

The door recommended for the model house in an
early chapter, falls to an angle of about forty-five de-
grees. This is roughly shown in Fig. 51. The bolt
should be heavy enough to fall easily into place, when
the cord is slackened ; weight is the only requisite, the
shape may be almost anything that will slide up and
down; hence almost any scrap of iron three or more

inches in length, witha hole near one end, can be
utilized, by making the anchorings to fit. A plug of
wood should be driven into the hole and the nail by

tia

} \,

Fig. 51.

which the cord is attached is to be driven into this
plug; this will be found to be a better plan than to at-
tempt to fasten the nail by clinching.

The door is hinged at the top so as to be operated
by the cord, ¢, attached to the bolt near the bottom.

“SOME OF LEE'S IDEAS."’

The bolt is held on the door by two staples, through
which it slides freely. The cord passes under the lower
staple; thus when the door is down and the bolt in
place, a slight tension on the cord withdraws the bolt
and a further tension raises the door. The bolt in its
upward motion is stopped when the nail by which the
cord is attached touches the staple, or a special uail, s,
may be used for that purpose, Ordinary U staples may

Fig. 52,—U Starner. Fig. 53,—M STAPLE.

be used for attaching the bolt, but if the wear on the
lifting-cord is objectionable, a pulley on a M staple
should be used forthe cord to pass under. (This will
be described later on in this chapter.) When a pulley
is used, the nail s should stop the bolt before the nail
which attaches the cord clogs the pulley. It would be
well to connect nail s and the main cord by a short
cord which will just come taut when the bolt is down.

62

On Trap Doors, Etc,

The socket into which the bolt drops may be a staple
or it may be merely a hole in a strip of wood, as shown
in Fig. 51; this latter will be found to possess certain
advantages. Whatever is adopted for this purpose,
provision must be made against its becoming clogged
with mud, carried on the feet of the fowls passing over
it; if the hole is open below, as shown, it will not fill
easily, and it can be readily opened, in case it should,
in time, become clogged.

ane - = deeeee ~

Fig. 54.

The hinges may be of the ordinary strap or half-
strap pattern, but a wire hinge is very serviceable, and
I advise its use because it need only cost the time re-
quired to shape it. Fig. 54 shows a hinge which I in-
vented for this purpose; this and other forms of small
hinges, which will be shown later, ail are intended to
be driven with a hammer, like nails, as was the case
with the wire gate-hinge I gave a few pages back. It
is certainly a great advantage to have a hinge that will
do the work, can be driven about as readily as a nail,
and can be made easily from scraps of wire that would
otherwise be useless. As the hinge is as secure as a
clinched nail, it will at once be seen that a large wire
is not. needed forthe iuch-thick materials host com-

**SOME OF LEE’S IDEAS.” Bai eee NR ae oA Ly eee Board cers On Trap Doors, Etc.

monly used; wire one-twelfth of an inch in diameter
is strong enough, and a length of about two-and-a-half
inches will make each part. The loops should be
made just large enough, since the hinge would be
loose, if they are too large. In adjusting it the spike-
end of No. 2 is to be driven into the corner, at an
angle of about twenty degrees, until the loop enters
the wood a trifle; the L-end is then driven down, after
which the spike-end of No. 1 is driven into its place
through the loop of No. 2, and the L-end clinched into
the wood. After driving a hinge or two, it will be an
easy matter to adjust the loops properly. The ends ot
the wires will not need sharpening if they are cut diag-
onally; the point of the diagonal end should be di-
rected as shown in the drawing, to prevent spreading
under the hammer, and to hook into the wood; the
wire will ‘“‘lead’’ in whatever direction the point is
slanted.

FOR

R the drop-deor, which is not hinged, the drop-
fastening shown in Fig. 55 works to perfection. It

is merely a piece of wood, or iron, so hinged to the top
of the door by one end that the lifting-cord, attached
to the other end, operates the fastening automatically.
Any convenient method of hinging may be adopted;
the drawing showsa M staple made in the end of the

**SOME OF LEE'S IDEAS.”

fastening and driven down into the top of the door.
(See directions for inserting staples into pulleys, etc.,
latter part of this chapter.) As will be seen in the en-
larged drawing, Fig. 56, the end of the fastening, A, en-
ters arecess or pocket in the wall, w. It would be
practically impossible to raise the door from the out-
side, when the fastening is down, but security against
the use of a pry is easily provided, by having the lower
edge of the door protected, as shown in Fig. 55. The
lifting cord, c, carries toa pulley directly above the
door; tension at first raises the fastening to the per-
pendicular and then pulls the doorup. When the
door is again dropped, the fastening falls outward nat-
urally, thus locking automatically.

Of course a drop-door must be provided with ‘‘ways”’
to slide in; the simplest plan is to nail a strip, about
twice the length of the door and a trifle thicker than
it, upon the wall at either side of the door; then an-
other pair of strips on these, projecting over the edges
of the door, and a nail in the wall above to stop the
door at a proper height, completes the arrangement.
A loop inthe lifting-cord to hook over a convenient
nail or peg will hold the door open at a proper height.
In the house designs given, the cord extends to near
the outer door; hence it is not necessary to enter the
house to let the fowls out.

eee HERR

scene On TRAP Doors, Etc.

N carrying the lifting-cord to a point where it can be

conveniently reached, small pulleys are needed; my
plan for making these is tocut a grooye around a
braid-spool, ( Figs. 57, 58,) although a short spool of
any sort might be made to answer. Spools are gener-
ally thrown away as useless, but they can be turned
to a variety of uses. But of course these small pulleys
can very readily be made by whittling a piece of hard
wood to the proper size, boring a hole in the end of it
and then sawing it in sections of proper thickness. In
many localities, the stems of the common elder will
save the trouble of whittling and boring.

In putting a pulley upon a staple of any pattern, the
wire is to be shaped for one side, then threaded into
the pulley before the other side is shaped. The M sta-
ple is easily driven when in a pulley, but it would be
very difficult to drive a U staple without injuring the
pulley. The staple should be driven deep, so that the
cord cannot jump out of the groove.

