92 THE REARING AND 



powder, and, with a small camel-hair pencil, powdered them 

 over. On examining them the next day, I found the parasites 

 had all disappeared, nor could I detect one in their after growth. 

 They grew and thrived so remarkably afterwards, that I was 

 convinced this was a valuable discovery, and have ever since 

 treated all my broods the same, and have never lost one from 

 sickness. All Hens are affected with these parasites, and as 

 they do not dust themselves so frequently during the time of 

 incubation, they are more liable to them. I have ascertained 

 from observation, that as soon as the Chickens are hatched, 

 these pests leave the parent for the young, and if they are not 

 destroyed, they weaken the Chicken so much, that, if any com- 

 plaint comes on, the poor little thing has not strength to con- 

 tend with it. The best time to apply the precipitate is when 

 they are two or three days old, and at night after they are 

 gone to roost; but the Hens must not be touched with it; 

 as, in pluming her feathers she draws them through her beak, 

 and the precipitate being a strong poison, would no doubt 

 prove fatal to her. In fact, there is no occasion for it ; as I 

 could never detect them in her ; they had no doubt left her 

 for the young. A very small quantity should be used ; as one 

 pennyworth, purchased at a chemist's, is sufficient for several 

 broods." . B. 



A slight application of spirit of turpentine and water answers 

 the same purpose, and may be preferred by many persons who 

 have a natural dislike to the use of poison. For, where poi- 

 sons are admitted at all, there is no guessing what may be the 

 end of them, and the relief of one creature from parasites by 

 these means, may cause the death of another. For instance, 

 after a sheep-dipping, a gentleman lost a lot of valuable Ame- 

 rican Turkeys ; they had devoured the poisoned maggots, ticks, 

 &c., that dropped from the sheep, and were themselves poisoned 

 by them. This is a warning never to allow sheep-dippings to talce 



