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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Herald, 1926-09-02, Page 7"GUESS MY ACE " SAID THE CHICKIN CHICK' CandyClirla at °Ur FaIl>rP ar When the Woman's Club in our town asked the Grin Guide$ to take BY MICHAEL K, BOYER, _ charge of the candy table at their. annual fair lastyear we thought it For some reason or other poultry writers steer clear of the subject of determining the age of fowls. They Maarnot know of a method, or they may he afraid of ad'v'ancing their pet theories. I don't know that 1 blame then, for I have searched and search- ed the poultry books and magazines but can 'find nothing, or very little, that might be taken• as a guide, Oncein a great while 1 have gath- ered a little data, and I have been on the lookout for a number of years. It may be that there is no way; but then, on second thought, why shouldn't there be? If we can tell a horse's age by his teeth, why not the hen's by some outstanding mark? First, there are the spurs, For years folks relied en the size of the spurs, But I have found that that does not always hold good; besides, it is seldom we find a hen with spurs, ,find we are more concerned with the hen's age than we are with the cock's. In Iooking over some old English writings, I find that the old English Game hens sported spurs just like the males, and some .of the five -toed breeds of hens found in Kent, Sussex and Surrey had spurs, .and, even do to -day. Anyway, this spur business applies .to the,male sex, and in excep- tional cases to the female sex. ANALYZING THE SPUR. •The spur, like_ .the horn• of an ani- mal, rests on a bony part—the core— .and is covered by a bony sheath which increases more or less in length every year. But the growth of the spur can he hastened, or it can be checked or retarded by some accident. I had a cockerel that showed. a spur large enough for a two-yeaseold bird; and I also owned a cock in which the spur never advanced beyond the cockerel stage. So there was no telling the age by the spurs in those birds. Ordinarily, however, a cockerel that is not over five months old seldom has any sn'er, but if we look closely= we find a scale that is somewhat larger than the others, at a point where the spur is to grow. In time this scale rises, and a knob is formed, at the centre of which there is a clearly defined point. When a cockerel is seven months old this spur may be one-eighth of an inch long, and four months later it will be about five-eighths of an inch in length, generally straight, with a rounded end. At two years of age, this spur may measure from one inch to one and one- eighth inches, with a curve upwards or downwards. A year later it may be from one and three-eighths to one and one-half inches, and have a curve, the end usually turning upward. The growth of the spur continues,all through rife, but the quickest advance is shade during the latter part of the cockerel age. After the third year the growth is very stow, but the spur becomes harder and thinner. I have had cock birds whieh,•when four years old, had yery long spurs, and in some I cases these spurs' curved or rolled was going to be a 'tremendous task. upon themselves. So while spurs may We held a meeting to discuss ways and be our best guess in determining age, means, and while we were trying to there still is no absolute guarantee. • I think up a new kind of booth to build, The next clue I discovered was the Frances Alcock had a brilliant idea. color of the leg. This is supposed to . "Why have a booth at all?" she vary with age—a black leg becoming asked, epee noticed that the girls bluish, a yellow leg becoming pink or! who take the candy round among the white, a gray or mottled leg becoming crowd in baskets, as they so often do, blue, and a pink leg turning red. The sell lots more than we who stay be - turkey leg Is black when the Powis are hind the counter. Why don't we plan young, but it redder is conspicuously as to sell •ours that way?" the bird grows older.. The red color And that's what we did, shows that the bird is no longer young, Seven of the girls were asked to be but how old it does not tell. And in sales girlu and circulate among the the caso of the yellow leg her , the crowd with their wares. Each girl white or pale leg may indicate age, or wore a costume and the idea made a the pale color may be due to heavy great hit. Marg., Smith was the cutest egg production, as authorities on cull- little Chinese girl, with her smooth ing would have us believe. black hair, with two huge paper We do know that with pullets the chrysanthemums tucked behind her scales of the legs are smooth, shiny, ears and wearing Miss 'Sear's lovely fine, hardly visible, very soft to the red Mandarin evening coat. She sold touch and