Often a pulley can be better put up by driving a
wire-nail through the hole, in which case a very good
way to keep the cord inits groove is to bend astrip of tin
over it, both ends of the strip being held by the nail,
as shown in Fig. 58. This strip should be so shaped
that it will not bind on the edges of the pulley, thus
interfering with its free movement.

ON THE PERCH,

HHH

N MAKING PERCHES extremes should be

avoided, I think. Many contend that they

should be broad and flat, like that shown in

cross-section at Fig. 60, or even broader than
that; the claim being advanced that such a perch pre-
vents the evil of ‘‘crooked breast-bone,’’ in the heavier
varieties of fowls. I never could quite believe this, for
the reason that such a perch is uncomfortable for the
fowl as is evidenced by the fact that a perch which can
be grasped by the toes is preferred always, when the
fowl is given any choice in the matter, and this is
borne out by a study of the foot itself. If the fowl’s
leg be bent into the position which it must assume
when its owner is sitting at ease, the toes will auto-
matically close, and they cannot readily be spread, but
if the leg be straightened, the toes spread of their own
accord. Hence it will be seen that if the fowl is com-
pelled to sit all night long in a position which cramps
the foot, its weight will necessarily be thrown on the
breast-bone, (the very thing to be avoided as much as

possible), while if given a comfortable perch, the
weight rests where it should rest,— on the feet.

I think the whole trouble arose from the injury done
by perches that were too small; asmall round perch
is as much a source of discomfort asa broad flat one,
and, of course, more liable todo harm. It is also true
that when the corners of the broad perch are much cut
off, the same harm may be done as by a round perch,—
a comparison of the curve in highest part of Fig. 62
with 59 will show this.

Ger aes

FIG. 59. 60. 61. 62.

In view of the foregoing facts, it seems evident that
the best and safest form of perch is that which the
fowl can grasp without discomfort and is, at the same
time, flat on top; such a perch is shown in section at

”

=)

Fig. 61. It is merely a two-inch-square bar, with the
upper corners rounded off a trifle. A 2x4 scantling,
about five feet long, ripped through the center, makes
the two perches needed for the house designs given in

“SOME OF LEE'S IDEAS.

previous chapters.

Fig. 63.

Methods for supporting the perch at a proper height
are various. The old-time idea which sanctioned the
arrangement of a group of perches lowest in front and
gradually rising higher towards the rear, has followed
the road of many other harmful notions in poultry cul-
ture,— for the reason that the fowls would struggle for
the possession of the highest perch and this resulted
in trouble and occasional injury.

In the house designs which I have given, the perch
for each side rests upon blocks or strips attached to
the walls and partitions; this, as explained, is a most

56 On THE PERCH.

convenient arrangement, since the perch can be set on
end in a corner, when not in use.

However, as it is often desirable to have the perch
“self-supporting,’’ I give a design for a trestle which

\\

ZZ»

Fig. 64.

is easily constructed and which meets all the require-
ments fully, I think. The two ends are shown in per-
spective in Fig. 63, and detail of the end is given at
Fig. 64. Of course the perch may be almost any de-
sired length, but would be unwieldly if longer than
eight feet. A length of two-and-a-half feet will be
sufficient for the legs of the trestle, which may be
made of 2x4 stuff, although a lighter material would
answer for the purpose. As will be seen, the ends

“SOME OF LEE's IDEAS.” :

Fig. 65.

are covered with a triangular piece, which not only
serves to strengthen the legs, but also protects the bird

econo ON THE PERCH.

at the end, for, if some such protection is not provided,
the fowls would crowd each other off.

Such a trestle, if not roughly tossed about, will need
no braces for its legs. Braces on a trestle perch are in-
advisable, because they soon become befouled with the
droppings and are not readily cleaned. An unobjec-
tionable method of bracing the legs may, however, be
required. This is shown in Fig. 65. As will be seen,
the legs, instead of being set at right-angles with the
perch, have their lower ends some distance beyond the
end of the perch, and thus out of the way of defile-
ment. This position braces the leg of itself, in one di-
rection; a block nailed across from one leg to the
other, close up under the perch, makes the trestle per-
fectly rigid on its legs. In the drawing, B isa side
view of a portion of the perch, a the end of the block
just mentioned, c the leg and pa strip fastened to the
end of the perch as a protection for the end fowl. The
strip should be too small to tempt the fowls to perch
upon its top. In this connection, perches should ney-
er cross, — to avoid soiled plumage.

ON NESTS.

HHH

EPT IN THE ORDINARY MANNER on a
farm, much is lost that should be turned to
profit by providing suitable arrangements for
nesting, and training the hens, when young,
to regular habits. The hay-loft, the manger or an in-
accessible place under some building, — these are not

ae

ODEN es ad ore

Fig. 66.

profitable nesting-places, and yet on many farms the
eggs are sought in such places, ‘‘year in and year out.’’

The fancier, asa rule, provides nest-boxes of some
sort for his stock at all seasons of the year, and the

number of eggs thus saved, (as compared with the slip-
shod method), amply repays him for the trouble and
expense.

Of course a cheese-hoop or a box of proper size will
answer the purpose and prove acceptable to well-bred
hens, but some form of nest that will close itself when

eee

| EB

See est See eed
Fig. 67.

a henenters it, is desirable for a number of reasons.
Chief among these is the fat that two hens will some-
times struggle for possession of a favorite nest, and
this may result in broken eggs. Then, too, the secret

“SOME OF LEE’s IDEAS.” CO eg ee in he enn ee On NESsTs.
es bet 1) 2 ED ;

Fic. 68. — AUTOMATIC NEST-BOx FOR LAYING HENS.

“*SOME OF LEE’S IDEAS.” Gay Pai eee ea ee A oe a ee ee On NEsTs.

