FANCIEES' JOURNAL AND POULTET EXCHANGE. 



As to its cause, nothing definite is as yet known. It may 

 be from want of variety in food, and it may arise from want 

 of cleanliness. In almost every case brought to my notice, 

 I have found it directly traceable to some tilth either in the 

 water or in the food. In some instances the fowls were fed 

 where the grain mingled with their own droppings, and this 

 particularly in rainy weather, when the yards were muddy, 

 and the droppings mingled with the mud. In one instance, 

 where a friend of mine lost almost his whole flock, he found 

 on examination that some of his neighbors, whose fowls had 

 died of cholera, had thrown the carcasses into the brook 

 from which his fowls drank. The result was as above stated, 

 his own fowls were poisoned by the water, and died rapidly. 

 In two instances which have come to my notice, the disease 

 broke out immediately after autumn rains, when the drop- 

 pings of the fowls became incorporated with the soil of the 

 yard. In one of these cases fifty-four, and in the other 

 thirty-six fowls were lost. 



In individual cases I have given a blue pill the size of a 

 large currant, and next day a large teaspoonful of castor-oil. 

 With this treatment I have lost but few fowls in some thirty 

 cases. It, however, requires great watchfulness. As soon 

 as one detects droppings of a thin, slimy character, and a 

 greenish yellow color, the fowls should be sought out at 

 once, and the treatment commenced. Generally they can 

 be detected by their mopish and sleepy look. It is doubtful, 

 however, whether the disease can be checked by this cure 

 when once a whole flock becomes infected. I say frankly 

 that while it has succeeded with me, others who have tried 

 it fail to find it effective. Let those interested tr\- the ex- 

 periment, and report their success ; and by all means if any 

 one has found either a cure or a perfect preventive, let the 

 public have the benefit through our poultry journals. 



A. N. K. 



(For Fanciers' Journal.) 



POULTRY DISEASE. 



We have a disease affecting the poultry of this Chemung 

 Valley, proving fatal to many. 



Symptoms. — The comb becomes gradually a dark purple, 

 crop hard, the fowl is very dull and inactive, and not in- 

 clined to eat much. Continuing to droop, they often die in 

 an hour or two after the owner discovers something wrong. 



Remedy. — Give once or twice per day equal parts sulphur 

 and Cayenne pepper, mixed with lard to a thick paste; put 

 into the mouth a piece the size of a chestnut; feed light di- 

 gestible food. Also put an ounce of camphor gum or assa- 

 fcetida into the pail from which you fill their drinking-pans. 

 Give no other water for a few days. 



I give you the result of one trial. I purchased a buff 

 Cochin cock a year and a half old ; in a day or so the back 

 part of his comb became purple. I watched him until I 

 concluded that he also had the fatal disease that had killed 

 so many of my neighbors' fowls ; so I gave him according 

 to the above directions, and he soon came out with his usual 

 lusty crow, and was all right again. 



The fowls of my own raising are very free from this dis- 

 ease, which I attribute to an occasional use, during the sum- 

 mer, of the Douglass mixture. I hope the statement com- 

 municated through your paper will be of some use to others 

 in saving of choice poultry. 



William Atwood. 



Big Flats, Chemung Co., N. Y. 



(For Fanciers' Journal.) 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



Concoed, N. H., October 27th, 1873. 

 Mr. Wade: The fact that you are about to commence 

 the publication of a Journal in the interest of fanciers and 

 poultry men, is a new evidence that the public are appre- 

 ciating the efforts to improve in these departments of ani- 

 mated nature. A half dozen regular Journals do not now 

 meet the demand which ten years ago was insufficient to sup- 

 port a single publication. The political, miscellaneous, and 

 even religious newspapers meet with warmer favor if they 

 devote a column to these specialties. 



Even up here in cold New Hampshire has the improve- 

 ment in all kinds of poultry and domestic pets been marked 

 and gratifying. Ten years ago, a man who would pay $25 

 for a trio of birds was deemed a fit subject for the insane 

 asylum, or for legal guardianship. Now it is no uncommon 

 thing to find beautiful specimens of all approved breeds of 

 fowls in the yards of mechanics, merchants, and professional 

 gentlemen, and even the incredulous and slow-moving 

 farmer has often caught the fever, set apart a section of his 

 lands, build poultry houses, and gone into the business of 

 breeding for the market. It pays if rightly managed. A 

 majority lose money for the first year or two, or as the 

 governor said a few days ago at a fair, his eggs cost him a 

 dollar a dozen and his chickens $1.50 per pound. 



The leading varieties in the State the last dozen years 

 have been the Brahmas and the Black Spanish ; and these 

 are still the most common. The old Light Brahmas alone 

 have had a welcome here until within a few years. Now 

 the Dark Brahmas are frequently seen; though they are 

 majestic birds, and rather generous in their supply of eggs, 

 they are not regarded as special favorites. The Cochin 

 family in its several branches, white, buff, or black, is now 

 held in higher estimation than any other of the large breeds, 

 and the inclination towards the Partridge and Cinnamon is 

 more and more marked. Of the Trench fowls we run very 

 strongly on the Houdans, but few Creves and no La Fleche 

 being found. The Leghorns, especially the white, are 

 favorites. The Polish breeds have generally had their day ; 

 and though, by no means uncommon, are not in great de- 

 mand. The Games of some class or other are found every- 

 where; and they possess the three requisites to make them 

 popular — great pluck, many eggs, and nice food for the table. 

 The Dorkings are sought for crossing with the Brahmas, and 

 our poultry men maintain that more meat is thus produced. 

 The old Bolton Grays are seldom seen, though they are con- 

 fessedly better birds than many that have crowded them 

 away. Of other breeds there are occasional samples, as the 

 Dominiques, the Plymouth Rock, Sicilians, Bredas, Guel- 

 dres, Sultans, Hamburgs, Silkies, Rumpless, and Frizzled. 

 But of Bantams there are an abundance of every variety. 



In water fowls there is as lively an interest, while in the 

 line of turkeys, pigeons, and rabbits, much attention has 

 been shown. 



The increased value of poultry and its accompaniments 

 in our State, within ten years, has been more than doubled ; 

 and we consider this new interest and coupled with that of 

 fish-breeding, we find a very profitable resource, one almost 

 entirely disregarded. 



Jas. C. Adams, 

 Secretary State Board of Agriculture. 