hugging closely and firmly T'ang Hu La, the candy the Chinese to the leg. But each year these scales children love to buy. We read about become wider and longer, and rise lit- it at tho library and then made it tie by little, until finally they become ourselves as near like theirs as we could. It consists of several pieces of candied fruit and nuts run onto little sticks. We used toothpicks, candle- cherries, anditicherries, dates and walnuts. The girl who sold the pralines was dressed like a colored mammy, with a big gay apron and a bandanna. She blackened her face. We just asked. the felts who were going to make fudge to drop it in round wafers in- stead of making it in squares for her to sell. Maud Perkins made the prettiest Scottish lassie, with plaid skirt and short stockings, and she sold "toffies," which included caramels. Another girl dressed in a short • white dress, with long curls, a blue sash and socks, was a French doll and -mild bon bons. Frances was the hit of the evening in her cambric parka and hood, as an Eskimo. A girl in a Swiss costume, a full red cheesecloth skirt, white blouse and black, bodice, sold sweet chocolate. And we made the Turkish paste that Mabel Elliot, in scarlet trousers and fez, sold from her tray. It was not hard. The recipe called for a box of gelatin, a cupful and a third of water, two cupfuls of sugar and half a cupful of fruit juice. To make it, bring two-thirds of a cupful of hard and tough. Yet while by these scales we can distinguish the hen from the .pullet, we have no guide to show us the years -cold of the hen. Along conies a Canadian writer who tells us to look at the skin. elf :the flank feathers of a young hen are pushed apart, he' says, a silky,• long, light, extremely -thin down will be seen growing fairly regular between the other feathers, which cover all parts of the body. He says the skin. is of a uniform tissue, fine and pink, covered with a network of very fine, bluish veins. When the hen is over a year old the down and veins have disap- peared, and the skin is of a dull white color, dry, not so smooth or elastic, and somewhat mealy. A GOOD METHOD. Here is a method which appeared in print some years ago, which sounds good: A six -months -old pullet, and even until it is 14 months old, will have the first secondary feather in its wing, near the axile feathers, shorter than the rest, and the quill will be more central, bending in a short point, slightly prominent. There is but one secondary feather on each wing presenting these char- acteristics until the next molt, after which the second feather is also short- water and the sugar to a boil and add er than the others. the gelatin soaked in the rest of the In other words, after the fall molt, water for a few minutes, and boil when the fowl is one and one-half slowly for twenty minutes. Add the years old (by which time the feathers fruit juice, turn into a tin pan wet are . fully developed), there will be with cold water and let stand over - found two secondary feathers having night, er until firm. Dip the pan in the characteristic markings, although hot water, turn out on a board, cut in the bird completes its second year only the following spring. After the second nnolt that is, when three or coming three years old —there are three shorter feathers in each wing. After each succeeding molt one more feather comes in short- er. What is your method for determin- ing a fowl's age? ILE SANDS OF TIME "Grannie," said Julia, running into the house excitedly, "Mrs. Eastman says she 'doesn't want any more of her gooseberries, and that If you care for what are left on the bushes you are welcome to them." "That's very kind of Mrs. East man," said Grannie, looking up from her sewing. "We shall certainly en- joy the jam. You'd better go over tow, Julie; they ought to be picked !at once. Take the big basket that hangs under the stains and a straw- ,berry basket. Then you can pick into the small basket and empty into the urger one." Julia's face :fell. "1)o' I have to pick all the gooseberries, Grannie? There are lots of bushes, and they're so prickly!" "You like the jam, don't yov,. dear?" answered Grannie, "and I'm going - to slake the jam, you know." "Yes, Grannie, 1 do," said Julia, giving her a hug and kiss, "and pick every one of them, you'll see, l and I won't grumble another bit!" And off she ran. But wiien she got to Mrs. East- man's gardens and counted the bushes —ten of them --and locket! at all the berries hanging among the prickly branches, she didn't feel ,gtditc so courageous. She 'started on the bush, 'nearest and picked a few berries. Then she lifted up the, branches, one by one, to see how many more berries were hiding underneath. Then she heaved a little sigh and set, to work again. Somehow the little basket