FANCIERS' JOURNAL AND POULTRY EXCHANGE. 



243 



and looked with extreme satisfaction on the numerous med- 

 als and cups which they hrought him at the close of the sea- 

 son ; but sighed withal like Alexander, because there were 

 no more worlds to conquer. With such an one you see at 

 once that you will not be thanked for adverse criticisms, 



and if you do, you are told that Mr. (naming high 



authority), said they were splendid, and worth more than 

 the cost. So they are, no doubt, but then for what do we 

 buy fowls, to breed, or to exhibit? For both you say, but 

 it is rarely ever you can have both, and I think it is better 

 to breed your fowls, after you are fairly started, than to buy 

 them " ready made." Now, the main objection I had to 

 all the above runs was, that they were not mated for breed- 

 ing. The result was worse even than I anticipated, for on 

 visiting the same yard in the fall, the produce of one run, 

 almost to a chick, was vulture-hocked ; another had scarcely 

 any leg feathering ; were mottle-breasted, where they ought 

 to have been black ; and the spangled birds were marked 

 like Sebright Bantams. Now, the sellers of the above birds 

 were not to blame altogether. They sold exhibition fowls, 

 and if they had them in their own yard, could probably 

 mate them to advantage; but, as it takes "three genera- 

 tions to grow an avenue of oaks," so I think it takes three 

 seasons to know something of the points, and how to breed 

 one variety of fowls, let alone six different kinds. One 

 thing is always sure, and tells no tales, and that is the pro- 

 geny. Comment is unnecessary. I have no doubt we would 

 be surprised, if we could get an accurate description of the 

 progenitors of some famous fowls. Many of us have birds 

 which nobody wants to buy, and, at the same time, we are 

 not eager to part with ; and why ? because they have been 

 tried, and have given great satisfaction. The grand thing 

 is, to study each bird, balance point with point, note down 

 results; if we fail with one pen, another may succeed ; but 

 one thing is certain, nature will not leave us long in the 

 dark, and sooner or later the progeny will tell. 



Geo. C. Atholb. 



(For Fanciers' Journal.) 



"WHAT I KNOW ABOUT ROUP." 



I am well aware that roup is frequently the result of ex- 

 posing fowls to cold winds, and dampness, yet cannot fully 

 agree with Mr. Lamb's article in No. 9. It was very for- 

 tunate for him that his fowls were not of the tender or deli- 

 cate kind, or they would not have been so easily cured. The 

 various causes of roup are well known to most experienced 

 breeders, yet, as the wide circulation of the Journal will 

 bring his article before many who are unacquainted with 

 this terrible pest (long may they remain in blissful ignor- 

 ance on that point), I wish to give them the benefit of my 

 experience. In my opinion, most cases of roup are the 

 . effect of contagion, disseminated through the flock by one 

 or more affected fowls. Seven years ago I became thor- 

 oughly acquainted with it. I had a choice lot of fowls in a 

 large room, which was kept dry and clean, with no chance 

 for cold wind to reach them ; a south door was opened dur- 

 ing fine weather to give them sunshine, which is very de- 

 sirable to promote animal health and vigor. My first 

 "chicken fever" was then fast developing, and i must 

 admit, that, although I have tried many remedies, the dis- 

 ease still has as firm a hold on me as ever. But my chick- 

 ens, I doted on them, and enjoyed their society till I 

 discovered something was the matter with them. The 



noise attendant upon their hard breathing, and their fre- 

 quent chorus of "the youk," were doleful sounds to me. 

 Although I had neighbors who delighted in my misfortune, 

 and told mo that my fancy fowls would always be sick, while 

 their common ones would not. I have often smiled since, 

 when interrogated by the same persons with "What shall I 

 do for my fowls? they have got the pip." An investiga- 

 tion disclosed the fact that they had the roup, the effects of 

 roosting over pig-stys or other filthy apartments. Time 

 and perseverance, however, conquered the disease. In my 

 first experience with roup overcrowding was the sole cause. 

 To the inexperienced let me say, keep your coops clean 

 and dry ; do not expose your fowls to cold winds and 

 dampness, and be especially careful not to overcrowd them. 

 Coal ashes, dry earth, or any deodorizing substance fre- 

 quently strewn over the droppings will be sufficient, with- 

 out often removing them. If you discover a fowl whose 

 breathing is attended with labor, and the throat distends at 

 every breath, remove it at once, and apply some remedy, 

 many of which are given in all poultry books and journals. 

 Boup is easily cured in the first stages ; I have often cured 

 it by one application of kerosene oil to the head and throat, 

 after giving one teaspoonful internally. Always give a dis- 

 eased fowl all the sunshine you can. Boup is often accom- 

 panied by canker in the mouth and throat. In cases of 

 canker I remove the white substance and apply pulverized 

 alum with perfect success. I had a case not long since, 

 where the tongue, mouth, and throat, were completely coated 

 thick with canker, and a frothy substance issued from the 

 mouth. Such cases I had always before considered incura- 

 ble, and, had not the bird been a valuable one, I should 

 have used my old and sure remedy, the hatchet. In five 

 days, however, he was entirely cured, the only remedy 

 being a daily application of pulverized alum. I hope to 

 hear from others on this point. J. T. Bicknell. 



HEAD OF DOMINIQUE COCK. 



Drawn from life by T. P. Chandler, from the bird which 

 took first premium at the last show of the Pennsylvania 

 Poultry Society, held in this city. It was exhibited by 

 Thomas Mayne, who took first, second, and third premiums. 



