weather. The turkey does not like close quarters, and thrives best where it is given plenty of air.

In many sections of the country where the winters are not too severe, the house shown in Figure 74, at the lower part of the illustration, will be found an excellent one for turkeys in winter, while in the northern regions, even, such a building will be found most useful as a roosting place for both chickens and poults during the late summer and fall, since they need protection from rain and prowling animals, but plenty of pure air to secure the finest growth. This need of pure air at night is not properly appreciated by most persons who attempt to raise chickens.

Improved Duck Houses-Ducks are easily the most profitable of all poultry, if the flesh product simply is considered, while as a layer of eggs the Pekin duck is exceedingly profitable. There can be no doubt that it would be wise for more farmers to keep a flock of breeding and laying ducks, and for this purpose there is no better breed than the large, white Pekin.

As ducks roost on the floor, only low quarters are needed. A low, shed-roofed affair can be put onto the side of the barn or other farm building, in the manner shown in Figure 75, three feet of hight being sufficient. Let the pen open into the large building, the partition between being hinged at the top, so that by raising it one can clean out the pen and put in dry bedding. One can thus build duck quarters very inexpensively.

Figure 76 shows a duckhouse with shed and an inclosed roost room. It is single walled and built in the cheapest manner.

In Building a Dove Cote in a barn for six pairs, they should have at least twelve feet square of floor and eight feet high. The more space the better, unless the pigeons are to have the freedom of the yard. The boxes should be at least eight in number, each box to

be double, completely divided so a young pigeon cannot go from one to the other without flying. This allows the mother to lay and hatch a second set of eggs before the first are able to look after themselves. These boxes must be set on the top of tinned posts or fixed in some way so that the rats cannot reach the nests,

for rats are sure to destroy the eggs or young birds in the nest.-[A. H. Streeter, Hampshire County, Massachusetts.

Making a Pigeon Loft-Every boy on the farm should have a flock of pigeons, be the variety Fantails, Homers, Turbits or Jacobins. They are among the most satisfactory pets that one can have, their pretty

ways and beautiful forms and plumage making them most desirable companions. A loft for the accommodation of pigeons can be made very easily in the roof chamber of a shed or stable. The illustrations (Figure 77) show inside and outside arrangement for such a loft. With most pigeons there must be a wire inclosure outside the window, else cats will make havoc with the birds, many varieties not being very quick upon the wing. A part of the inside partition is cut away in the illustration to show the interior arrange

ment. Such a loft utilizes waste space and requires no great expense for lumber. A boy should be able to fit it up himself.

Combined Poultry and Pigeon House-A poultry house with a loft especially fitted up for the accommodation of pigeons is shown in the accompanying illustrations (Figures 78, 79), from sketches by Webb Donnell. The poultry quarters have an addition fitted with wire netting in front in summer, as seen in Figure 78, and windows in winter, which serves as a scratching and dusting room, communication being had with it from the main poultry room. The diagram, Figure 79, shows the inside arrangement when the building is used for two breeds. Such an arrangement secures exceedingly warm roosting places for both flocks, as

the recesses occupied by the roosts can be shut off from the main room to some extent by placing partitions in front of the roosts, extending from the ceiling, but not

reaching to the floor. The warm air from the bodies of the fowls is thus kept around and above the birds while on their roosts.

CHAPTER X

COOPS, YARDS AND FENCES

Compared with the houses, the coops are small and temporary affairs, being used often only a few months of the year. Present use rather than appearance or durability is usually considered. In some cases the coop item is so far overlooked that it becomes the weak feature of the plant, and serious losses occur from overcrowding the young stock or failing to pro

tect them against pests; neglecting to separate fowls ill with contagious diseases; lack of accommodations for sitters, fattening fowls, extra males or show birds. There is little excuse for such conditions; materials good for coops being plenty and cheap, while on account of the limited size of such structures they may be nailed together any time in the workshop or shed.