Fic. 69. — AuTOoMATIC NEST-BOXx, (DOUBLE. )

“SOME CF LEE’S IDEAS.”

nest is preferable to an open nest, because the egg-eat-
ing habit is usually acquired by finding a broken egg
in plain sight, — which could not happen in a regular
nest-box. In Figs. 66 and 67 is roughly shown a plan
which someone has devised for shutting out intruders
when a hen has once entered the box. By this plan,
the board on which the nest-box rests is long enough,
and so balanced, (at P), that the hen’s weight on the
nest elevates the end B to near the top of the entrance.
But this plan is open toa number of objections, the
most serious of which is, perhaps, that the nest must
fall through such a distance that only a very fearless
hen would enter the box a second time.

The best idea for a self-closing nest-box which I
have met, is that shown in Figs. 68 and 69. The nest,
N, is counterbalanced on a base-board, Pp, by a weight,
B. The door, D, is connected by a wire, w, with the
base-board, the ‘“‘eye,’’ H, in the door standing out
about a half-inch, to give it proper leverage in eleva-
ting the door. The weight, which may bea brick, or
anything which, by experiment, is found to do the
work correctly, is adjusted on the base-board at the
point where it will hold the door open when the nest
is unoccupied, but will be overbalanced by the weight
of a hen on the nest. Thus when a hen steps upon the
nest, her weight causes the outer end of the base-board
to rise the short distance necessary to relieve the

Coie Pa, ae ae lt = a > ae eee 8 ON NESTS

strain on the wire, and the door closes by its own
weight. When the hen leaves the nest, the weight is
ready to open the door and keep it open.

Fig. 69 is the double nest-box referred to in an early
chapter. The construction of the two boxes is alike
except the roof. The door may occupy all or only a
portion of the front end. Probably it would be well to
have a large hole in the door, covered with screen-wire
to serve as a window.

It is best to have a roof onthe box, rather than a
flat top, even if to be used only indoors, because a
roof will be an inattractive perching-place. Many
times there is an advantage in having the nests out-
doors, especially if used for setting-hens in swarm
weather.

A portion of the roof is to be hinged, for conven-
ience in collecting the eggs, and the opening for this
lid should be of a size to allow for the removal of the
nest itself, when occasion requires. The small box
containing the nesting-material need not be attached
to the base-board.

ee eH
WIRE HINGES FOR NEST AND OTHER BOXES.

The hinges forthe lid may be made of wire, since
there will be very little strain on them. In Figs. 70,

*““SOME OF LEE’S IDEAS." .

71 and 72 I give drawings for adapting the wire hinge
to any situation in which it may be needed. The
parts of these hinges are to be driven with a hammer,
like nails. Ineach hinge, partr1 is the same and is
driven last. Part 4 isan ordinary wire staple. In
making the different parts, care should be taken to cut
the ends diagonally, so they will not require sharpen-
ing, and the cut for each end should slant as shown
in the drawings, in order to make the wire ‘“‘lead”’ in

Fig. 70.

a direction to clinch the part firmly.
is, of course, driven first, and then the anchor end, as
shown in Fig. 71. Sotmetimes it may be most conven-
ient to drive the two short ends of a complete hinge
separately, and then hook the pieces together and sink
the anchors. The tyro may not succeed very well in
driving these hinges, but after a little experience, he

The short end

will find it easy. Two hinges like 72, with the ends
of the staples clinched right and’ left, will answer for
each lid.

Fig. 71.

Fig, 72.

These hinges will be found useful for boxes of va-
rious kinds, when made of suitable sized wire. The
size of the loop must be regulated by the size of wire
used; if the loop is too large the hinge will be so
loose as to be unsatisfactory, — a trifle larger than
the wire itself is the proper size.

One of ‘‘LEE’S IDEAS” in the New England
Fancier: — To make the hen go on the nest, place a
small card vertically upon the dotted line, move the
page near the face, so the edge of the card will al-
most touch the nose; look steadily at the picture and
the hen will appear on the nest.

ON F@@D-TROUGHS, ETC.
HK

ET THEM “PICK UP” THEIR LIVING

is a good rule where forage of a suitable kind

is plentiful, but it is not a good rule where

the fowls or chicks are fed in their yards, as
they must be at certain seasons of the year. I do not
at all advise the extreme of keeping grain in a ‘‘self-
feeding hopper’’ where the poultry, young or old, can
have access to it at all times, however. Poultry in
confinement should be fed regularly, the old stock
twice a day and the young oftener according to its age ;
young chicks should be fed by the old-time rule of
“Vittle and often,’’ while experience alone can tell the
proper amount to feed grown fowis. Some solons will
say the rule is ‘just so much as will be eaten up clean”’
(and some editors who ought to know better use that
stereotyped advice), but im feeding Asiatic fowls that
rule will result in disaster every time. I find by ac-
tual experiment that what will keep Leghorns in good
condition will also keep Brahmas, while if more is fed
to the Brahmas, (they would ‘‘eat up clean’’ nearly

double the quantity), they become so fat as to be un-
profitable. This explains why the Asiatic varieties are
generally not as profitable as American varieties, when
given free range about a farm,— they soon become too
fat. In passing, it might be pertinent to ask, is any
kind of stock profitable when given the liberty of the
farm, and permitted to eat its fill of anything it likes,
at any and all times?

In feeding grain, I have already advised scattering
it through some sort of litter, and that advice is good
at all seasons and for young or old stock; the exercise
of scratching forit isa benefit always. This is one
strong reason why I advise against the self-feeding
hopper. :

The plan followed in ye olden time for separating
the young chicks, etc., from the older stock, at feeding
time, is commendable, although it is certainly wiser,
by every consideration, to keep the young stock al-
ways separate until well matured. The plan referred
to is that of making a coop of lath or other slats wide

«SOME OF LEE'S IDEAS.” CB OF Pe ee | ae ey i Aa ee ON FEED-TROUGHS, ETC.

Fic. 73 :—

OLD-FASHIONED FEED-COOP FOR GROWING CHICKS, TURKEYS, ETC.

