MAINE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 7 



manganate and j pints of formaldehyde to each 1000 cubic feet 

 of space. 



For general disinfecting purposes about a poultry plant the 

 Station has found one of the cheapest and most effective disin- 

 fectants to be compound cresol solution. This is used here 

 for spraying and disinfecting the houses after they are cleaned, 

 disinfecting brooders, brooder houses, incubators, nests and 

 everything else about the plant which can be disinfected with a 

 liquid substance. Any person can easily make this disinfectant. 

 The following revised directions for its manufacture are quoted 

 from Bulletin 179 of the Maine Agricultural Experiment Sta- 

 tion. 



Cresol Disinfectant. The active base of cresol soap disin- 

 fecting solution is commercial cresol. This is a thick, sirupy 

 fluid varying in color in different lots from a nearly colorless 

 fluid to a dark brown. It does not mix readily with water, and, 

 therefore, in order to make a satisfactory dilute solution, it is 

 necessary first to incorporate the cresol with some substance 

 like soap which will mix with water and will carry the cresol 

 over into the mixture. The commercial cresol as it is obtained, 

 is a corrosive substance, being in this respect not unlike car- 

 bolic acid. It should, of course, be handled with great care and 

 the pure cresol should not be allowed to come in contact with 

 the skin. If it does so accidentally the spot should be imme- 

 diately washed off with plenty of clean water. The price of 

 commercial cresol varies with the drug market. 



Measure out 3 1-5 quarts of raw linseed oil in a 4 or 5 gallon 

 stone crock; then weigh out in a dish i Ib. 6 oz. of commercial 

 lye or "Babbit's potash." Dissolve this lye in as little water as 

 will completely dissolve it. Start with 1-2 pint of water, and if 

 this will not dissolve all the lye, add more water slowly. Let 

 this stand for at least 3 hours until the lye is completely dis- 

 solved and the solution is cold; then add the cold lye solution 

 very slowly to the linseed oil, stirring constantly. Not less than 

 5 minutes should be taken for the adding of this solution of 

 lye to the oil. After the lye is added continue the stirring until 

 the mixture is in the condition and has the texture of a smooth 

 homogeneous liquid soap. This ought not to take more than a 

 half hour. Then while the soap is in this liquid state, and be- 

 fore it has a chance to harden add, with constant stirring, 8 1-2 