seemed to fin very slowly, and silo. couldn•'t help thinking how ninny Moro bushes there wni'e afterthis one and the task seemed endless. Just then Mrs. Eastman came into the garden, Bolding a: qucerly-shaped glass. It was round and flat on top and bottom like a circle, and sloped to the middle from both 'ends, like two funnels meeting in a point, and. one part seemed fust of fine sand. "Here's an hourglass, Julia," she paid. "Perhaps it will. make the pick- ing easier. It takes the sand just ati, hour to run clot* from the top half to the bottom through the tar - Vowac between, , , Watoh it run. It space be ween. p doesn't Burry bat it doesn't stop. It Nat keeps right on and :on, a few sands at a time, and almost before yeti know it, all1 the sands have rail tJrrottgla the hour ill as gone, yen turn i the glass upside down, and the sands start running again." Julia took the glass and watched the sands falling, a few at a time. "They just keep right on, don't they?" she said. "What is it for, Mrs. Eastman?" "It was used for counting, time be- fore there were any clocks," answered Mrs. Eastman. "We'll set it on this „stump where you can watch the sands run while you pick. When they have run out, you cat turn the glass over and they'll start afresh." So Julia started picking again with the hourglass for company, and things did go much better. Instead of count- ing the bushes or looking at the un- picked berries, she tried to keep up with the hourglass. In no time at all, it seemed, the little• basket was fu1. Twice she turned the hourglass. But before it needed _another turn, the bushes were empty and there were seven quarts of lovely gooseberries in the big basket. "It was fun, too, Grannie," she said, as she showed the basket and told about the hourglass. "1 wish we had one." "Now that I think of it," said Gran- nie, "I behove there is an hourglass in an old chest up in the attic. We'1 .have to find it." And they did. Julia used it again when she topped and tailed the berrtes for Grannie. And when the jam was trade, she took Mrs. Eastman a jar and tall her what fun it was keeping up with ""the, sands of tine." Fun in the Old. S i �z?t;rzzxznzlg H6le.. Boys, did you ever talk or sing tinder water? It is great sport and another boy will be able to, hear you very plainly quite same distance away. Hare's how it is done. Place a wide- mouth pail over your head and sink downinto fairly shallow water. The air in the pail will keep out the water and have a tendency to pull you to the surface again, so it is necessary to hold on to a rock or something at the bottom of the pond. Now start to sing in loud, clear tones, or call out the other boy's name. When this boy puts his head under the water some dis- tance from you he will hear the . song or his name very distinctly, as water is a very good conductor of sound waves, squares and roll in powdered sugar. Some of us used orange juice with the grated peel and some lemon juice and made a pretty :yellow paste. Strawberry juice made pink paste, and one of the girls tedored hers green with vegetable coir ring.—Ella Pea- body. • Does Trap -Nesting Pay? One of the important natters which every commercial poultryman must decide at some time in his career is that of whether or not to install and use trapnests. The decision is often the turning point around which a large poultry business builds success or failure. If one can first determine what' trap -nesting will cost and second what it will return, the answer should be fairly easy. Trap -nesting is costly where any great number of hens is' concerned. The nests cost considerably more, and more are usually required for each 100 hens, because the traps ,are visited only at stated times, and a hen can- not leave the nest when she pleases, but must wait to be released. The time involved in making the regu=lar trips to the trap -nests is con- siderable, even under the most effi- cient arrangement. It is not unreas- onable to say that the number of hens THE CANADIAN HOMEMAKER ✓' .nrie, o�" YPieogyi trriclas PLANNING . BUILDING; . r tNANCENCn DECORATING . PURNi5H1NG . GARDENING Gepy! O,gn"t 1.98!. REAL SEMrMI-BUNGALOWS By Richards & Abra, Architects. Many homes are called semi -bunga- lows simply because their exterior ap- pearance suggests that the habitable second floor area is not equal to that of the first. Really, with the excep- tion of this rather insignificant detail, they are to all intents and purposes two storey houses absolutely lacking in any form of semblance to bunga- lows. ung-lows. When one remembers that the chief characteristic of the latter type of home is ground floor bedrooms, the why and wherefore of the application of the term semi -bungalow to any one and a half or two storey houses having all the bedrooms on the second