“SOME OF LEE’S IDEAS.” 6&7

enough apart to allow the youngsters to pass through,
the base of the coop being broad enough that the old
birds cannot reach the chicks while eating. Such a
coop is roughly shown in Fig. 73. It should be always
roomy inside. If it is moved to a fresh spot each time
it is used, there will be no trouble from feeding on the
ground, as is usually done; but, of course, a board floor
which can be scraped and washed, is preferable, and a
regular feed-trough is better still.

In feeding soft feed of any kind, a trough to hold it
is always advisable, not only to prevent waste from
scattering, but to keep the stuff clean and avoid those
conditions which produce sickness, and which are al-
most certian to develope where soft feed is given to
feathered stock, of any age or kind, on the ground.
An old-fashioned v-shaped trough, such as is ordina-
rily used for feeding hogs, is very much better than
nothing, and little time or labor is required to make
it.. Such a trough is easily cleaned out, with a hoe, or
scraper of some kind, and a dash of water. But such
a trough is open to a serious objection in that it does
not protect the contents from tramplittg, by which
they may become more or less unfit for use.

It is wise, then, to so construct the trough that the
birds must keep their feet out of it, and the readiest
plan for this is to place a strip a few inches above the
top of the trough. This might be done by erecting a

ae ON FEED-TROUGHS, ETC.

small standard at each end of the trough to which the
strip may be nailed. As this strip would be stationary
it would, of course, interfere with cleaning the trough,
hence I invented the arrangement shown in Fig. 76,
possessing other advantageous special features.

A trough longer than four or five feet is inconven-
ient to handle, but that length will accommodate the
ordinary breeding-pen; if more room is required, then
additional troughs should be provided, rather than
a longer trough.

Fig. 74 shows the construction of the trough part
of Fig. 76. The bottom board should be thick enough
to not warp, — say one and one-fourth inch, or more,
if of soft wood, — and about seven inches wide. The
sides may be inch thick, if of sound wood not liable

““SOME OF LEE’S IDEAS.”’ 68) AR ok Piece oe as eae ON FEED-TROUGHS, ETC

a)

Fic. 76.

“SOME OF LEE'S IDEAS."

to split, and about six inches wide will give sufficient
depth to the two sides. The ends are held together by
the top strip, and are merely hinged to the trough by
ascrew or peg, A, Fig. 76, at the center of each end.
Thus the trough can be held free from the floor, using
the strip as a handle, and turned the ‘‘other side”’ up.
To hold the ends in place a pin is inserted at B, which
is removable, of course. It will be noticed that when
one trough is set for use the other_is open, with noth-
ing to interfere with scraping it out. If turned each

69

ON FEED-TROUGHS, ETC.

time it is used, there will seldom be any need of clean-
ing, for it will be cleaned by the natural action of the
atmosphere.

The trough part, like Fig. 74, could be used alone, if
made long enough to avoid waste of feed at the open
ends; in using it in this form, it can be turned over by
the toe each time.

This is an elaboration of ideas which I have hereto—
fore presented in the ‘‘Pacific Coast Fanciers’ Monthly”
and the ‘‘Ohio Poultry Journal.”

ON WATER-YV€SSELS.

5 iia

ANY TIMES THE FEATHERED-STOCK

suffers because a supply of water has not

been provided by the owner. When given
free range, with access toa never-failing stream, the
problem solves itself for most seasons of the year; but
probably a very large majority of those who keep poul-
try are not so fortunate. It is true that the fowls will
drink from a chance puddle or swallow snow to quench
their thirst, but neither method is healthful, or should
be considered an excuse for failure to supply pure wa-
ter.

In winter, fresh water must be supplied every morn-
ing, unless it can be kept where it will not freeze over
during the night. The several forms of so-called ‘‘non-
freezing’’ drinking fountains have never become pop-
ular, because of the expense, in the first instance, and
coustant trouble, afterwards. A wooden vessel is best
to use, where the water is liable to freeze, since it will
not burst so easily as metal or stoneware, if it should
be forgotten at night.

In summer, the problem is to keep the water from
becoming foul by the heated atmosphere, which is sure
to occur where it is set out im an open vessel. Some
form of ‘‘fountain’’ is the thing, then, to keep fresh
water always before the feathered stock. Several of
these are advertised in the publications devoted to
small thoroughbred stock, which can be purchased at
small expense. If it is desired to save all expense by
making the fountain at home, then it is only necessary
to hunt up an old jug and a cup, or other small vessel,
to hold the supply. A cracked jug can be treated with
putty or plaster-of-paris, and made to answer, when fit
for nothing else. It must be air-tight when the nozzle
is under water, (Fig.78), else the fountain will run dry
before its time. The plug, shown at Fig. 77, is a piece
of wood, hollow and with an opening, 0, at the proper
height for the level of the water in the cup; an elder-
stem will make this plug, or the central hole can be
bored and the plug whittled into shape around it after-
wards. The opening in the side must be below the top

>
**SOME OF LEE'S IDEAS.” 3. 3S ee eae EA ee ON WATER-VESSELS.

Fic. 77, THE Puc.

Fic. 78, COMPLETE FOUNTAIN,

"*SOME OF LEE’s IDEAS.”

edge of the cup and the central hole must be large e-
nough to permit a large bubble of airto pass upward
through it, to allow fora free flow of the water. The
end of the plug which is fitted into the mouth of the
jug should be wrapped with something to make an air-
tight fit. The pressure of the atmosphere prevents any
overflow, while the weight of the water keeps the cup
full so long as there is any in the jug. The advantage
of a jug over a tin or iron vessel, aside from greater du-

aaseas ON WATER-VESSELS.

rability, is that it keeps the water cool in hot weather,
by the evaporation of moisture from the outside.

In use the jug is merely leaned up in a corner or a-
gainst a post, its weight resting on the lower end of
the plug. Fig. 78 shows the ‘fountain’ complete. It
can be placed on a small shelf, out of harm’s way, in
the scratching-pen, held upright by a nail in the wall
at either side of the jug. It can of course be used the
year round, if protected from freezing.

