498 DISEASES, PARASITES, AND ENEMIES 
emit an objectionable odor, which is not the case if they dry and 
harden immediately. 
The floor should be covered with a good scratching material 
which should be kept fairly fresh and clean, free from excess mois- 
ture, and fairly coarse. It should be removed and replaced with 
fresh material whenever it becomes damp or is filled with droppings 
which do not dry. 
The house should be given a thorough cleansing at least twice 
a year, and if necessary oftener. All portable fixtures should be 
removed, washed, and placed in the sunshine to dry, and all 
window-panes cleaned. All muslin curtains must be beaten, to rid 
them of dust and make them more pervious to ventilation. The 
litter and nesting material must be removed, after which the 
interior of the house and all fixtures should be thoroughly sprayed 
with the following disinfecting solution: 5 quarts cream of lime; 
1 pint of zenoleum; 1 quart of kerosene. 
This mixture should be well shaken and diluted with an equal 
amount of water, then applied with a force-pump through a fine 
nozzle. Used thoroughly in this way, the solution will accomplish 
three things more rapidly and easily than if applied with a brush: 
1. A thin coat of whitewash will be evenly applied and spread — 
with force enough to put it into all the cracks and crevices. 
2. The zenoleum will kill any disease germs which may be 
lurking in the house. 
3. The kerosene will destroy or drive out all red mites, and to 
some extent body lice. The former are easily exterminated by this 
spray, and the latter by means of a good lice powder in connec- 
tion with the spray. 
The above solution, for common use, is cheap, easily applied 
and a perfect disinfectant, making the house clean, which means 
more attractive surroundings and healthier birds. 
The fixtures should next be replaced, the floor covered with 
fresh, clean litter, and new nesting material put in the nests. 
Besides frequent cleansing, to keep the house sanitary there 
must be an abundance of sunlight, which in itself is a powerful 
germ destroyer, and proved to be very beneficial to the health of the 
birds. The prevention of dampness, too, is a vital consideration, 
since damp, dark quarters furnish a natural breeding-ground for 
all types of bacteria,—places where filth cannot be readily detected, 
and where disease germs may multiply undisturbed. 
Clean Feeding.—To sum up in few words, clean feeding neces- 
