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Address communications to Agronomist, 73 Adelaide St. West. Toronto Making Hens "Feel at Home." ment takes in considerable scope. Egg yield is largely controlled by call" *or Pper location that there two important factors-environment a y b no exposure nor dampness K and food,_and each must be at its' "earn that a house must be well v in- best. The hen might be termed a tilatod, so that moisture does no "fussy animal." She wants everything 1 Bather on the walls and ceiling. W* Jnst right, and unless everything is !a revelation the onen-fr entirely satisfactory, she simply re- fuses to get down to business. In other words, she must be content- and grow up to be strong men and women. Sick and weak people eat them and become well and healthy.] Besides," he continued, "eggs taste so' re & ion ' the Peace River district. good. There is nothing to be said Bulletin No. 6 of the Federal Depart- against them." ment of Agriculture deals with ex- "Oh, thank you, kind sir," said the fairy excitedly, "and where can I get the wonderful egg?" | a * -Fort Vermilion, Alberta. The set- "Just across the road in that farm j tlement at this place lies on the banks ' yard, from Mother Chicken," replied; of the Peace River, 350 miles north the wise old man. ' of. Edmonton, in fifty-eight degrees ; Immediately the little fairy hurried 'twenty-four north latitude, 110 de- i_ 1 1_ 1 f A (nn ' Peace River Fanning. Canada lias a valuable agricultural perimentg at the sub-station of th^ Dominion Experimental Farms located Formation of Clubs By Marion Dallas Every day read a book _^ it ) 1 er a poem shed has been in this respect! Egg production is also regulated by the quality and quantity of food, and across the road, took a white egg from the Mother Chickon, and then care- fully treasuring it, he went at top speed back to the river. If only the ice had not melted yet! _ . /\F/\ i, ' grees west longitude, and 950 feet above sen level. I Fort Vermilion has had the usual, romantic career of settlements depict-; the manner in which it is served. Food a tiny piece of ice left. All the others ed; she must have that "at home " I builds up the waste tissues, it pro- had melted. On the tiny piece, he saw feeling. She is not extravagant in) d he t tQ the b( . fat and , nea t all the little fairies anxiously waiting her tastes; she does not demnnd gothic ' - *"-- ed in Sir William Butler's "Great Brtathle'ss he arrived at tho river and i Lone Land." First the trapper and eagerly scanned it. Ah, there was just: fur trader, then the Indian mission,: nouses and elaborate fixtures, but she does want comfortable and clean quar- ters. Her house must not only be cheerful in the daytime, but it must be restful at night. There must be good ventilation, but no drafts. To give good results, a poultry bouse must allow the sun's rays to penetrate it in the morning; it must and next the pioneer and agricultural ; development. The Hudson's Bay Com-j puny had done some tilling prior to' for him. It did not take him long to get to the ice and there he laid the; which did not come about the Dominion i Dr. William to the carcass, and it makes eggs. The usefulness of the hen is, to a large extent, at command of its keeper, egg carefully in the old witch's lap. When eggs are wanted, the quality of She was very angry at his success, the ration must be such as will pro- j but she knew that she must keep her duce eggs. So it is with foods that promise to free the fairies. grow fat. A hen that is busily er~ Just then the ice gave its last creak ment with Robert Jones, an early set- gaged in laying is not so readily over- fattened as the one that is not laying. It is admitted that in order to be- Twenty-eiffht years later, or in 1908,! the first Director of Experimental Farms, Saunders, entered into an arrange- says little in a go(* or a fine bit of prose and think about it." There is much to be gained by solitary study of a book which cannot be gained in any other way. There are some people who plan out a course of study and always keep a book close at hand thereby never los- ing a moment of time. This plan is tho result of an organized life in tho ultimate analysis, the strongest type of character in many respects. There are others, however, who accomplish their best work under the stimulus of companionship. The communion of thought seems necessary to arousa the latent ability to think swiftly and i conserve working under keen aggressive lead- ership will soon make an impression. Those who can sing or read or enter- tain along any line will be sought out and a place on the program found for each. Such a study as the "Coloniza- tion of Canada During the French Regime" will make -possible a program as to include any and all who will take part. The old French boat songs and legends are almost unique