IN SCOTLAND.

151

9. Poultry-house.

On most farms there is but small accommodation forpoultry; as rearing a greater number than can subsist bypicking up waste grain, is not esteemed a profitable con-cern. Any thing, therefore, beyond one apartment, withhatching nests below, and a roosting place above, is seldomfound necessary. The smallest poultry houses might be keptclean, however, by making the roosting stage separate fromthe nests. If the roosting stage be placed on the wall oppo-site to the nests, the eggs may be removed without treadingon the duns: of the fowls.

Attached to farms belonging to gentlemen of fortune, poul-try houses, however, are found of considerable extent. In suchcases, there is a keeper’s house, and a range of small apart-ments for the different kinds of fowls, having a projecting roofin front towards the south, supported by small pillars of iron orwood, at from three to four feet from the wall, to afford shel-ter to the fowls in wet weather. All these usually open into acourt covered with sand and gravel, in or near which is a pondor rivulet of water. The inclosure of this is generally aboutseven feet high, and sharp pointed, to prevent the fowls fromflying over it, the larger the court the better; it being under-stood that all sorts of poultry thrive best when allowed torange over a variety of ground. The apartments are some-times warmed in winter by a steam-pipe from the keeper’shouse, carried through the roofs. Flues behind the nests areapt to be more injurious than useful, as any want of attentionmay overheat and hurt the poultry in them.

Where poultry are fed on steamed potatoes, a boiler forthat purpose may be so placed, as to serve at same time forheating the houses with steam.

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10. Pig-houses.

When considerable numbers of pigs are kept, their housesare placed in the straw-yard, or in a separate court; but if