One of “LEE’S IDEAS” in the Pacific Coast Fan-
cier's Monthly: To put the speckled hen in the coop
hold a small card vertically on the dotted line, move
the page near the face, the edge of the card almost
touching the nose, then look steadily at the picture
and the hen will appear in the coop

Se

ON THE BROOD COOP.
##*%

O ONE CAN RAISE POULTRY with as com-
plete success without special preparations as
can be done with a little extra care in pro-
viding accommodations separate from the

general flock for the setting hen, and for the brood,
when hatched. From this latter phrase, it will be in-
ferred I do not recommend artificial methods in raising
poultry, and that is true, with a certain exception. I
believe artificially-raised chicks are, from the very na-
ture of things, deficient in stamina, despite all the ap-
parent proofs to the contrary which may be gathered;
this belief rests on the fact, coming more and more to
be understood by thoughtful people, that the magnetic
influence of mother-love, or a thorough equivalent for
it, as in the case of a good foster-mother, is essential
to the best developement of the young of any species.
I certainly believe this vital current is necessary, in a
less degree probably, during the process of incubation.
For this reason I have always advised breeders to stick
to the natural method, unless compelled by necessity

to use machines. Of course, for broiler raising, the
matter of proper maturity is of no moment, and hence
the machine method is practically the best for such
establishments.

By the arrangement of buildings suggested in pre-
vious chapters, a special brood coop will not be neces-
sary, where only a few chicks are raised each year, as
a good mother hen will care for two or three broods to-
gether, (hatching arrangements should always be made
with that end in view, and it is of special advantage in
the event of poor hatches), and the chicks should be
placed on new range, when weaned, thus giving place
to broods of several ages, during the course of the sea-
son.

But special coops for the hen and her brood are fre-
quently a great convenience and sometimes a necessity
hence I give a design and some hints on the subject. A
glance at Fig.79 will make it plain that the design pro-
vides shelter and a roosting-place, with protection for
the brood at feeding time. Even the mother hen can

On THE BRoop Coop.

**SOME OF LEE’S IDPAS.”’

‘
ait

FIG. 79,— CONVENIENT BROOD Coop.

““SCME OF LEE’S IDEAS.”

be shut away from the feed, by confining her in the
closed portion of the coop; this is necessary with some
hens that exhibit a mania for scratching, by which the
food is wasted and oftentimes the chicks injured. How-
ever, the coop is especially designed to indulge the
scratching propensity. The closed portion of the coop
is floored, but the slatted space is not, and as the width
of the coop is such that it can be drawn lengthwise be-
tween the rows of vegetables in a garden, or corn ina
field, a fresh scratching-ground can be thus provided
each day, while the chicks can range about at will.
The chicks will, as a rule, be weaned and on their reg-
ular run before they are large enough to damage the
plants. I think I need not stop to enumerate the many
advantages of this plan, for they should be patent to
all, with a second’s thought.

This coop can also be used for the hen while setting,
thus saving trouble from the very beginning. Her
supplies and dust-bath will thus be out of the reach of
the other fowls, and no disturbance will arise when
she leaves her nest for an airing. One side of the coy-
ered portion of the coop is hinged, for convenience in
cleaning, etc.,— by wire hinge No. 4, see Fig. 72, page
63. Details of the framework can be made out by an
examination of the drawing, I think.

pearan ON THE BROOD Coop.

The arrangement of the small inside door is shown
by Fig. 79a. This consists of a solid door a, shown as
covering the opening into the coop, and a slat door B,
on the same battens, and operated together, in the
“ways'’ h, by the handle c. The stop, i, and notch, d,
in the handle, which simply catches over the main
framework, g, hold the door closed securely at night,
and notch, e, secures the slatted portion of the door
at the opening. The door can be withdrawn through
the slats-of the coop, to let the hen out, a small notch
being cut in frame, g, if necessary to allow it’s free
passage. The handle moves freely upon the screw, f,
falling into place by its own weight.

ON THE SHIPPING COOP.

sala

NE ANNOYANCE which shippers too often
inflict upon their patrons is unnecessary
weight in the materials of the coop. So
long as the Express Companies usually

charge double first-class rates on shipments of thor-
oughbred poultry, (and sometimes require the shipper
to sign an agreement releasing them from all responsi-
bility connected with the shipment), it is certainly the
duty of the shipper to see that his patron is not forced
to pay this exorbitant charge ona useless weight of
old lumber.

Of course the requisite strength must not be sacri-
ficed to lightness, but the tendency is generally in the
direction of overestimating the size of the materials re-
quired for a coop of a given capacity. Mr. Felch once
sent me a pen of Light Brahmas in a coop very similar
to that which I illustrate in Fig. 80, made throughout
from three-eighths inch pine and no piece of the frame
more than three inches wide. The coop went from
Natick to Boston and thence to Indianapolis, (just a-

bout one thousand miles), arriving in good order. As
Mr. Felch has without doubt shipped more thorough-
bred fowls than any other fancier, living or dead, his
method may be considered near enough perfect to
serve others as a guide.

My plan is to secure an old box, made of materials
of the requisite strength and lightness, of proper size
for the number of fowls it is to contain; this can be
easily and quickly converted into a shipping coop as
follows: if for pairs, the box should be about ten by
twelve inches, and, if it is ten or twelve inches high,
with a cover, it will make two coops with the addi-
tion of six 36-in. laths, for corner posts. The sides of
such a box are to be ripped into four pieces, without
taking the box apart; the strips on which the bottom
and lid are nailed should be about three inches wide,
and the part which is to serve for the upper portion of
the coop-frame may be somewhat narrower. These
latter should be nailed at the corners before sawing, if
they are not already secure. The frame is then com-

"SOME OF LEE’s IDEAS *' 80 see ON THE SHIPPING Coop.

ia)

Fic. 80, THE SHIPPING Coop.
ap

‘SOME OF LEE'S IDEAS." 81

pleted by using four half laths for corner posts and
nailing a piece of lath across the top, two inches from
each end, for the ventilating openings. These top
pieces should be securely nailed because they will be
used as handles by the Expressmen. The cheapest
grade of unbleached muslin is commonly used for
covering the sides and top.

