PROGRESSIVE POULTRY CULTURE 139 



twelve feet at the sills. Care should be taken to avoid 

 all danger of fire consuming the house. 



The brimstone fumes appear to be especially effec- 

 tive following the spraying of the interior walls of the 

 house. 



Nest bugs, or bed bugs sometimes invade the hen 

 house and afflict the fowls. 



For these pests, as well as for the mites, or any 

 other insect enemies, fumigation by hydrocyanic acid 

 gas is very effective, but more expensive than brimstone. 

 The gas is fatal to human life if taken into the lungs, 

 hence careful management is necessary. 



The chemicals used consist of the following, for each 

 hundred cubic feet of interior space: 1 oz. Potassium 

 Cyanide (99 per cent), 11-2 ozs. Commercial Sulfuric 

 Acid (1.83 specific gravity) and 21-4 ozs. water. The 

 water is placed in a porcelain-lined basin or crockery- 

 ware bowl and the acid is added drop by drop, gradu- 

 ally mixing it with the water to avoid danger of spatter- 

 ing the skin or clothing of the operator. If the acid is 

 added all at once violent boiling and spattering is liable 

 to occur. 



The Potassium Cyanide is broken into small frag- 

 ments, placed in a loose paper bag and suspended over 

 the bowl of acid and water by a string which leads to 

 the outside of the room or house. 



The window's and doors are closely shut and all 

 apertures, large or small, stopped up. When ready the 

 bag of Cyanide is dropped into the bowl of liquid by re- 

 leasing the attached string from the outside. 



Let the fumes do their work for fully an hour. Open 

 the doors and windows and air out well before entering 

 the place. 



Fleas, ticks, gnats and mosquitoes may bring dis- 

 comfort to fowls, especially in tropical climates or very 

 hot weather. 



Spraying the house and furnishings freely and fre- 



