218 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



the diseases of gallinaceous fowls arise from cold and moisture. 

 Tlie first food of the chicks may be bits of soft bread, Indian 

 meal and oatmeal mixed, hard-boiled egg chopped fine, soft- 

 boiled potatoes, and by and by cracked corn. Too much watery 

 food should be avoided. Some poulterers think that Indian 

 meal dough is too cold and indigestible for young chicks. 



When the hen goes to roost and weans her brood they will 

 generally go with her. If they do not, they should be put with 

 chickens of their own size until they are old enough to roost. 

 But it may be noticed that when large and small chickens are 

 mixed the former are apt to crowd the latter away from their 

 food and otherwise to abuse them. 



DISEASES. 



The diseases of fowls are obscure in their character, and very 

 little that is satisfactory can be said upon this point. It is much 

 easier to prevent disease in fowls than to cure it. Most of their 

 troubles seem to originate in damp and cold exposures and im- 

 proper diet. Therefore to keep fowls in health they should be 

 provided with clean and well-ventilated houses, free from cold, 

 damp drafts ; they should be regularly fed with a variety of 

 things, and should be constantly supplied with water and gravel. 

 But in spite of all care they will sometimes mope, sicken and 

 die. When a fowl shows signs of sickness it should be imme- 

 diately set apart by itself to avoid contagion, to save it from 

 being picked by the well ones and to apply remedies. Often- 

 times cures can be effected by placing sick hens in the sun or 

 near a stove in the house, for heat seems to be one of the sover- 

 eign remedies in the gallinaceous kingdom. If more than this 

 is necessary, there is no other way than either to kill the fowl 

 forthwith, or to look for its symptoms in some book upon the 

 subject, and apply the remedies there indicated. 



MIDDLESEX SOUTH. 



Statement of George W. Chadwick. 

 I present you the following statement of the method, expense 

 and profit of keeping fowls for one year. The fowls which I 

 offer for premium are Brahma and Hamburgs. I had a stock 

 of eight hens and one rooster. 



