126 



<^\}C imrmcv's jHontl)!)) Visitor- 



Diseases of Poultry. 



Very lillle ultmitioii is piiiil to lliis siiliject by 

 the tiiriiiurs of tliis coiiiilry, |)i-inri|iiilly beciiiise 

 tlie loss of Olio or two oliicUeiis is loo siiinll lo 

 draw their ntteiiiion to it. And another reason 

 if, tlio small iiiinilier of coiiiplaints to which our 

 iloineslic Ibwis are siibjc-cl. Alter they arrive at 

 niatiM-ity, they are healthy creatines. Tlio most 

 of them that are lost liom disease die when Ihey 

 are yoiinfr; and as this is ihe seasonal which 

 most hens have brought out, or are bringing out 

 their flocks, we inlenil to say something about 

 mem. 



1. The disease by which most yoimg fowls are 

 lost is that well known as the Giipes or Pip. 

 Fowls of all sorts and .'iges are subject lo it, but 

 particidarly yoimj; fowls, and it is more common 

 in the hot nionihs of July and August than at 

 any other time of the year. The usual symtom 

 ofthe pi|i is a scale of a white, horny substance 

 which forms upon the lip of the tongue ; the 

 chicken holds open its bill as if panting for 

 breath ; the head is rntiled, and the whole ap- 

 pearance of the fowl is feverish and disordered. 

 After a while it does not eat and pines away by 

 itself 



There are diflierent opinions as lo the origin 

 of tlie pi|i. It is sometimes attribtued lo "a 

 small vesicle which forms on the siile of the 

 tongue, the contents of which being absorbed 

 lead to the inflammation and thickeifmg of the 

 skin." IJy others, drinking dirty water, or an 

 inability to procure a sutlicient qnanlily of water 

 of any sort, is considered as the cause. When 

 the disease has not gone far it can be easily re- 

 lieved by tearing olf the scale (which docs not 

 a<lliere very closely) with the finger and thumb, 

 and by filling the month and pushing down the 

 throat a lump of fresh butter well mixed with 

 Scotch snuii'. " This." says Mr. Boswell, in his 

 Treatise on Poultry, "is a remedy which we 

 conscientiously and confidently recominciul, and 

 we beg leave to repeat, that we have never 

 known it lo fail, except fion) our own negligence 

 in the delay of its application." 



In our own mind we have no doubt but that 

 the gajjes are caused in nearly all cases by a 

 worm which ird'esls the windpipe of the fowl. 

 On dissecting chickens that have died of this 

 disease we find the throat filled with small red 

 worms about the size of a fine cambric needle. 

 At first sight, they rnay be mistaken for red 

 veins, slightly swollen. These grow larger until 

 the windpipe is fdleil wiili them ; ami after try- 

 ing, in vain, to get rid of them by sneezing, and 

 scratching the roots of the bill, the fowl ilies 

 from suftbcation and iiiabiliiy to swallow. 



'I'lie origin of these worms is not very certain. 

 We have seen it suggested that they are pro- 

 duced by swalhnviug the eggs of hen's lice, 

 which young chickens very probably do, while 

 nestling under the hen. It is observed that it 

 very seldom aliecls fiiwls in a new hen house, or 

 in those that are kept perfectly clean by being 

 frcqiieiuly whitewashcil, inside and out, with a 

 plenlv of salt mixed with the wliiSewasb. Sul- 

 phur and tobacco about the nest will prevent it. 

 Now to cure the gapes, il is oidy necessary lo 

 kill, or remove these worms. There are several 

 things which will tpiic^kly destioy them. Tobac- 

 co smoke is one. Fill the mouth with smoke 

 from a pipe or cigar, hold open the chicken's 

 bill and blow il down the throat. It will reniler 

 the fowl insen.-ible lor a few moments, but it 

 will (]ni<'kly ri'cover, and oni! or two (at most) 

 sn<'li applications is said always to (Heel the ex- 

 pnUion of the worm. A small iiuanlity of snuff 

 mixed in a tea-spoonful of walpr, and given three 

 limes a d.iy is uroilMM' similar remr-dy. A Ica- 

 spoouful of strong solniion of asalceiiila is said 

 to dislodge them efti;ctually. If a feather be 

 dipped in spiril.-; of tiu'pentine and passed down 

 the throat, the worms will die almost instantane- 

 ously from the loncli, and the chicken will re- 

 cover. But a heller remedy ihaii any of these, 

 lis we believe, is to dislodge the worm by ine- 

 chanieal means,. which may be iloue without in- 

 fliciing the slighlesl injury upon the fowl. Take 

 a hen's feallier, and take olf llie fi'ather from the 

 Mem, exce|>I about an inch and a half fioui llii; 

 lip. Wet this a Male, and strip it back a lilih", so 

 that the leathers remaining on the stem will 

 stand buck, like the barb of an arrow. Then lei 

 b.ome one hold the diseased fowl between his 

 kueeg, so as to secure the MiuL'sainl leg--, and 



with his fingers bold open the mouth, and keep 

 the neck drawn out in a straight line. Place the 

 feather as near the orifice of ihe throat as possi- 

 lile, and when the chicken opens it to breathe, 

 pass it down. After it is down, turn it round 

 several times in the windpipe, and draw it out. 