and always entertaining and educative in spirit and character. > Divide the Program. ' Another important, item in a sue- ' cessful cVulb is the preparation of. three or four papers for each meeting. . give shade when needed; give the ^me a goo( i layer a hen must have birds outdoor conditions without ex-jc, ome f a t. She must not be thin in posing them to ram, snow and wind- fl e ?,h. Two extremes should be avoided, *Kg- storms. A house that will meet these too thin and too fat. requirements need not be elaborate. Some pullets accumulate consider- It may be a crude building. | able fat before they lay their first There must be plenty of room, so that while indoors fowls may scratch among the litter without bumping up against each other. When the flock and into the water and down to their tier, to carry on investigational work 'own home dived all the little, green with cereals, fruits and vegetables.! 'water fairies. They lived happily ever Five acres of land were first rented! 'after and the happiest and most hon-jand then added to until now twenty- ored of all was he who had found the five acres are occupied and conducted i Cheese in the Diet. It is a remarkable fact that al- egg. This condition" naturally delays though Canadian cheese is equal to lay ; ng; but, in my <.>Teriencs, :t is j the finest of its class in the world, better a little fat than too lean. I have cheese is not as generally used on the by Mr Jones from whose annual re-; been compiled. From these reports it would appear that potatoes,, aspar- agus, beets, cabbage, cauliflower, car- rots, celery, lettuce, parsley, onions, parsnips, spinach, turnips, and rhu- \ Is overcrowded, only a few of the birds s i ow starting are generally the most; countries. In England, for example, | will take exercise; thc others will] steady layers after they do begin and! a large percentage of the homes use \ stand about in small groups, or spend, their eggs are of better size and shape.l cheese almost daily. To some people their time on the roosts. Overcrowded j For egg production the ration must flofks, too are likely to have "bullies" | be highly nitrogenous. Wheat is the among them, and it takes only one or, leading nitrogenous food. While it is two birds of that disposition to upset the most complete grain fed to poul- noticed that those pullets which are , table in Canada as in many othor barb can be termed certain crops, and ---*- crops that mature fairly early. The season is short but vigorous. Peas have done well every year since 1909, except in 1910, when an exceptionally the entire family. Get rid of such birds. To shell out the oggs, hens must be try it must never be given to the exclusion of other grains. A sole diet of wheat will quickly give the egg an tame, and not of a scary disposition.! odor siir.ilar to that of a decayed egg, Tame hens "feel at home"; wild hens, and the flavor is not at all appetizing. are discontented. Tame hens are lay- This is especially noticeable upon va. If the attendant is kind and . opening a soft-boiled egg laid by a gentle, it will not take the hens long to, wheat-fed hen. Therefore, it is neces- nnd it out, and then in turn, will gain ! 8a ry to balance the nitrogenous foods confidence. Every movement made by j with some carbonaceous matt rial, such the person in charge should be quiet ' as corn. Corn alone is not a good egg and easy. The hens must be taught 'food, though. that they are safe In the presence of] Egg farmers say that better re- thir keeper. We may laugh at the suits are obtained in feeding a moist person talking to his hens, but those' mash rather than a dry one. The hen hens are the tamest and do the best eats more of it, and it assimilates bet- laying. cheese is believed to be indigestible, but as pointed out in Pamphlet No. 71 heavy frost proved destructive. Beans of the Department of Agriculture at do well in ordinary years; but corn, Ottawa, its digestibility is improved i pumpkins, tomatoes, and citrons may when combined with other foods. | b e regarded as uncertain, although When eaten with bread or other j fodder corn can generally be relied starchy food such as potatoes, or upon- Cucumbers have to be hot- macaroni, it forms one of the most bedded first. Of fruits, strawberries, satisfactory food combinations, an d j cl >rrants and raspberries have done one which will not be difficult of di- well, but gooseberries, plums and ap- gestion for most people. It is when ' P lcs have not thriven to any con- eaten at the end of a heavy meal < siderable extent. The hardier flowers ; that it is liable to overtax the digest- ive organs. Cheese Is a very con- flourish, and the garden at Fort Ver- milion has attracted much attention. A hen is more contented in clean te * r ' mutovrbivn must never be given In a sloppy condition. There should quarters than in filthy ones. Even ] be