Rensselaer Union, Volume 9, Number 42, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 July 1877 — Grass for Fowls. [ARTICLE]

Grass for Fowls.

Novices, in poultry keeping, desires to see their yards green with growing grass, ns hen pastures, not taking into account the inevetable effects of constant tramping, and the deposit of very strong excremental matter, on the finest and fonderest grasses. It is the nature of the fowl to keep a constant search and with this intent they travel over the ground so much that the grass is soon destroyed except that which is coarse and valueless. A flock of twenty-five fowls will entirely eradicate the fine grasses from a yard containing one eighth of an acre. Fowls should have fresh vegetable food, and as it it useless to attempt the production of tender, nutritious grass in theireuclosures, another plan must be adopted to seeuie our object. The best way is to have a grassplant, and mow the tender shoots in the morning when the dew is on, enough to last through the day. 'I his feed, kept in the shade, will remain fresh. The frequent cutting will insure a thick growth, and, only a small quantity being required each day, only a small plat will be needed, the ground being cropped mauy times in one season. Fowls prefer young grass, and the land devoted to this purpose should be rich, that there may be beaquick growth. The lawn mower is a valuable adjunct of the poultry yard.— Povltnj World.