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KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



Journal under such peculiarly adverse cir- 

 cumstances as have beset you from your opening 

 day. Will you oblige me by inserting the en- 

 closed remarks of a Public Journalist, which I 

 have extracted from one of our leading papers, 

 the f ' Times," of July, 1849? The Editor 

 would seem to have had you in his eye when be 

 penned them ; for you have throughout realised 

 all his ideas in your mode of action : — 



" It is of great importance, in order to be 

 successful in any undertaking, that a man possess 

 a good degree of firmness; because, if after he 

 have undertaken any business or enterprise, he 

 become discouraged merely because he meets 

 with a few difficulties and embarrassments which 

 he did not anticipate, his capabilities for con- 

 ducting his business will be paralysed, and his 

 efforts weak and ill-directed — so that his failure 

 will almost of necessity be the result. But if a 

 man of a firm and decided cast of character meet 

 with obstacles to his prosperity, he nerves him- 

 self to meet them, taxes his utmost ability, and 

 directs all the energies of his mind and body to 

 remove the causes of his embarrassment; and 

 the result in nine out of ten cases will be com- 

 plete success. He could scarcely fail to be 

 successful, unless he has engaged in an enter- 

 prise for which he possesses no qualifications, 

 and to which his energies are inadequate; which 

 is rarely the case with a man of firmness. Such 

 men, generally speaking, ' weigh well the means, 

 the manner, and the end' of their designs, 

 before attempting to put them into execution, and 

 when their resolutions are once taken, trifles 

 do not stop them." 



I need not say, that I feel sure you will con- 

 tinue to carry out your original intentions. For 

 my own part, I will gladly support your Journal 

 at whatever increase of charge it may be deemed 

 necessary to issue it. It has no competitors ; and 

 there is a large field open for an extended use- 

 fulness. Yours, 



Liverpool, May 24. William Anderson, 



[There is so much kindness of feeling in our 

 Correspondent's letter, that at the risk of being 

 deemed egotistical we print it. It has a " moral" 

 in it that may be useful to the Public] 



ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE. 



The Diseases of Poultry.— These are so many 

 and so various, that I shall be really obliged if 

 you will from time to time give us the result of 

 your long experience in the treatment of them. 

 I have seen it asserted under your hand, that 

 with care, few deaths need occur, and few cases 

 of sickness. Tell us, if you please, all about it, — 

 for I delight in everything connected with a 

 poultry yard. — Anne T., Mitcham. 



[We shall have a world to say on this subject, 

 as we travel on. Our stock is all in perfect 

 health. We have had but one death in the 

 family since January, 1851, and that was during 

 the " fall of the leaf" from atrophy. Our 

 poultry-yard exhibits pleasing evidence of the 

 most robust health and vigorous constitutions 

 prevailing amongst all the inhabitants. We allude 

 to the Sebright bantams, and the more choice 

 varieties, as well as those of the more common 



kind. When fowls are ill, or drooping, their 

 proper " corrective" is rue. They want no more 

 "doctoring" than we do. If seventeen-eighteenths 

 of our medical men — we say it with all becoming 

 respect — were to " accept the Chiltern Hun- 

 dreds " and retire, so much the better would it 

 be for society at large; but as society at large 

 " cannot see it," why should we? Therefore, 

 let us bestow our consideration on Poultry. 

 Pound each of the poultry " walks," we have 

 planted a complete hedge of Rue — the medicinal 

 qualities of which, in combination with proper 

 food, are remarkable. The heads of these plants 

 are bent forward, and introduced through the 

 circular galvanised iron wire holes, which form 

 the front of the " walk." We find, from time 

 to time, that much of the Rue is eaten.. 

 Nature evidently indicates the " why " and the 

 ■• when." Of course the houses where the birds 

 roost are thoroughly cleansed, thrice weekly, — 

 in summer daily. They thus enjoy " sweet " 

 sleep, and escape being poisoned by the foul 

 and impure gases, which would, but for this pre- 

 caution, necessarily arise immediately under 

 their nostrils. Herein lies a grand secret, and 

 the hint is worth picking up. A constant and 

 liberal supply of fresh water should never be 

 neglected under any circumstances. This is 

 immensely important. We keep them well 

 supplied with old mortar, pebbly gravel, red 

 sand, and brick-rubbish. We also throw them 

 in twice a week a quantity of raw, juicy cabbage- 

 leaves, and long grass ; occasionally some boiled 

 potato parings, rice and fragments — feed them 

 twice every day (at half-past seven, and half- 

 past one) with oats and barley mixed ; and turn 

 up with a spade, twice a week, the raised 

 ground which forms their " walk." By this 

 last move, some scores of underground inha- 

 bitants become disturbed, and rise to the sur- 

 face. The fowls by this, get an extra benefit, 

 which may be called, " the diet of worms." 

 The " walk " being thus frequently turned up, 

 is kept perfectly sweet and wholesome ; and the 

 water, filtering through the earth, leaves the 

 surface clean and dry. Hereby are the fowls 

 preserved in a rude state of health. To enable 

 them to get the full benefit of what little sun- 

 shine there is, in the winter season, we elevate 

 their outside perches (square perches, of course), 

 to the fullest admissible height. This supplies 

 them with air and exercise, and, in our opinion, 

 adds to their happiness in no small degree, by 

 affording them an extended prospect. These 

 remarks, Mistress Anne, will aid you for the 

 present. More, by-and-by.] 



A " nice Distinction " between Instinct and 

 Reason, as connected wifh a Domestic Cat. — 

 Dear Mr. Editor, I do not^remember meeting 

 with any case of instinct, nay, almost reason, in 

 the domestic cat so remarkable as the following. 

 Brevity being a necessary qualification for 

 writers in the , Public's " Own Journal," I 

 will u state my ease" in as few words as pos- 

 sible. A friend of mine, a large manufacturer 

 near this town, has three cats running about in 

 the factory. A very short time since, they all 

 three were " confined " at nearly one and the 

 same time. The kittens of two of them were 