just enough water or milk added to though they do not have a sense of , make the mash crumbly. Green stuff rneU, they appreciate clean and! and animal food are of great import- bright pens. It may be a little old- ance daily. fashioned to whitewash the interior We measure the effect of food upon of the coops, but I still have strong egg production by the manner in faith in it. Whitewashed walls are which it is digested. Unless tho di- not only attractive, but they kill dis- ease germs, wedl spent. Whitewashing is labor The size of the outside run is not so gestive organs are in pood working condition, there will not be many eggs. Use good, hard, sharp grit. This food-environment question important as is the conditi6n in which j leads on to other requisites. The blood the run is kept. A small yard that is of the hens must be kept in a pink kept clean, in which the earth is turn- state must bo purified. For this pur- ed under every now and then, and one pose, poultry science has found no- which is partially shaded, is preferred > thing better than linseed-meal and to a large run that Is sadly neglected. | charcoal A well-littered scratching shed is bet-| To summarize: we must feed nitro- tr for exercise than an acre of range.! genous food, balanced by carbonaceous When a hen is contt-nted she is sure material. We must give green stuff, to be healthy. A contented, healthy or its substitute daily. We must sup- hen is known by her quick movements' ply animal food. We must keep and her bright appt-u ranee. She sings ' oyster-shell, grit and charcoal con- and cackles, and in many ways shows ! stantly within reach. Fresh water that "life is one long, sweet song."! daily, exercise, comfort and content- Hens love peace. The presence of | ment then we have the profitable lay- quarrelsome hens or a tyrant male! ing hen. soon develops discontent. Everything! We improve our stock and make it must be congenial. Environment must more profitable by giving careful at- not be treated with indifference. There tention, by making a happy and| to a streak of human nature in a hen. healthful home, by inspiring oonfi- Bhe is not unlike the workman who dence. Tame hens tell the tale of does his work more easily when his ' proper attention, ami scary hens Surroundings are pleasant. Environ- the temperament of their keeper. centrated diet, nearly all of it being! Fiv <> varieties of wheat tested in used by the body to build up new tis-l six-year averages have yielded as fol- sues and to provide energy for the llows P er acre: Bishop, 58 bus., 40 body to do Its work. For sturdy boys U)8 -' Huron, 56 bus. 30 lbs.; Red Fife, : and girls and normal adults, it is one! 55 bus - 25 lbs -: Marquis, 52 bus. 35 , of the best muscle builders and one lbs -: and Prelude 41 bus. 50 lbs. Oats which is entitled to a large place in in the same average have yielded: the diet. j Banner, 88 bus. 33 lbs.; Daubeney, GO; While cheese may be served with- ! bus - 31 lbs -. and Eighty Day, 62 bus. j out any further preparation, it can! 2 lbs - Barley similarly tested has| be used in cooking in many different produced; Manchurian, CO bus. 40 lbs.;' ways. It should be borne in mind,! Champion, 55 bus. 15 lbs.; Success, 53 however, that cheese will be harder i bus - 36 !bs - aml Hulless White, 51 to digest if cooked at a high temper- 1 bus - 42 lbs - Various sorts of field, ature. Tho pamphlet to which refer- 1 roots have been experimented with; ence is made contains many cheese 'successfully. Sunflowers for ensilage, recipes. These include sauces, soups, 'have proved promising, and surpris- Welsh rarebit, pudding, souffle, cro-| irv K lv Iar & e cr P 8 of K re n fodder have quettes, omelette, biscuits, salad, and| been obtained ^ from corn. Of clovers! many other enticing dishes. The re- and grasses, Grimm and Ontario Var-j cipe for cheese biscuits taken from!' ated varieties of alfalfa, and red ( this pamphlet is: Two cups flour, 4 clover, have- proved promising; Alsike. teaspoons baking powder, 2 table- clover has not been sufficiently test- spoons lard or butter, 4 teaspoon ; ed J timothy. Western Rye grass, salt, % cup milk (about), grated ! Awnless Brome and Meadow Fescue,| cheese. Sift thc flour, baking powder ! tested for hay value, have wintered' and salt together and rub in the fat i well > but Orchard and Red Top grass- evenly. Add the grated cheese and es have proved disappointing. Weather records for twelve years enough milk to mnkc a soft dough. Roll, cut in shapes, and bake in a hot oven. The dough should be ! the average sunshine per day for nine handled as quickly as possible andj montn3 last >' ear . that is from April mixed only enough to blend the in- to December, inclusive, was six hours. I grcdients. . 