floor is a bit perplexing. The floor plans. for this house show that one of the bedrooms and a bath- room are on the ground floor. There are two more bedrooms and another bathroom on the second floor, so that while the bungalow idea is not quite getting an "even break" it is at least a compromise and one which assures much comfort and convenience. The foundation of stone or concrete is finished off with a dressed stone course above grade. The walls from the top of this stone course to the cor- nice line axe veneer construction in rug or tapestry brick with white stucco gables. Stained cedar shingles laid on asbestos paper provide an attractive and serviceable roof. The central entrance opens into a good sized stair hall which gives direct access to the living and dining rooms. The kitchen is well lighted and laid out for the convenient arrangement of cupboards, refrigerator, etc., and also has convenient and direct access to the front door. Opening off the vestibule , is an outside lighted and ventilated coat cupboard. The Iiving room opens into a good sized verandah, and the ground fiooz bedroom has conveniently arranged cupboard and bathroom, and is very suitable for the owners' room. On the first floor the bedrooms are fairly roomy and have good cupboards and ready access to the second bath- room. There are hardwood floors through- out with good pine finish suitable for paint or enamel. Bathrooms are fitted with tile floors and dadoes and good quality built-in fixtures. The dimensions of this desirable home are 25 ft, x 41 ft. and including hot water heating the appro:timate cost is $7,500. Readers desiring further information regarding the plans and specifications of this house should communicate with the architects direct. Address, Messrs. Richards & Abra, 126 Sparks Street, Ottawa, Ont. al tfiAa to (9. Boy Fodder an a Barrel. ' SOME INGENIOUS HINTS Alt, DEVICES Clams, green corn, fish, potatoes, game and almost anything good to eat can be cooked in b ' f T a arrel a ter this ry sweeping the stairs with a fashion: Find a clean barrel and wash painter's brush instead of an ordinary it. Gather clean grass or something dusting brush and note the difference. of that nature that will not give the Sew small chamois leather to the food a bad taste. If it is dry, wet it. centre of a dusting cloth. Build a good -size fire and heat enough Articles drawn up by tape or elastic stones to fill the barrel about one are usually tiresome to wash. This is quarter to one-third full. Place a easily obviated by putting a small thick layer of grass in the bottom of safety -pin at each end of the elastic, the barrel. Drop the stones in with a the article oar then be drawn out to pitchfork or shovel. Keep a layer of full length and ironed. The pins will grass between the hot stones and the serve as bodkins to draw the tape as sides of the barrel so as not to burn required. the wood. Cover the stones .thickly Boil new clotheslines before using with more grass. Put in a layer of them.. They will last longer. corn or game, or whatever you have to Get an old sunshade or umbrella, cook. If there are several kinds 'of strip off the cover, enamel the frame grub, put in a layer of each, with white, and hang it by the handle, from yens of grass batween. Fill the a hook in the ceiling, over your cooker one,man can properly care for will be, barrel and cover it with two or three or range. You have a splendid drier reduced d c trap -nest sts. if he decides thicknesses of burlap or other heavy or airer which will hold a iarge quan- top cloth. Tack it tight around the edges. tity of collars, handkerchiefs, etc. It From trap -nesting one gets a -very Ina £ew minutes the barrel will bo can be closed when not in use. nearly accurate record of the exact .spouting steam from every crack. In When dyeing stockings or socks also number of eggs laid by each hen in an hour boy foda'�er will be done to a put into the dye a small quantity of the flock. turn. Potatoes., and meat need more darning wool. This maes possie a careful sort- cooking. Enough food for twenty boys To make mint sauce quickly and ing o the hens on the basis o actual can be cooked in one barrel. performance. However, except from .. [easily choppin with granulated sugar the standpoint of one wilo is trying to 'before chopping. When to Sell Cockerels. Apiece of zinc nailed over half the kitchen table, snakes an excellent sur - A somewhat novel test has been face for chopping onions, etc., and can learn how to judge hens, it is question- able whether trap -nesting for this purpose is worth while or worth any- tried out at Cap Rouge, Que., expert- be easily cleaned. where near what it costs. mental station. Tho object wan to' Try adding mustard to butter before When one adds the cost of leg