 iMany worms will be removed in this way, and 

 others will be loosened, so that they will be 

 sneezed up. Do this twice a day, and if the fowl 

 gapes after that day, it is because you have not 

 got them all, and the operation should be per- 

 formed again. J5y these means, ihey may be 

 very surely removed, and after the first opera- 

 tion, chickens which had not been able to swal- 

 low, will eat freely. 



2. All young poultry are much subject to jlis 



tlieii nutnbers. Mr. P. observes that since he 

 practiced this plan, flies and other insects have 

 become more scarce about the house. 



We noticedone imiiortant fact in regard lo 

 these bottles. Those that were of dark colored 

 glass had no insects in them, while the clear 

 transparent bottles were nearly full. Some- 

 times bottles become so full in n few days, that 

 it is necessary to empty them. 



IMr. Ives catches a great many in his garden 

 by hanging pitchers up in trees, filled about 

 half or two thirds full of sweetened water. When 

 hung upright the insects do not get in; but 

 when luing by the handle, about at an angle of 

 4.5 ilegrees the plan is successful. — Boston CiUli- 

 V(ito7: 



ease from exposure to cold and wet. Fun 

 grown poultry are able lo bear the changes of 

 the atmosphere, but when young, no animal 

 whatever seems so much exposed to injury from 

 them. It produces the disease from which they 

 probably suffer more than any other, the Roup or 

 Catarrh. This seems to be at first a disease of 

 the niend)ranes of the head, and manifests itself 

 in swollen eyes and running at the nostrils. 

 These, and oliier similar symjitoms increase un- 

 less something be done, breathing becomes dif- 

 ficult, and a rattling noise may be heard in the 

 throat. The discharge from the nostrils be- 

 comes very considerable, and even makes its 

 way from the mouih. It becomes very offensive, 

 resembling the glanders in horses, and from be- 

 ing at first thin and limped, it becomes thick and 

 purulent. The fiiwl loses his appetite, and sils 

 moping by himself, seemingly in great ])aiii. 



When a fowl is thus diseased he should be 

 at once separated from the rest. Even supposing 

 that the disease is not infectious, and il is not 

 improbable that it is infeetrous, cleanliness re- 

 (piires this measure. The first requisite for a 

 cure is that the fowl be kept in a dry and warm 

 [ilace with plenty of clean water to drink. If the 

 weather be cool it should be kept in a room with 

 a fire. The nostrils and mnnth bIiomUI ba fee. 

 qnenlly washed clean with soap suds, and the 

 eyes bathed in milk anrl water. Give a [ie[iper- 

 corn in a Jiill of ilongh for three several days, 

 and then bathe the diseased parts in camphora- 

 ted spirits. "Combined with every remedy," 

 says i\Ir. Bemenl, " cleanliness is indispensable, 

 as the first, the last, and the best, without which 

 all others are vain, and worse thiin vain, as ihey 

 may be pernicious by feeding instead of starving 

 the disease." 



3. During all seasons of the year, fowls are 

 troubled with lice, unless they are kept in good 

 order, but particularly in the warm season. Give 

 ihein access to a plenty of fine sand, ashes and 

 lime in which they may ridl themsehts, and 

 they will not receive much injury from lliem. 

 If a fowl becomes very full of them, it is necces- 

 sary to use grease in some way to get rid of 

 lliem. This is at last the surest destroyer of lii-e 

 on fowls, and indeed on all animals. IJce, like 

 all other insects, breathe ilirougli small iiir holes 

 in their side.s. Oil on the feather or hair through 

 which they crawl, quii'kly fills up these holes, 

 and they siiffocat''. Push back the feathers and 

 p<nir a little oil on the baok, between ihe )egs. 

 and under the wings of the lowl, and Ihey will 

 soon be gone. Another way is lo put a lump of 

 lanl under their win;;s, and afier it is perleclly 

 melted, it will be difflised over almost the whole 

 body. — Southern Planter. 



Bottling tho Insects. 