6 1 Samantha says: Some women who' Good nature is the cheapest com- are mighty particular about who their modity in the world and the only thing! children play with will buy all the' that will pay ten per cent, to the bor- ; latest slang, smut, and profanity for rower and lender alike. Ingersoll. ' their pianos and graphophones. Canadian women are only beginning to realize the great advantage of co- operation along the various avenue? of service open to them. The business world has taught men the wisdom of standing together in the noblest and best meaning of that term. Canadians must realize that to mould and main- tain one great National Idealism we must combine all our energies, must make common capital of all industria.1 knowledge, experience and talent. The Possibilities of the Rural Club. There are little communities dotted here and there all over our vast Do- minion which are dull and uninterest- ing because they are a mere aggrega- tion of individuals and not a commun- ity as such. A real community "Is a number of people so united in spirit and so interested in the advancement of their town that they are -willing to drop their little differences and unite to form one great brotherhood." If your town is dull it is because there is no organized effort to over- come that dullness. If the people who go about bemoaning the bare- ness of life in the rural districts would just meet together and in a sane, red-blooded way face the propo- sition, they would discover avenues of development of which they never dreamed. Wherever there are three or four families in a. group there is almost invariably talents which will make for the welfare of all concerned. No community appreciates its re- sources until it places the social em- phasis on its community life. Un- suspected talent is displayed when team work is adopted. Men and wo- men who have nevor been tested are drawn out by the inspiration of doing | something in common with others. In the modest young girl is found a] singer; the care-worn mother sudden- ly develops a talent for writing; some, of the so called commonplace people! disclose a wit whk-h astonishes their! neighbors. The great majority ofj people need only a little sympathy and a sense of responsibility to res- pond to some unsuspected power. Making a Club Practical. The success of a club is measuredjj not by the scope of its program, but by the interest it awakens and the number of people it sets to work. If a club is to be formed, someone must take the initiative and invite] from six to eight of the people who' and transparency to thc expression of them. For the encouragement of those who are timid about contribut- ing papers, I would like to quote a paragraph from an address which Viscount Middleton gave to the Wo- man's Canadian Club in Montreal some time ago. "I dare say most people are too modest to think any- thing they can write worthy to be put before an audience. I would say do not be afraid of what you have writ- ten. The great Greek Lysias once 'wrote a defence for a client. The client said he was delighted when he read it the first time. I liked it less the second time, and after a third reading do not consider it a defence at all. Console yourself, said Lydias, the judges have only to hear the de- fence once. That conviction," con- tinued Viscount Middleton, "has taught me to face many an audience with what seemed to me a subject of insufficient interest.'' In every club the simpler the organ- ization the less work involved and the greater the chance for success. Dis- cussion and the presentation of oppo- site ideas has its value in every club, but if care is not taken, contradiction will prove very injurious to any organization. It was a clubman who said, "Well, wife, this is club night and I must go and contradict a bit." Club Programs. There are many and various classes of clubs. Clubs for the study of in- dividual writers, clubs for the study of history. Canadian history contains an unsuspected wealth of association, sufficient to cover several winters' programs. Musical clubs have a great ing programs. Sometimes a few peo- ntersteil in some ', Carlyle for instance. If Carlyle be chosen, the club should secure an inexpensive set of his works. Programs could be arranged as fol- 1. "Biography." References may be found in the "Life of Carlyle," by R. Garnett. 2. "Carlyle, Personally," by D. Masson. 3. "Reminiscences," by J. Froude. 4. "Thomas Carlyle," by J. Froude. Second heading, CRITICISM. 1. "My Study Windows," by J. R. Lowell. 