whole theory of chicken cholera
at their tongues' end.

Several correspondents want to know how to get rid of rats in
poultry-houses. One man says that he firmly believes that there are more
rats than chickens in his poultry-house, and although he has tried half
a dozen different kinds of rat-traps he rarely catches anything in them.

I never found rat-traps much good; some of them would catch one or two,
but after that the rest of the tribe would fight shy of all such devices
for their undoing. A well trained rat terrier proved to be the best
rat-trap we ever had on the premises, and for the poultry raiser who
likes dogs a good ratter would be a good investment. Or you can use some
one of the "exterminators" that may be obtained at the drug stores.
Remove your fowls to some other building, prepare the poison according
to directions, and place it in the poultry-house. The best kinds to use
are those that make the rats thirsty and cause them to die immediately
after drinking; water can then be left in the hen house and the dead
rats will be found close by. When you have rat poison in the house see
that it is properly marked and put out of reach of children and careless
hired girls; and always see that all remnants of bait are taken care of.

A Nebraska man wants to know why his hens don't lay. Says they are
mostly early pullets, have a fairly comfortable poultry house, all the
grain they will eat twice a day, and plenty of fresh water at all times.

It seems to me that "all the grain they will eat twice a day" is rather
overdoing the grain business. Have some of that grain ground, mix with
boiled vegetables and feed warm every morning; also give green food and
raw bone, and my word for it your hens will soon "lay like sixty."

FANNY FIELD.

FEATHER ENDS.

Plymouth Rock pullets are not always early layers, for they
often grow for ten or twelve months before laying, though some say as
early as six months after being hatched. The best plan the keep Plymouth
Rocks is to get the pullets hatched as early as possible. April is as
late as should be desired, but a Plymouth Rock cock crossed on common
hens will produce pullets that may be hatched later.

N.Y. Times: A poultry-house should be large enough to be airy,
but if it is kept strictly clean and sweet it will do no harm to be
somewhat crowded. A house 24 feet long, 10 feet wide, 5 feet high behind
and 8 feet in front, and having four roosting poles, all on