July  1,  189D.]  Silpplemeni  Lo  Ike  ^‘•Trupical  AgrlciiUartsL'' 
71 
Besides  actual  disease  there  are  certain  natural 
ailments,  as  they  may  be  called,  to  whicli  fowls  are 
liable  and  which  re([uire  treatment.  Tliese  may 
be  included  under  bad  fledging,  weaknes.s,  and 
crami). 
Bad  Jted(jhv). — Chickens  often  suffer  much 
whilst  their  feathers  are  growing  especially  in  a 
chilly  rainy  weather.  The  breeds  which  feather, 
rapidly  suffer  much  in  this  way  (like  the  Shanghai) 
and  this  is  perhaps  the  reason  why  the  bantams 
which  take  long  to  fledge  are  so  hardy.  As  soon 
as  a brood  appears  drooping  whilst  the  feathers 
grow,  give  some  bread  .soaked  in  water,  or  if  beer 
is  easily  ])rocurable  it  is  advisable  to  soak  the 
bread  in  it ; above  all  things  keej)  them  off  from 
moist  places.  This  ailment  seldom  or  never  lasts 
more  than  seven  or  eight  days. 
Wealitiess. — Highly-fed  chickens  which  grows 
fast  are  generally  subject  to  this.  It  ari.ses  through 
their  fast  growth  and  has  to  be  remedied  by 
givinganimal  foodsuchas  worms  and  bone  dust.  In 
warm  weather  dij)  the  feet  in  cold  water  twice  a 
day.  The  above  disease  should  not  be  confounded 
with  cramp  which  also  disables  the  animals  from 
walking  and  standing  on  his  legs  ; for  cramps  cold 
water  is  highly  injurious,  the  only  treatment  in 
such  a case  is  warm  fomentation  and  the  applica- 
tion of  turpentine  to  the  legs. 
ACTUAL  DISEASE. 
For  actual  disease  it  is  deemed  advisable  to  have- 
well-sheltered  and  well-ventilated  shed  as  an  in- 
firmary, which  the  healthy  fowls  should  not  be 
allowed  to  enter. 
G'o/jc  is  another  troublesome  infectious  disease. 
The  chief  causes  of  this  disease  are  foul  water 
with  decomposing  vegetable  matter,  e.xposure  to 
rain,  and  want  of  nutritious  food. 
Si/mptoms. — A number  of  worms  are  found  in 
the  wind  pipe,  jerky  breathing,  constant  How  of 
saliva  and  offensive  odours. 
Treatment. — Camphor  of  the  size  of  a grain  of 
millet  should  be  given  with  water.  In  well- 
marked.  cases  the  worms  must  be  removed  by 
introducing  a loop  of  horse  hair  into  the 
trachea.  This  should  be  repeated  several  times 
till  the  worms  disappear;  a feather  stripped  to 
the  top  may  also  be  used  to  remove  the  worms. 
A.  iM.  FERNANDO. 
(To  be  continued,) 
■ 
MANUFACTURE  OF  SUFERPIIOSFIIATE. 
It  is  advisable  in  the  first  instance  to  burn  the 
bones  and  convert  them  into  what  is  known  as 
bone-ash,  as  fresh  bones  or  bone-meal  produce  a 
slimy  mass  on  treatment  with  acid  which  is  e.v- 
ceedingly  difficult  to  dry. 
To  prepare  the  superphosphate  from  bone-ash  it 
is  ni^cessary  to  have  a reco])tacle  to  mix  the 
ingredients  which  is  not  attacked  by  snlphuric 
acid.  A wooden  trough  lined  with  lead  (a  sheet 
of  lead  hammered  to  fit  the  trough)  is  about  the 
best ; but  the  wooden  trough,  pitclied  inside  will 
answer  the  purjmse,  or  a hole  in  the  ground  lined 
with  cement.  In  this  receptacle  the  ingredients 
are  mixed  in  the  following  proportions : — For 
every  40  lbs.  of  bone-ash  add  1 gallon  of  water 
and  15  lbs.  strong  snlj)huric  acid  (commenual 
oil  of  vitirol.)  Pour  the  whole  of  the  Avater  into 
the  tank,  then  add  (jradualtjf,  stirring  constantly 
■\vitU  a woodeu  pole  the  sulphuric  acid.  The  acid 
combines  very  violently  with  the  water,  and  unless 
it  be  added  as  directed  above,  an  explosion  (may 
resnit.  Now  add  gradually,  a little  at  a time,  the 
bone-ash,  stirring  constantly  with  a stout  pole  or 
hoe.  The  above  proportions  should  yield  a mass 
jjosses.sing  the  consistenee  ot  stiff  dough.  if  it  is 
not  stiff  enough  .some  more  bone-ash  may  be  added. 