2. "Hours in a Library," by Leslie Stephens. voice THE CHILDREN'S HOUR The Water Fairies. It was spring. Down the river float- ed the large, white chunks of ice, glistening in the sun. Slowly under the warm spring nun, the ice was be- ginning to melt. Soon there would be none at all and thc river would flow on unhindered. But there was one par- ticularly big piece of ice that was more stubborn that all the others. It seemed as if the sun's warrn rays | couid not penetrate it. But gradually , it too began to thaw. Now this piece- of ii'c was a very uncommon one and entirely different from its sister pic, ex floating down .the river. On the outside, except for it -, unusual size, it looked just like the others. But the secret was on the inside. . For there early in the winter had been imprisoned some lovely, lit- .tle, green water fairie.s by a cruel, .cruel witch. All through the long, cold winter, the fuirics had lain in their icy prison waiting for the spring! to come. For then, they thought,! surely the old witch would relent and j let them go once more to their beloved ; home at the bottom of the river. Finally their icy prison did begin j jto melt, and the little, green water j fairies were very happy. But it was ot in thc mind of the cruel witch to e lenient with them. She called them nil together in her room in the ice kwl told them that before she gave ,thcin their freedom, they must per- form a difficult task for her. Then indeed were the fairies dismayed. For wrhHt lew torture had the old witch In store for them. "You must select the - i.e. whom E you consider the wisest, to go forth I over thc land inhabited by human be- j ings and there he must find that which does the most good to the hu- j man beings. If ht is successful in j bringing this, whatever it may be, back to me before the ice melts, then you shall all be free to go to your , palace beneath the waters," said the J witch. "But," and here she looked darkly at them, "if you fail, you shall all die." Tho fairies shuddered nnd looked at each other disheartened. None of them had ever been on land and who would be brave enough to venture ir.to the unknown region on the cruel witch's errand. They were silent. Then up piped the prettiest one of all the green water fairies. "I'll try," he said, and then without anotler word he was off, leaping from one icy chunk to another until he reached the land. Far and wide did the little sea fairy travel, always seeking for some- thing that did people the most good. He found many things, but always there was some drawback. Still the little, green water fairy was not dis- couraged. If only he could find the desired object before the ice melted, how happy he and all the other water fairies would be to escape from the old wiU'h. He knew therefore that he must not give up. So on he went. On the outskirts of a big city he came across an old man who had wandered all over the world and who was well versed In all the secrets of the earth. The little green water fairy in the course of his wanderings had heard about, this old man and all his knowledge. Bald- ly the little fairy approached the big man and asked him what it was that did people the most good. The wise man laughed and said, "Why, don't you know, it is very sim- ple. It is an egg. Children eat eggs Parents as Educators of an intellectu-j al and social order. These should confer along the broad lines of organ-' ization. It would be well to discuss the line of work the club should take up, the style of the meetings, the days of meeting and tho frequency of them. A small committee should be appoint- i ed to draw up a tentative program j and prepare a list of names to be| canvassed. A wide-awake committee Robertson. 4. "History of English Literature," by Taine. From these books will be gathered a good deal of information re-garding the man and his writings. The following suggestkms as to titles of papers may be of help: "Car- lyle as a Representative of Scotch Peasant Character," "Carlyle's Gospel of Work," "Carlyle's Literary Power." Walks and Talks By Elsie F. Kartack We were in thc garden one morn- ing, shortly after my arrival, John, Mary, Bobby and I. Mother had gone away for a vacation. The garden was beautiful, and we were quietly enjoying all its loveliness when suddenly Mary cried, "Oh, there's an ugly old toad, I'm afraid of it." John and Bobby ran toward it in eager anticipation of destroying it. "I hate toads," said John with a vengeance. "I'll step on it," exclaimed Bobby at the same time. I was just in time with my "Wait, Bobby. Why are you going to kill it?" "Because I hate it," he answered. "And why do you hate it?" "It's ugly." "Oh, is it? I don't think so. Let's take a better look at it. Why, see, it! has beautiful jewels on its back, and look bi ic at its gold rimmed spec- tacles." The children looked surprised. "Suppose we sit down and watch it while I tell you all about it," I con- tinued. "Don't do that, you'll get warts." This from John as I reached out to stroke the toiid. "No, you won't," I replied. "Not any of the books that I have ever read about toads say that you get warts from stroking them. The toad likes! it and he sometimes sings a song, just as a cat purrs when it is stroked. Do you see the pouch under his mouth? That swells as he sings. He