Such boxes can usually be had for the asking at any
store, and a supply should be looked after in advance

ON THE SHIPPING Coop.

of needing them. I have sometimes had to pay five
cent each for good boxes; the laths cost fifteen cents
per hundred, hence ten cents would bea very liberal
allowance for total cost of the materials in each coop.
Twenty minutes should suffice for labor, and less if a
number be constructed at one time.

In making a coop large enough fora pen of fowls,
it is wise to erect an additional lath post at the center
of each side, these to be connected across the top.

PEDIGREE BREEDING,

AND CONCLUSION.

HE PRECEEDING PAGES have been de-
voted to the idea,- ist., of helping those who
are keeping poultry for the sake of the bene-
fit they get from the occupation, in one way

or another,—2nd., of pointing out to those who have
not heretofore considered poultry keeping of sufficient
importance to pay for the trouble of making proper
provision for it, that such arrangements can be easily
and cheaply made as will convert the inhabitants of
the poultry yard into a source of pleasmre, as well as
profit, instead of a nuisance and, generally, a factor of
unknown yalue in household economics.

But the present chapter is for scientific breeders, — a
class which, of course, includes nearly all fanciers, as
well asthe experimentalists. I combine my own ar-
ticle upon THE METHOD, as given in the Ohio Poultry
Journal, with I. K. Felch’s article on THE MATINGs,
which appeared some years ago ina paper which has
since been merged into the Western Garden. The
system of mating is of far too great a value to be al-

lowed to rest in obscurity, and the arrangements for
caring for the breeding stock serve so well as auxil-
lary to it, that it is fitting they should be presented
together.

Naturally, the accommodations for the fowls will
claim first attention.

REE KR EE
THE METHOD.

“Tn thoroughbred poultry breeding there are many
difficulties in the way of keeping a complete pedi-
gree, which do not exist in the case of other high-
bred stock. But the effort with any real fancier is
always towards improvement, and as there can be no
improvement of permanent value that does not result
from careful and systematic effort, the subje@ of ped-
igree breeding is of at least a certain amount of im-
portance to him. Under present methods of hit or
miss breeding, any improvement which may develop

“‘SOME OF LEE’s IDEAS.” Se" ie. ae Sie Pe ee PEDIGREE BREEDING

as La

. .

g BOT iat
A a Ror bales :

A iS

:
el2] a] =~

ay

|, ‘

;
|

!

|

|

Fic. 81,— AKRANGEMENT OF PEDIGREE BREEDING YARDS.

“*SOME OF LEE'S IDEAS."

itself is mere chance, and although the breeders are
quick to take advantage of such adventitious circum-
stances and have a better opportunity to do so in
their line than in any other line of thoroughbred
stock, yet the fact remains that their work would be
of far more value to themselves and to others if they
knew just how the ‘sports,’ of whatever sort they may
be, came to exist, and what birds in their yards pro-
duced them. The whole difficulty of keeping a record
of this kind of course exists only with the female line,
and a system of pedigree breeding must look to
keeping a separate record of the product of each female
concerned. This of itself would be a valuable record,
in any branch of improvement of fine poultry, and it
ought to be looked to in the matter of egg records long
enough tocull out the unprofitable layers from the
flock anyway. But pedigree breeding contemplates a
careful study of all the points in the variety under con-
sideration which can be improved, and it is to help in
such work that I have devised the plan outlined in the
accompanying diagram. This shows accommodations
for only six females, but is of course capable of being
extended to any number advisable, the number varying
with the different breeds. The space allotted to the
pen of fowls is divided into as many separate pens as
there are females to be used, and a narrow passageway
is cut off along the ends of all these pens, which pas-

ares PEDIGREE BREEDING.

sage is just the width of the small gates leading into
the single pens, as shown in the diagram. The accom-
modations.for roosting consist of a box set on end, tall
enough to provide three compartments; the lowest of
these is for a dust-bin, that next above it is for the nest
and the topmost is for the perch,— all to be closed at
night by one door. These boxes are to be grouped in
twos, both for convenience and because of the fact that
the hens will be better satisfied if allowed to roost as
near together as possible—since if given their own free
will they always congregate for roosting. These roost-
ing boxes are small, of course, since they are to only
accommodate one bird most of the time; the male can
be permitted to roost with one of the hens, to save
building him a separate box. The partitions for the
small pens need not have the ordinary board base at
all, for the hens are not prone to fight, hence wire net-
ting stretched from post to post will make those fences
and the same may be said of the inside fence for the
small run-way at the ends. Arrangements for feed
and water will of course have to be made for each hen
separately, the male being permitted to eat with one of
the hens.

“The system, of course, contemplates permitting the
male bird to run with each hen separately for a time
during each day; and the work of caring for the birds
takes time and some trouble, hence it is that the pen-

*“SOME OF LEE's IDEAS.”

ning should be so arranged as to be most convenient;
that is the purpose of the diagram. The idea is to
avoid the necessity for catching the male bird each
time he is changed from one pen to another. This is
accomplished as follows: We will start with the male
bird in pen A, with the gate between it and the pas-
sageway open. The two birds thus have the freedom
of the pen a, and the whole of the passageway. When
it is necessary to change the male to pen B, the attend-
ant will call the male bird into the passageway or drive
the female into her pen, according to the location of
the birds at the time. In doing this he takes advant-
age of the instinct of the birds; a good breeding male
will always protect his harem, and to do this he will
walk behind the females, if they are being driven, or
will run in front of them, if being called. If the hen
is in the passageway she will be easily driven into the
pen, because she considers that her home since all her
housekeeping arrangements are there. Having once
separated the birds in this way, the gate, g, is to be
quickly shut and then the next gate opened, and the
change is made. Some arrangement of ropes and pul-
leys can be adopted for opening and shutting the gates,
if the attendant wishes, or if the birds are pets (as they
should be in any fancier’s hands) they will be easily
changed when the attendant is standing near the gates.

