Jane 10, 180D. J 



JOUENAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



89» 



feel snre that it does oconr in every yard occnsionally, for the 

 quantity fowls driuk iu hot weatbor is beyond what any one 

 could couooivo — my birds in Bummor dispose of three gallons 

 per day. 



When the attack arises from this eanse, if discovered at an 

 early period no treatment will be necessary ; but if the thirst 

 has beon excessive, considerable fover or other constitutional 

 disturbance may have been excited, and if the hens, therefore, 

 still continiio to attack each other or the cock, mild alkaline 

 correctives should be administered. One of the best is bicar- 

 bonate of potash, in sufficient quantity to make the water 

 slightly alkaline, given in the water they drink, each alternate 

 day only, for two or three times. 1 had the shanks of one pen 

 bleeding for nearly a week on ono occasion. In very severe 

 cases aperients shoijtd bo exhibited, and the birds carefully 

 dieted till their health appears perfectly restored. 



None of my fowls ever have meat, and, in some such cases 

 when the other food is not selected with judgment, it is nn- 

 donbtedly oon-ect that the want of it causes cannibalism. In this 

 case, as one of your correspondents says, boiled liver is a snre 

 remedy; no o&er animal food, not even paunch, is nearly so 

 good, the liver having a laxative effect which in itself tends 

 towards a cure. That too much meat, on the other hand, will 

 cause the same evil, is a fact almost eveiy breeder knows. 



In some other cases which have bafJed every other curative 

 means, I have known the administration of chopped or crushed 

 raw bones to stop the evil. I was indebted to Mr. F. Crook for 

 the first knowledge of this, and for a long time was much 

 puzzled to account for its occasional success, where meat alone 

 had failed. But on reflection, I am inclined to think the 

 various component parts of the bones to some extent supply 

 the place of small moUasks, of which fowls are inordinately 

 fond, and of which they get a plentiful supply when at liberty. 

 It is only a coujectare, but I can suggest no other reason ; and 

 the quill of a feather and bone have certainly much in common. 

 The bones should be smashed or cruslel as small as peas, 

 when the fowls will eat them greedily, and if given in moderation 

 this food will not only improve their laying, but add to the 

 gloss and hardness of feather. 



A great preventive of this vice is to give soft food, having a 

 laxative tendency, and the best is white oats ground coarsely 

 so as not altogether to destroy the husk. This will keep the 

 bowels in order, and as in human beings, so in fowls, this is 

 the great means of keeping off depraved appetites of any kind. 

 But what I would chiefly insist on is, that no ono treatment is 

 suited to every instance, and the puzzled owner should tax his 

 reflection to discover, if he can, what is the probable cause in his 

 own particular case. After all, there are cases which baffle every 

 attempt at cure, and which, I believe, are due to some mysterious 

 disturbance of the female system, such as is occasionally met 

 with in other classes of animals, and which in poultry has 

 never, I believe, been investigated. I have often seen indica- 

 tions of this, and once knew a hen eat her own chicken just 

 hatched ! In the latter case it will be at once remarked that 

 the cause may again have been excessive thirst ; and in fact, 

 the whole class of cases occasioned in this way, especially when 

 compared with my experimental case, in which the cock's head 

 was attacked, and Mr. Lane's, bear a striking analogy to the 

 frequent cannibalism of doe Rabbits, which it is well known can 

 be checked by giving them water during the period of suckling. 



However caused, there can be no doubt the vice often be- 

 comes a habit, and though restored to perfect health the bird 

 continues to practise it as such. Some such cases are incurable ; 

 in others the remedies have been already pointed out by previous 

 correspondents — viz., separating the ciifender for a time, and 

 smearing the sufferer with some nauseous composition, of 

 which aloes is best on account of its strong purgative nature, 

 which considerably disorders the offender's stomach, and there- 

 by tends to wean her of her objectionable fancy. 



I wish again to say, I do not pretend to have pointed out the 

 Oftuse and cure in all cases. I have simply stated what I know, 

 and by experience have proved ; and I fee! convinced that if 

 others would do the same we should soon get to the bottom of 

 this matter, the mist puzzling, I think, ia the whole range of 

 poultry-keeping. — Nemo. 