criee, too, when he is hurt. There are! different kinds of toads. The tree 1 toad becomes the color of tho surface on which he finds himself eo that people or animals cannot set him." "I wish I could do that whi-n I'm playing hide-and-go-seek," said Mary. "Well, you see the toad can do some things that you cannot do," I replied. "Let's hear some more about it," exclaimed John, breathlessly moving closer to the toad. "The mother toad lays the eggs in the water and covers them with a jelly for protection. After they are hatched, they are called tadpoles." "Are those little black things that swim around in the water tadpoles?" interrupted Mary. "Yes. They live in the water six weeks and then they lose their tails, grow legs and swim to shore. After that they live on land. When a toad wants a new suit he splits his old one up the back, pulls it off, rolls it into a ball and swallows it and there he is in his new suit." "Really?" the children all exclaim- ed at once. "Yes, really," I replied, "and I have left the best for the last. The toad is one of our best helpers. He eats all the insects that would destroy our crops and flowers, so is very valuable to the farmer and gardener. If un- harmed, he will live for years in our garden. There is one very old toad who spends his winters under my stone steps at home, and every spring I look eagerly for him to come out and he has not disappointed me yet," I ended. Mary moved nearer. "I don't be- lieve I'm afraid of you any more, nice old Mr. Toad." "Say, Bobby," said John, "let's be good to this toad and then he'll stay and maybe some day we'll see him change his coat. Anyway, we can take him into partnership in our gar- den work." THE BENEFICENT GRASS "Next in importance to the divine profusion of water, light and air, those three physical facts which ren- der existence possible may be reckon- ed the universal beneficence of grass. It bears no blazonry of bloom to charm the senses with fragrance or splendor, but its homely hue is more enchanting than the lily or the rose. It yields no fruit in earth or air, yet should its harvests fail for a single year famine would depopulate the world." The above lines are taken from John James Ingali's beautiful ode to 1 grass. Grass is such a common thing, in this rich, well watered land of ours that we take it for granted, not giving! it credit for many good things or| stopping to think just how much we arc dependent upon it. We turn it i with the plow and till the soil until not one green spear shows. We continue j cultivation until the humus is deplet- ed and the soil becomes lifeless, and the rains wash -the top soil away and gully the hillsides. Grass bides its time to return and restore the de- struction we have wrought. The grass fields do not wash, they become richer rather than poorer with the lapse of time. They attach us to the land. Our affections are not deeply set on a plowed field or a corn crib. It is the pasture with its inhabitants, the frolicking lambs, the pigs in clover, the sturdy colts, with their big gentle mothers, and the ruggsd bright-eyed calves, that touch the heart and make us happy to be a part of the great wide country. In the past we have not esteemed pastures a we should. They feed mankind. Each evening sees the cows come home from their work oil transforming nature's carpet of green into the richest of food for man foaming milk, rich crram and yel- low butter the most perfect food for all the young. Their flesh is grass. The steers graze the rich pastures till they are rilled, then they lie down in a herd on the hillside contentedly chewing their cuds for an hour or two and making grass into juicy steaks, the food that has enabled tho*e who ate thereof to dominate the world. The races of men who wear wool have always been the leaders of civi- lization. Wherever the golden hoof has trod there has come prosperity. The white fleeced sheep eagerly nip the temler grass and are the medium through which pastures clothe man- kind. There is something that comes from living amid broad pastures and caring for good live stock that makes great souls in men; that gives them faith; that makes them sane, patient, endur- ing, clear thinking; that imbues them with a deep love for their tend and for their country. - Settling those slvvgs: A reader re- ports that sprinkling lime around plants failed to dispel garden slug*. Perhaps the lime was not renewed frequently. A circle of soot or linre ibout plant* requires frequent renew- al, because slugs exude a slimy fluid over which they can crawl with im- munity. If the soil in beds and frames is saturated with a solution of ammonia several days before planting, it will drive slugs from hiding and turn them a whitish color so that they may easily be seen and picked off the bed. Inha'.&tion of impure air breaks down the resisting power against dis- easo.