86

«-.» PEDIGREE BREEDING.

“Those fanciers who delight in spending all of their
spare time among their fowls will find they can keep
the females separate by this plan with a very little
trouble indeed, and the advantage of a separate record
of the work of each female is ordinarily of such im-
portance as to certainly overbalance any expense en-
tailed by this plan. The runs for the hens will be long
and narrow, necessarily, and this is better than to have
them nearer square, for the reason that the occupants
will get more exercise out of the same space so ar-
ranged. This isa point that is generally overlooked
in laying out the yards for fowls, and yet it iS an im-
portant one, where the fowls are somewhat restricted
for space.

“J. K. Felch’s plan for pedigree breeding is to use
females that are sisters, and that of course simplifies
the record not a little; at the same time the separ-
ate pen for each bird would be a great advantage in
his plan, on account of the separate records. Of
course, in the ordinary method of breeding it is not
always possible to obtain a sufficient number of fe-
males that are sisters, and that, so far as my obser-
vation goes, is the only objection urged against pedi-
gree breeding. The above plan overcomes that ob-
jection, as I have shown.”’

eeFEEREE

*‘SOME OF LEE'S IDEAS.”

THE MATINGS.

By I. K. Felch.

“In the creation one pair only was created. They
represented pure and distin¢t in each the positive and
negative properties, or life principle. Through their
loins came a world of life and activity. So can we,
with a single pair, the product of different crosses,
reproduce the same type and color. If the following
rule will be followed, we can in time produce millions
without the loss of size, shape or color. This is an old
story, and because of a derisive allusion and assertion
that the rule was detrimental, we reproduce it for the
benefit of the young and the thinking amateur. And
to the old breeders who have never studied out the
plan, we say, be sure you do understand it before you
condemn it as detrimental. We care not how prolific
the hen that became the maternal founder of the breed,
that same prolific merit shall be retained. We ask
only that the first pair give us three breeding seasons
of life; we will never introduce a drop of foreign blood,
and until time shall end the first pair shall be repre-
sented in the progeny. And the whole plain as mathe-

87

THE MaTINGS,--- I. K. F.

matics,—arithmetic—pedigree,—with the law that all
breeding stock be in health, and color and shape of the
first pair typical, and we start: [See Diagram on next
page. |

“This is as far as it is necessary to go, for, in group
Iv we have reproduced the producing power of A,which
mated to group vI produces vi1,— which is half A and
half No.1,— and groups I, v, vil are all half the blood
of the two first ancestors. It matters not from which
group you take them, but at the end of three years we
have multiplied the individual A and No.1 into many
representatives from which we can at any time produce
the reproductive power of A and No.1,— for, by the
mating we produce the same blood, the same size, the
same color, the same stamina, the same blood as in
groups I, v and vil. Men may try to laugh a principle
down because an idiot has failed in applying that prin-
ciple,— one may condemn the rule because he has mis-
applied the rule,— but the laws of reproduction and
mathematics remain. It is possible for a pair, as in
the garden of Eden, to people another world by the
selection of a pair from this, for there are Herculeses
and Venuses to be found, and minds to dire&t that far
outstrip those of the Old World. When we study that
which brings the best health, the greatest productive-
ness, we are nearer perfection, or at least on the surest
road to perfection and profit.

“SOME OF LEE'S IDEAS.” ._ ee re ON i te 8 THE MaTINGS,--- I. K. F.

EXPLANATION: First year, Male A is mated with Female No.1, produc-
ing Group |.

Second year, Male A with Females from Group I, producing Group 1];
and Female No.x with a Male from Group I, producing Group Ill.

Third year, Male A with Females from Group Il, producing Group IV;
and Female No.x with a Male from Group Ill, producing Group VI).

Additional matings: Males from Groups Il or 1v with females from III
or VI, produce same result as Male A with Female No.1.

**SOME OF LEE'S IDEAS.” 69

Pee eee

CONCLUSION.

A few facts connected with this book are ‘‘out of the
common” and may interest the reader.

The universal method with authors is to commit
their thoughts to paper in some way,— writing, direct
or by an amanuensis, or through a typewriter,— the
matter so prepared being called ‘copy’? when placed
in the hands of a printer. I have used a typewriter for
some years in the preparation of articles for the press
and in business correspondence, without previous prep-
aration of what I wished to say, and that suggested
the plan of putting the book in type direct from my
head, without preparing ‘‘copy”’ for it. From wide in-
quiry I have been unable to learn of a book ever having
been prepared in such a manner, and those who have
been long connected with the printing and kindred
trades told me I was attempting a practically impossi-
ble task. I should say, in this connection, that I was
once in the printing business, and learned a little of the
compositor’s art. Now that the work is finished, I am
able to say that every line of the text was put in type
direct, without ‘‘copy’’ of any kind, except those por-
tions inclosed by quotation marks. This fact places
the book among the curiosities of literature.

CONCLUSION,

The initial letters heading chapters B, C, D, E, F,
G, H, I, K, L, M, N, Oand T were all made from the
one character,

by the use of nothing but a small chisel. The number
and variety of ornamental letters that an ingenious
mind can work out from this character is truly aston-
ishing, and I have been advised to secure a patent on
it. But, like the other ideas in this little book, those
who can make use of it are welcome to it. Printers
who wish to exercise their ingenuity may correspond
with the author concerning duplicates and the tools.
There is no further need of paying from fifty cents to
a dollar or more for initials when they can be quickly
made and in great variety, and by keeping a supply of
the blanks on hand, they will many times be used to
advantage when a great rush makes it impossible to
send away for such letters. It will be noticed many
of the letters serve in more than one capacity,— M and
W are usually interchangeable, likewise N and U,
while the initials B and E, as here shown, serve for M
and W. I have studied out hundreds of letters from
this character, and yet I find new forms every time I
look at it.

