Garden Chickens

Those who do not know the luxury of fresh-laid cggs, or the tender pleaeures of eating a good spring chioken, oannot imagine why so many people who might have beautiful yards and handsomo flowurs, give up everything for a lot of chickens. Yet ïnuch as we sympathize with the chioken-fancier in many cases, we do not know that we would have one about if it were to bo at the expense of a beautiful lawn and garden and all those natural beauties which make life in the country bo sweet. But our country folks, those of tbem who read agricultural papers, and thus have more than the average share of intelligence, do not have much trouble with the chicken question. Somehow they manage to keep the garden quite private from tho birds whenever they wish to do so, aud thus in addition to the chicken stews and omelettes have an abundance of vegetables to eat, and flowers in profusión to decórate the sitting-room or dining-table. The gardens are surrounded by laths neatly whitewashed, or by wire deftly arranged to keep feathered intruders out, and thus both ends are mado to meet wisely and well. It is wouderful how the practical minds of country girls get over the common chicken difficulties. Some with scores of fowls running round will have beds of beautiful flowers on lawns in front of the Windows, where the average rnind would give up in despair. We knew one once whose plan of operation was vory simple and yet very sucoessful. Her theory was that the fowls only wanted dust ; and all that was necessary was to keep the fowis off for a short time till the earth had lost its dust-like character. As soon as the soilwas dug up for theflower-beds in tho Bpring, half-circles of straight branches were arranged like wicker-work around the beds, which ssrved the doublé pose of a guard and an ornament. The iowers planted, the twiggy matter cut Erom the branches round the edges -was noatly placed between the rlowers, eompletely covering the nowly-stirred earth, md bidding defianco to all scratching tendencies on the part of her fsathered friends. After a rain when the ground bocanie Bet, tVie bushy master was taken away. Once in a while when the ground would be loosened or woeded, and there would be danger of an incursión of the feathered enemies, the branches would be placed on duty for a whilü till the teuiptation was over. Of courso poople in the respoctable Huburbs of large citios will not need these remarks. It would not suit in any of these circumstances to have a chicken running around loose. The fancy chicken house is the only place for them. But farther in the country, the hints may prove of service. In no condition of life is the principie that whero there is a will there is a way more evident than in the way some country-folk manage, by simple contrivancus like those we have named to have all the flowers they need, and as good a garden as they could dosiro, without serious annoyance from the ohicken