POULTRY DISEASES AND THEIR TREATMENT. 19 



some of the agricultural or poultry journals this question an- 

 swered, but as a matter of fact to give any stated number is most 

 misleading. It depends very largely upon the class of soil, as 

 some can carry twice as many birds as others ; it depends upon 

 the breed of poultry, some being much more active than others, 

 and thus requiring more space; it depends, too, upon the time 

 of year, because during the spring and summer, when there is 

 an abundance of vegetable growth in the soil, a considerably 

 larger number of birds can be maintained than during the 

 autumn or winter. The number must be varied according to 

 these circumstances, and no hard and fast rule is applicable." 



"The results of tainted ground are generally quickly notice- 

 able, as the fowls have a sickly appearance, the feathers lose their 

 brilliant lustre, and the wings begin to droop. Roup, gapes, and 

 other ailments speedily show themselves, causing, if not death 

 itself, considerable loss and unpleasantness. One of the greatest 

 advantages to be derived from portable houses is that they so 

 greatly reduce the risk of tainted ground, as they are being 

 constantly moved from one place to another, thus evenly dis- 

 tributing the manure. When it is remembered that each adult 

 fowl drops nearly a hundred weight of manure in the course 

 of a year, the importance of this question will be immediately 

 realized. It is quite possible, however, provided that suitable 

 precautions are taken, to keep a comparatively small run pure 

 for a long time. If the grass is short it should be occasionally 

 swept, in this manner removing a good deal of the manure. An- 

 other important point is to always have around the house a space 

 of gravel, upon which the birds should be fed, and if swept once 

 or twice a week this will have a wonderful effect in preserving 

 the purity of the grass portion. Anyone who has observed poul- 

 try will know how fond they are of constantly being near the 

 house, and thus the greater portion of their droppings falls within 

 its immediate vicinity. The shape of the run also has a great 

 bearing upon the length of time it will remain untainted, a long 

 narrow run being much superior to a square one. I have proved 

 by my own experience how true this is, and probably a long and 

 narrow run, containing the same amount of space will remain 

 pure twice as long. It is unnecessary here to go into a full 

 explanation of why this is so, but I may state the fact, which 

 I am confident is quite correct. If the space at one's disposal 