.

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+s
PH RRODUGTOMY) y~ lar erie ten eG we eee we ww ww Ss PAR
Ce Sag Uy Pel ee. See. on EM i ns eae me Ce i ee a i Se 5
A,— Buildings, 3 illustrations, - - - - - - 5 | l— On the Perch, 7 illustrations,- - - - - 55
B,— A Model House, to illustrations, - - - 11 | K,— On Nests, g illustrations, - - - - - = 59
C,— On the Fence, 13 illustrations, - - - - 23 Nest Boxes, PP- 59, 60, 61, 62,
D,— On the Gate, 8 illustrations, - - - - - 33 Wire Hinges for Nest and
' A Other Boxes, 62, 63.
E,— About Doors, 5 illustrations, - - - - - 37 ‘ ;
: : ; ; L,— On Feed-Troughs, etc., 5 illustrations, - 65
F,— About Hinges, g illustrations,- - - - - 41 : :
4 : M,— On Water-Vessels, 3 illustrations, - - - 71
G,— Gate and Door Fastenings, gillus., - - 44 . iM :
Gate Fastenings, pp. 44, 45, 46, N,— On the Fc Coop, 31 sae tome oad ae 75
Buttons for Gates and Doors, 47, 48, O,— On the Shipping Coop, 2 illustrations, - 79
Secret Fastenings for Doors, 49, 50. T,— Pedigree Breeding; Conclusion, 4 illus., - 83
H,— Trap Doors, etc., 8 illustrations,- - - - 51 The Method, pp. 83, 84, 85, 86,
Hinged Doors, pp. 51, 52, 53, The Matings, by I. K. Felch, 87, 88,
Drop Doors, 53, 54, Conclusion, 8g.

Pulleys, 54. «*, Total Number of Illustrations, One Hundred.

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS,

16-17, Additional Suggestions .
18-19, Additional Suggestions .
20-21, Additional Suggestions

Tail-piece,— The Poultry Keeper’s Friend .

Figures 23-24, Suggestions for Picket Gates
25-26, Suggestions for Picket Gates

He EE
PORTRAIT, c ERONTISPIECE Figures
House Design No.1 . page 4 ue
Detail of Frame of Same meson = 7 oa
Detail of Frame of Same ie oid 8
House Design No. 2 10 Figure
Figure 1, Slant of mWeariter! Sa 12
Go 2, Slant of Summer Sun 12 &
ee 3, End Elevation of Model TOES 14 ie
UY 4, Front Elevation © ae 15 u
5, Rear Elevation HS Rise 15 “
«6, Floor Plan se Wy 16 Figure
. 7, Storm Proof Entrance for a House 18 a
“8, Upper Ventilator of Model House 19 a
‘9, Lower Ventilator “6 £6 19 a
STajlebiece?, 22 “
Figure 10, Self- Saatedinn Post 25 :
“11, Detail of Construction of Tene 2 26 ue
‘12; ‘Dhe: Post in Use 27 mn
“13, Fending Wire for Top ef peace 27 ee
Figures 14-15, Styles of Trimming for Pickets 28 a

22, Gate Stiffened with Wire .

27-28, Frames for Wire Gates

29-30, Suggestions for Solid Doors .

31-32, Suggestions for Slat Doors
31(a) Lap of Extra Board on Frame
33, Strap Hinge

34, Half-Strap Hinge

35, Spike of Wire Hinge

36, Staple of Wire Hinge .

37, Wire Hinge Completed... .

38, Wire Hinge in Use .
39, Loop of Wire Hinge .
40, The Loop in Use

41, Another Method of Atinching It

Page 29

30
31
32
33
34
35
36
38
39
37
41
4I
4
4t
42
42
43
43
43

“SOME OF LEE’S IDEAS "

Figure 42, Gate Fastening in Use .
“43, Pattern for the Fastening
«44, Pattern for a Wire Fastening
«45, The Common Wooden Button .
‘© 46, Improved Style of Button.
“47, Another Improvement on It
«« 48, The Common Metal Button
«49, A Perfect Secret Fastening .
«50, Another, (Non-Automatic) .
«51, Trap Door Fastening
«52, U-Staple
‘53, M-Staple
aS 54, Wire Hinge in Wises
‘« 55, Automatic Fastening Shak gl
«56, Details of Automatic Fastening
«57, A Pulley on an M-Staple .
“58, Tin Sheath for Pulley Rope

Figures 59 - 60-61 -62, Sections of Perches

Figure 63, Improved Trestle Perch
‘« 64, Detail of Trestle Perch .
“65, Another Improvement

Tail-piece,— Bird and Nest

Figure 66, A Secret Nest,— Open. ...

page 45

aA) List OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Figure 67, The Same Nest Closed
‘* 68, Automatic Nest Box 7
“© 69, The Same Construction, Doubled

Figures 70-71-72, Wire Hinges, in Use

Tail-piece,— One of “LEE’s IDEAS”

Figure 73, Old-Fashioned Feed-Coop
«74, Convenient Feed-Trough °
«75, Common V-Shaped Trough .
“76, Improved Form of Trough.

Tail-piece,— The Setting Hen

Figure 77, Plug for Jug Fountain
«78, The Fountain Complete

Tail-piece,— One of ‘‘LEE’s IDEAS’’

Figure 79, Brood Coop ¢
*« 79a, Double Door for Brod Coan

Tail-piece,— “A Study”.

Figure 80, Shipping Coop <

Tail-piece,— The Universal Seatincll . é

Figure 81, Arrangement of Pedigree Yards

82, Felch’s Diagram for Matings .

Blank for Ornate Initial Letters ¢

Tail-piece,— An Exhibition Breeding Pen .

Tail-piece,—

‘ArteSs MeEntOre ba sls) syaiay wanate

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