166 COMMON SENSE 
After the third dusting the hen seemed to be quite free from 
parasites, but still weak. We knew, however, that the powder 
would not injure the eggs of the vermin, and so in a few days we 
might expect a fresh brood. We therefore kept dusting and feed- 
ing plenty of nourishing and easily digested food—oat-meal mush, 
meat scraps, milk, etc. ‘The hen throve, and we soon had the up- 
Per hand of the vermin, ‘As, however, it would have been asking 
too much of her to'sit double time, we gave her half-a dozen cliick- 
ens, and placed her eggs under a fresh hen. We now greased her 
with a mixture of lard and sulphur. This did not injure the little 
chickens, but might have injured the eggs. She was not troubled 
with parasites after that. 
This incident taught us a lesson. After that we always exam- 
ined our fowls with a special eye to lice. It is true: that we rarely 
find them, but itis also true that hens are at all times liable to 
suffer from them if they get weak and unhealthy. ‘They then ne- 
_glect to take their dust bath regularly and thoroughly, and although 
Iam no believer in spontaneous generation, yet I am pretty sure 
that lice will make their appearance if the hens fall off in health 
and strength. 
The hen that gave us so much trouble was a pure Light Brahma 
that had been recently bought, and in every case in which lice have 
made their appearance in my yards-it has been in the case of fowls 
brought from other places. And'1 have found them on birds that 
I have obtained from dealers of high standing. With these men, 
house ?] closely, and let it burn slowly,” we conclude that he has never tried it. 
Sulphur in large quantities cannot be set on fire by applying a match, as those 
who have used it for fumigating or bleaching purposes know very well. The 
old bee-keepers used to dip heavy paper or stout shavings in melted sulphur, 
and burn these, and this is a very good plan. Or the sulphur may be thrown on 
a small heap of shavings or straw, and when the latter is fired the sulphur will 
burn too. The plan adopted by bleachers is, however, the best and safest. Take 
a heavy iron vessel, the shallower the better, and put the sulphur init, Heat 
this over a fire (out of doors, of course) until the sulphur melts and easily takes 
fire on the approach of alight. Then place the vessel in the house and let it 
burn. Sulphurous acid or the gas from burning sulphur is the most deadly 
agent known. Persian insect powder, carbolic acid, and other destroyers of the 
lower forms of life, are nowhere at all compared with it. It is the only thing 
that is relied upon by the National Board of Health as a perfect destroyer of the 
germs of yellow fever, and if properly applied, no living thing~whether it be 
ird or beast, insect or disease germ—can possibly escape. But we must use 
enough of it, and the sulphur must be burned, not merely vaporized, 