Leave  it  to  itself  for  a few  hours,  when  it  will  dry 
to  a friable  mass,  easily  broken  and  in  a fine  state 
of  division.  Protect  from  rain  when  drying.  The 
manure  is  now  ready  for  use.  Althougdi  burning 
the  bones  destroys  the  organic  matter  and 
diminishes  the  proj)ortion  of  nitrogen,  this 
lo.ss  is  more  t han  compensated  for  by  the  ease  with 
whicli  the  i/roduct  can  be  dried  and  handled.  If 
fre.sh  bones  or  bone-meal  be  used  the  fat  which 
they  contain  jirevents  the  complete  action  of  the 
acid,  and  the  resulting  [ roduct  is  so  slimy  a.s  to  be 
unmanageable  in  many  cases.  1-f  it  is  preferred  to 
use  fresh  bones  or  meal,  the  following  proportions 
are  said  to  be  the  best: — 
Dilute  every  half  gallon  of  acid  with  one  gallon 
of  water,  as  dir(  cted  above  ; that  is,  add  the  acid 
to  the  water,  stirring  all  the  time.  Never  on  any 
account  add  water  to  the  acid.  Pour  this  diluted 
acid  upon  20  lbs.  of  the  bone-meal  in  the  trough, 
taking  care  to  pour  slowly,  .stirring  all  the  while. 
The  sticky  mass  must  now  be  mixed  with  loam, 
wood-ashes,  peat,  or  gypsum,  in  order  to  dry  it. 
Distead  of  burning  the  bones  the  oil  may  be  re- 
moved by  steaming  them,  but  this  is  rather  a 
troublesome  i)i'ocess.  Simple  boiling  with  water 
is  better  than  nothing,  though  in  no  case  is  the 
product  so  satisfactory  as  that  prepared  from  burnt 
bones. 
Instead  of  using  acid,  bones  may  be  rendered 
soluble  by  allowing  them  to  ferment.  The  follow- 
ing is  a good  plan 
Dig  a trench  and  till  it  with  alternate  layers  of 
wood-ashes  and  bones,  beginning  and  ending  with 
wood-ashes.  Moi.^ten  each  layer  of  ashes  when 
Laid,  and  keej)  the  whole  moist  by  watering  from 
time  to  time.  In  a few  months  the  heap  maybe 
turned  over. 
Bones  are  also  dissolved  by  jilacing  them  in  a 
pit  and  drenching  with  a hot  solution  of  lye,  1 lb. 
of  potash  lye  to  every  4 Hi.  of  bones.  Cover  with 
earth,  and  .stir  occasionally  for  two  or  three  weeks, 
when  the  mixture  may  be  turned  out  to  dry. 
It  will  be  seen  that  treatment  with  acid  is  the 
most  rapid,  and  the  product  just  as  satisfactory, 
but  caution  is  i-equired  in  mixing  the  ingredients. 
— A(/ricultnral  Gazette,  N.S.  IV. 
ASSIMILATION  OF  NITROGEN  BY 
PAUILIONACEvE. 
It  might  almost  be  said  that  no  discovery  of 
modern  times,  in  the  field  of  biology,  has  given 
promise  of  being  of  greater  or  oven  equal  value 
to  that  of  llellriegel.  So  long  ago  as  187()  Berthe- 
lot  suggested  that  microbes  in  the  soil  very  possi- 
bly exercised  an  inlluence  on  plants  by  enabling 
them  to  absorb  nitrogen.  This  llellriegel  has  de- 
monstrated to  be  actually  the  case,  lie  has  shown 
that  certain  plants  form  on  their  roots  minute 
tubercles  within  which  advantageous  microbes  are, 
as  it  were,  housed.  This  discovery  has  been  con- 
firmed by  Wilforth  as  by  Lawes  and  Gilbert  and 
many  otlier  observers.  It  may  be  said  not  only 
to  have  revolutiouized  our  knowledge  of  tbg 
