chickens is that they will
take their places at the nests in October or November while the older
ones are dressmaking. This is important to one who looks for a steady
income from his hens,--October and November being the hardest months to
provide for. A few scattered eggs in the pullet runs showed that the
late February and early March chickens were beginning to have a
realizing sense of their obligations to the world and to the Headman,
and that they were getting into line to accept them. More cotton-seed
meal was added to the morning mash for the old hens, and the corn meal
was reduced a little and the oatmeal increased, as was also the red
pepper; but do what you will or feed what you like, the hen will insist
upon a vacation at this season of the year. You may shorten it, perhaps,
but you cannot prevent it. The only way to keep the egg-basket full is
to have a lot of youngsters coming on who will take up the laying for
October and November.

We milked thirty-seven cows during July, August, and September, and got
more than a thousand pounds of milk a day. The butter sold amounted to a
trifle more than $375 a month. I think this an excellent showing,
considering the fact that the colony at Four Oaks never numbered less
than twenty-four during that time, and often many more.

I ought to say that the calves had the first claim to the skim-milk; but
as we never kept many for more than a few weeks, this claim was easily
satisfied. It was like the bonds of a corporation,--the first claim, but
a comparatively small one. The hens came next; they held preferred
stock, and always received a five-pound, semi-daily dividend to each pen
of forty. The growing pigs came last; they held the common stock, which
was often watered by the swill and dish-water from both houses and the
buttermilk and butter-washing from the dairy. I hold that the feeding
value of skim-milk is not less than forty cents a hundred pounds, as we
use it at Four Oaks. This seems a high price when it can often be bought
for fifteen cents a hundred at the factories; but I claim that it is
worth more than twice as much when fed in perfect freshness,--certainly
$4 a day would not buy the skim-milk from my dairy, for it is worth more
than that to me to feed. This by-product is essential to the smooth
running of my factory. Without it the chickens and pigs would not grow
as fast, and it is the best food for laying hens,--nothing else will
give a better egg-yield. Th