Ipswich Poultry Snow. — We wish to call attention to the 

 very liberal prize list issued by the Ipswich Poultry Society for 

 their next Exhibition, which is to be held in connection with 

 the Suffolk Great Agricultural Show. We understand there is 

 a great falling-off in the applications for prize lists, but we hope 



exhibitors will yet send in their entries, and thus uphold what 

 we believe to be one of thebest managed provincial exhibitiong. 



RAILWAY CHARGES. 



It will be in the recollection of those who were interested in 

 the abortive attempt made some years ago to lessen the charges 

 made by railway companies, that there was a surplus after pay- 

 ing the expenses of such appeal. On taking counsel with our 

 good treasurer to the fund, ho recommended my dealing with it 

 as I thought boit myself, without a consultation with the various 

 subscribers, which was indeed impossiblo. A treasurer with a 

 surplus is like a Chancellor of the Exchequer with a surplus, 

 and " What will he do with it V " is a question that those in- 

 terested are disposed to ask, and anxious thimselves toprovide an 

 answer for. This would have been an insurmountable difficulty. 

 I have, therefore, determined as tho course most likely to give 

 general satisfaction, to present in the names of the subscribers 

 the said amount, about £8, to the Committee of tho Birmingham 

 Show, and to add it to the extra prizes for single cocks. I may 

 now state that the offer had been very gratefully accepted by 

 that Committee, and that it has been thus apportioned:— Grey 

 Dorking cocks, £2 ; Dark Brahma ditto, £'2 ; Duckwing Gamo 

 ditto, £2 ; Poland cock, £1 ; Any other variety class, £1. 



I hope this arrangement, though not exactly that which we 

 hoped might be the termination of our unsuccessful efforts, will 

 be satisfactory.— Joseph Hinton, Warvdnster, IVilts, formerly 

 of Hinton, near Bath. 



TAILS OF COCHIN-CHINA AND BRAHMA 

 POOTRA COCKS. 



Much has been written at various times respecting the 

 trimmed hocks of Cochins and Brahmas. There has recently 

 appeared to me something new, that should bo equally con- 

 demned, in the preparation of the tails of some Cochins lately 

 exhibited. I have been a breeder and successful exhibitor for 

 many years, but have personally attended few shows ; however, 

 at an exhibition I lately visited I saw Cochins whose tails had 

 evidently been under the influence of the curling-iron, care 

 having been previously taken to remove those stubborn feathers 

 that would not yield to snch influences. By such means a 

 beautiful but unnatural tail was produced. If birds so pre- 

 pared are passed by our most eminent judges and prizes 

 awarded to them, there will be but little chance for exhibitors 

 who show their birds in a perfectly natural state being success- 

 ful. I hope judges will in future pay more attention to this 

 most important point, and not be satisfied with the appear- 

 ance of birds in a pen, but by a thorough examination see 

 that all natural feathers in the tail and wings are present, after 

 making due allowance for any broken or moulted feather. — 

 ExHiEiTOP., Scarborough, 



LLVBILITY OF RAILWAY PROPRIETORS FOR 

 BIRDS LOST BY THEM. 

 I HAVE just succeeded in obtaining from the London and 

 North-Western Railway Company, through the County Court, 

 the sum of £.5 5s., the value of a Satinette Pigeon lost in transit 

 between Birmingham and Birkenhead, in spite of their bye- 

 law, which states they will not be responsible for loss of fowls 

 beyond a certain value, except the amount is stated at the time 

 of' booking, and 5 per cent, insurance paid on that amount. 

 Perhaps to some of your readers the above information may 

 be valuable, as they will then know the risk they are at in 

 sending valuable birds by rail. I should not object to pay a 

 small premium, but when sending birds to a show, say worth 

 £50, to pay £2 10s. as insurance is no joke.— Frank Graham, 

 107, Sandon Terrace, Birkenhead. 



FAILURES IN DRH^ING. 

 I HAVE two old stocks of bees which I am desirous of 

 changing to Woodbury hives, and I have made one attempt to 

 do BO by driving, but I found the bees were very obstinate, and 

 only a portion would leave the combs after being inverted and 

 rapping being continued nearly half an hour. I therefore drove 

 them back again, for I did not see how I could "move the 

 combs, &c., without destroying many of the bees. Will yon be 

 kind enough to inform me whether tho fumes of the prepared 

 fundus used for fumigating will injure the younger bees, or any 