W(! have seen in the nursery of iVJr. S. Pond, 

 of (Jamliriilgeporl, the plan nilopted with snc- 

 ci^ss which was recommended in the Cultivator 

 of June Gtli. In many trees •.•ommoii glass hol- 

 lies were hung in the trees, and f«lled to their 

 necks with svvcrctencd water, and il proved lo In- 

 an excellent and convenient mode of destroying 

 insects, &c., for the bolihrs were geiui-ally pret- 

 ty well filled with various kinds of insects, .such 

 as beetles, millers, wasps, hornets, hoes, bugs, 

 flies, and various other vtinninls of divers sorts, 

 sizi-ii, ages, colors, &c. 



I'longli would be caught in a few days lo fur- 

 nish an entomologist of common industry with 

 Mibjccis fi.r investigation during a long lib". 

 This mode of desiruction is so easy and sine, 

 that if generally piiisiied, it must rid the world 

 of many depred'itori>i so as to greatly roiluco 



Keeping Farm Accounts. 



Let any farmer make the experiment, and ho 

 will find it as interesting as it is usefiil, and both 

 interesting and nseftil, to know from year to year 

 the actual produce of his firm. Let everylhing, 

 therefore, which can be measured and weighed, 

 be measured and weighed ; and let that which 

 cannot be brought lo an exact standard, be esti- 

 mated as if he himself were about to sell or pur- 

 chase it. Let inni likewise, as near as possible, 

 measure the ground which he plants, the qiianli- 

 ly of seed which he uses, and the manure which 

 he applies. The labor of doing this is iiolhiug 

 compared with the satisfiction of having done it, 

 and the benefits which must arise from it. Coii- 

 ecture, in these cases, is perfectly wild and un- 

 certain, varying often with different individuals, 

 almost a hundred per cent. Exactness enables 

 a man to form conclusions, which may most es- 

 sentially, and in innumerable ways, avail to his 

 advantage. It is that alone which can give any 

 Viilue to his experience. It is that which will 

 make his experience the sine basis of improve- 

 ment ; it will put it in his power to give safe 

 counsel lo his friends, and it is the only ground 

 on which he can securely place confidence him- 

 self. — jVorriilowii Ilcruld. 



The Culture of lUe Grape. 



The following remarks of Dr. I'nderhill, n 

 successful cullurist in the vicinity of N'ew-York, 

 were made at a meeting of the Farmer's Club of 

 ihe American Institute, and we lake ihem from 

 the Farmer and Mechanic: 



The grape is most delicioii.s, most salutary — 

 diluting the blood, and causing il lo flow easily 

 through the veins— there is nothing equal to it 

 for old age. In this couulry its use will grow — 

 will increase til' ils consumption is prodigious. 

 It will supplant some <d' the articles which ile- 

 slioy men, and esliiblish the cheerful body in 

 place of the diseased system of the iiUemperale. 

 No disetise of llie liver — no dyspepsia are found 

 among those who freely use the grape. This re- 

 markable! fiict is stated" in reference to the vine- 

 yard poi lions of France. Persons who are sick- 

 ly in grape conuirie.s, are made well when 

 aiapes are ri[.e. And this result is familiarly 

 called the scrape cure! In this coimtry our at- 

 lention has been long uiisilirected. We havo 

 spent years and sums of mom-y on imporied 

 vines. " We have proved the fidlacy of all this. 

 The foreign grape vii-e will not flourish in our 

 open air." 1 suppose that milbcns of dollars 

 have been lost on these foreign vines during tho 

 past century. Climsite has settled ihat question. 

 Our extrenies of cold and heal lue ineompatable 

 wiih '.he character of the foreign vine. Time 

 will show that our active slock of grapes will, 

 by cultivation, gradually improve in qualiiy. It 

 i.s wilh lliem as it is «itli animals, great amelior- 

 alion fiillows care and proper knowledge. I 

 spent some thousands of dollars on the foreign 

 grape vines, without success. We want lo sup- 

 ply our tv.cntv millions of people wiib fino 

 grapes ! In 18;!0, I'ranco produced fourleeii 

 riiousauil millions pounds of grapes! Of which, 

 SM-Sf. e(Uisumed on the tables and exported ill 

 Ihe form of raisins, itc, two thousand millions 

 ol' pounds ;■ Are vou afraid that our market 

 will bo ovcrslocki'd from the few vineyards 

 which wt> have ? 



There are many books on the culture of iho 

 but ibi'ir docirincs are generally not at all 

 to our country. Europe has tho 

 moisture from Ihe ocean ; we have Ihe dry 

 winds blowing over our own continent. More 



villi'. 



ap|iliciible 