bands, ascertain whether it pays better to spreading sandwiches. record forms and additional clerical sell surplus cockerels as brooders, as ; Mildew on cheese can be prevented ting a trap-ne st record is high. Un work it is clear that the cost of•get- i',sugar is pfeyers, or as roasters. For three if a lump of :aced in the j �ss the record is used as part of a defingt years- forty-five ; cnockerels of broiler cheese dish.If a piece of cheese is! pedagrce.brceding program it has lrlltiye, from 1% to 2 hounds each were carefully wrapped in a cloth wrung value. F iYit aside each season. Fifteen were out hi vinegar it will neither dry nor Hens can be sorted for pxodtcin"4old immediately, fifteen were kept pt gather mold.. with every Eder degree of accuracysantnl they averaged about fourpounds To make boiled olted bacon really deli -1 without the use of trap -nests; and in -each and the balance were sold around dons, add to the water a teaspoonful y the long melt is infinitely more im- the .middle of November. • The fryers of vinegar, 2 cloves and a nutmeg. pertan,t to know what kind of sons and the roasters respectively gave feta To keep a doorstep white. in wet and daughters a hen tvil'l produce than the fifteen -80 with; and 5.43 more weather use plaster of paris instead to know how many eggs she -herself profit than the broilers. Dr. G. A.! of whitening, will .lay. Sumner plowing ie not a pleasant subject --that is, if you have to use horses. The stubble ground is most always hard, the weather is hot and the flies are bad. A. tractor doesn`t mind hard ground and hot weather -- and if it Is a good tractor, there are no (ilea en it, Theint is, though, hough, ground for fell wheat ought to he plowed as early as poegible. The later you wait, the lower the yield will bo treat year, Now, do as we say and plow pterlyn Langelier, the superintendent of the j To prolong the wear of gloves place station, in his report for 1n25, says: a small piece of cotton woo', in the that though it is too early to arrive � tip of each finger and thumb, at definite conclusions it must not be � !10 prevent jams growing moldy on forgotten that no account was taken top soak the parchment rounds in: of housing room or of the poultry- ; milk. To prevent milk from burning sprinkle a little sugar over the bottom of the pan before putting in the milk.. To stop cabbage from boiling ever put a piece of butter or dripping the size of a walnut into the water as soon as it conies to a boil. To prevent soiwing the woodwork whet ' cleaning brass, knockers, etc:, man's labor; also the average price of 48 owes per pound for broilers on July i 12 was low compared with 31 cents for fryers on August 27 and 26 cents for l roasters on November 15. Awaiting further data t r. Langelier suggests that farmers would probably do better i to sell all surplus cockerels at as early 1 a data aa,posaible. '. { makta a shield of stiff cardboard by cutting a hole the sane size and shape as the brass plate. To prevent cakes from burning place a shallow tin filled with salt at the bottom of the oven when bak- ing. To loosen glass stoppers, rusty screws, etc., pour on a little vinegar, then turn sharply. To hide an isolated fruit stain on a freak tablecloth cover with a piece of white stamp paper, Lemons will keep fresh for a con- =iderable time if covered with water which is changed daily. Paint can be removed from windows with hot vinegar, 'Paint brushes which have become hard will soften if im- mersed in hot vinegar. To prevent grease fronii splashing when frying put a piece of bread in the pan and fry at the same time. If a little common salt is put round the top of a candle beforselighting, it will not drip at all. If ono has cracked eggs on $, told and no time to poach them, wrap them in a twist of tissue paper and boil in the usual way. The dirtiest frying -pan will come clean if soaked for a few' minutes in ainr-non i a and water. To prevent salt lumps in a shaker place a few grains of ries ie the shaker. To prevent silver from tarnishing put a few pieces of camphor into the drawer. To save time in hunting for spoors of cotton, thread then all on a wire (ordinary cotton -covered wire, not string) and form into circle. Thus every thickness end color is. at hand, and the thretd will run quite easily. The grinding of the food in the giz- zard may be heard by placing the ear close to the body of the fowl sit night, while it is on the roost, Why doe paper roofing wrinkle so after it is laid? Here is what ane man thinks about it, and how he deals with the difficulty: The wrinkling es ileo to heat, expansion after the paper has bean put en. To prevent this, cut the strips, lay them in the sun to stretch for a few hour., then put them on and) P'Ot' have a roof that will net -w inn dl