214 



THE AGKICULTURAL NEWS. 



July 2, 1904. 



POULTRY. 



Change of Ground. 



The following article, on an important point in the 

 rearing of poultrj-, is taken from the Furnirr k ml 

 Utocldirecdcr of May 30 : — 



Change the grouiul fieiiuently. This is the secret of 

 success, not only with regiud to adult jionltry, but i)artic-u- 

 larly so with regaitl to the raising of chickens. A second 

 brood of chickens should never be put on to grouiid which 

 has been previously used for an earlier brood. All chicken 

 pens and runs should Ije of a movable tjpe, and they sliouitl 

 be transferred daily to fresh ground. It is very little trouble, 

 and it counts for a great deal, because iiisanitation has more 

 to do with the death of chickens by dysentery and other 

 troubles than anything else. Besides this, constant moving 

 of pens in this way ensures the whole of the ground being 

 kept .sweet ; none of it becomes so contaminated that it has to 

 be left a whole season before it can lie renewed. It is good 

 for the ground, for after chickens have been oft' the ground 

 for a daj' or two the grass will grow strongh', and can then 

 be cut, and in a week or two that ground will be as sweet 

 and wholesome as if chickens had never been upon it. Let 

 them remain month after month, however, and the ground 

 becomes so saturated and contaminated that it needs a whole 

 .season to get it clean again. Then, again, removal to fre.sh 

 ground means that the chickens will always have a supply of 

 wholesome, sweet greeu-stufi'. 



Adult poultry also need frequeut change of ground, and 

 if it is not possible to transfer them on to fresh ground, then 

 the ground they occupy should be dug over from time to time 

 to the depth of at least a foot, and there should always be an 

 empty pen, so that one of the pens can always be available 

 for change. Before the ground of a pen is dug over, a little 

 slaked lime and a little salt may with advantage be sprinkled 

 all over it. Let this be exjiosed to the weather for a day or 

 two, and if a good downi)Our of rain comes on it, so much the 

 better. Then dig it in, a.s alread)' stated, to the depth of 

 a foot, and the ground will be thoroughly well disinfected 

 and wholesome if it is left fallow for a week or two, after 

 which the poultry can come back to it. The rotary system 

 of having, say, half a dozen poultry jien-s, oidy four or five of 

 which are occupied, is a safeguard, and usually ensures 

 immunity from outbreaks of disease, if the other conditions — 

 roosting, feeding, etc. — are as they should be. 



Lice in the House. 



The following note dealing with lice in jioultry 

 is taken from the Ajjricultural World of May 2.S : — 



The small chicken lice are difhcult to get at so efi'ectively 

 as to rid a house of them after they have once settled in it, 

 for they live in the earth floor, and in the cracks of the walls 

 and roof. To get at them eflfectiveh', burn sulphur in the 

 house when it is empty and fumigate it thoroughly. A good 

 way is to take an iron pail, half fill it with sand or ashes, 

 put a few coals and wood on it, in a .sort of basin scooped 

 out, and an ounce or two of sulphur on the coals. Let this 

 burn in the closed house, so that fumes of the suliihur will 

 enter every crack, especially in the ceiling, where the mites, 

 which so annoy the fowls at night, harbour mostly, and keep 

 the suliihur burning for an hour. Then thoroughly saturate 

 the perches with kerosene, and paint well the nest boxes 

 especially in the crevices. Do this at least every two months, 

 and the fowls will be free from annoyance and attend to 

 business nmeh better in every way. 



FUNGICIDES. 



The following i.s an account of the preparation of 

 the fungicides mentioned on p. 210: — 



BORDEAUX MIXTURE. 



Copper sulphate (lilue-stone) 6 It). 



I'nslaked lime 4 Itj. 



Water ."jO gallons. 



The (i lb. of copper sulphate (blue-stone) are dissolved 

 in J.") gallons of water in a K'noden tub or barrel. It is best 

 to tie the crystals of blue-stone in a piece of .sacking and 

 suspend it in the water from a stick laid across the top of 

 the barrel. At the .same time 4 tt) oi freshly-lurnt, un.slaked 

 lime are slowly .slaked, and the resulting paste made up to 

 ■I'l gallons with water, and well .stirred. Next, the lime wash 

 an<l the .solution of blue-stone are .slowly poured together 

 into a third tub or barrel holding from 50 to 60 gallons. 

 When the mixing is complete, the lilue licpiid is stirred for a 

 minute and tested by placing therein a clean, bright knife- 

 blade for one minute. If the knife-blade remains bright, 

 the Bordeaux mixture is .safe, but if it becomes covered with 

 a deposit of copper, more lime milk must be added until this 

 deposit ceases to form. Prepared in this way, the blue 

 substance in the mixture does not settle readily and the 

 mixture does not retjuire much stirring before use. 



AM.\[ONI.\C'AL SOLUTION OF COPPER CARBON.t^TE. 



Water 4-5 gallons. 



Strong water of annnonia 3 pint.s. 



Copper carbonate .5 oz. 



The cojiper carbonate is made into a thin [paste by 

 adding a pint and a half of water. The ammonia water i"> 

 then slowly added and a deej) blue solution is obtaine<l 

 which is made up with water to 4.5 gallons. 



EAU CELESTE. 



L)i.ssolve i lb. of cojiper sulphate in about 8 gallons of 

 water ; when completely dissolved add 3 pints of strong acpia 

 ammonia and dilute to 4-5 gallons. This may be used in a 

 modified form. 



LIVER OF SULPHUR. 



^\■ater 



Potassium suljihide 

 Di.s.solve the potassium sulphide, pojmlarly known as 

 liver of suliihur, in a ipiart of hot water, then make up to 

 21 gallons with cold water. This is also a clear liquid, and 

 can be easily used without any clogging at the nozzle of the 

 spra3-er. It is useful for checking the spread of an epidemic 



21 gallons. 

 1 oz. 



ARBOR DAY. 



Grenada. 



The following notice, signed by Mr. W. E. Broad- 

 way, Curator of the Botanic Station, ajipeared in the 

 Grenada OjHci'-d Guzeftfi of June 15. It may be 

 noted that June 24 is the Official Arbor Day in that 

 island : — 



Applications for the free distribution of plants from the 

 Botanic Station for planting on Arbor Day will be received 

 bj" the Curator. Not more than two plants will lie issued to 

 each applicant. ' Plants ' for this occasion comprise timber, 

 fruit, shade and ornamental trees, and not such as ferns, 

 Begonias, roses, etc. 



