6ut of the house, and return to their cages at night or when they want food, in which case they may be allowed their liberty. They must have plenty of fine, dry gravel and conveniences for bathing, and their food should be barley, wheat, peas, vetches, hemp, and canary seed. They like variety in it, and are fond of bread dry or soaked, the seeds of pines and firs, and linseed and myrtle berries. They ought to have bay salt mixed with old mortar or gravel. The salt is good for their throats, which often become diseased. Doves generally have two broods in the year, two young ones at a time, which they feed from their crops. We have been told that they are often unnatural enough to neglect this duty; but we do not think this is generally the case. The young are so dependent upon their parents, that they could hardly be reared by hand. They are not very interesting birds, but have great beauty of plumage, and no disagreeable characteristics to detract from their merits as domestic pets* TYPICAL PLYMOUTH ROCKS. ■f: I t \ \ I POTJLTHY. Choice varieties of fowls add a pleasant feature to the farm premises. They engage the attention and sympathy of the juvenile farmers, and the time bestowed to the poultry yard keeps them from mischief, is an agreeable and salutary relief for toil and study, and elicits the taste, the judgment, and the kindlier feelings of humanity, which are to be matured in the future accomplished breeder. When properly managed, jdouI- try are a source of considerable profit, yielding more for the food they consume than any other stock, although their value is not often considered. The agricultural statistics of the United States, for 1839 — forty-four years ago — gave its value at over $12,000,000, and the current value of the poultry in the United States is now probably thirty millions of dollars, and its annual product in eggs and flesh is much greater. It is esti- mated by McQueen that the poultry of England exceeds $40,000,000, and yet McCulloch says she imports 60,000,000 eggs annua%- from France (McQueen states it at near 70,000- 000), and fiom other parts of the continent, 25,000,000; besides 80,000,000 imported from Ireland. The people of the United States are much larger egg and poultry consumers than the English, and thus they are a considerable object of agricultural attention, and assume an important place among the other staples of the farmer. The following are the principal breeds: The Bantam. — ^The original of the Bantam is the Bankiva fowL The small white, and also the colored Bantams, whose legs are heavily feathered, are sufficiently well-known to render a particular description unnecessary. Bantam-fanciers gener- ally pcofor those which have clean, bright legs, without any sad lOULtRY. vestige of feathers. A thoroughbred cock, in their judgment, should have a rose comb; a well feathered tail, but without the sickle feathers; a proud, lively carriage; and ought not to exceed a pound in weight. The nankeen-colored and the black are general favorites.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

6ut of the house, and return to their cages at night or when they want food, in which case they may be allowed their liberty. They must have plenty of fine, dry gravel and conveniences for bathing, and their food should be barley, wheat, peas, vetches, hemp, and canary seed. They like variety in it, and are fond of bread dry or soaked, the seeds of pines and firs, and linseed and myrtle berries. They ought to have bay salt mixed with old mortar or gravel. The salt is good for their throats, which often become diseased. Doves generally have two broods in the year, two young ones at a time, which they feed from their crops. We have been told that they are often unnatural enough to neglect this duty; but we do not think this is generally the case. The young are so dependent upon their parents, that they could hardly be reared by hand. They are not very interesting birds, but have great beauty of plumage, and no disagreeable characteristics to detract from their merits as domestic pets. TYPICAL PLYMOUTH ROCKS. ■f: I t \ \ POTJLTHY. Choice varieties of fowls add a pleasant feature to the farm premises. They engage the attention and sympathy of the juvenile farmers, and the time bestowed to the poultry yard keeps them from mischief, is an agreeable and salutary relief for toil and study, and elicits the taste, the judgment, and the kindlier feelings of humanity, which are to be matured in the future accomplished breeder. When properly managed, jdouItry are a source of considerable profit, yielding more for the food they consume than any other stock, although their value is not often considered. The agricultural statistics of the United States, for 1839 — forty-four years ago — gave its value at over $12,000,000, and the current value of the poultry in the United States is now probably thirty millions of dollars, and its annual product in eggs and flesh is much greater. It is estimated by McQueen that the poultry of England exceeds $40,000,000, and yet McCulloch says she imports 60,000,000 eggs annua%- from France (McQueen states it at near 70,000- 000), and fiom other parts of the continent, 25,000,000; besides 80,000,000 imported from Ireland. The people of the United States are much larger egg and poultry consumers than the English, and thus they are a considerable object of agricultural attention, and assume an important place among the other staples of the farmer. The following are the principal breeds: The Bantam. — ^The original of the Bantam is the Bankiva fowL The small white, and also the colored Bantams, whose legs are heavily feathered, are sufficiently well-known to render a particular description unnecessary. Bantam-fanciers generally prefer those which have clean, bright legs, without any [illustration: OUR POULTRY.] vestige of feathers. A thoroughbred cock, in their judgment, should have a rose comb; a well feathered tail, but without the sickle feathers; a proud, lively carriage; and ought not to exceed a pound in weight. The nankeen-colored and the black are general favorites.

The housekeeper's companion