r 
I phe ]jmtltru4);irir. 
GAPES IN TURKEYS . 
Ir our directions, recently given in lire 
. Rural, In regard to “rearing turkey a” were 
and all other breeders, would 
have v J occasion to complain ofg.pcg orpip 
infesting O tir VM '^Y or chicken flocks. 
{Japes iu fov 58 te n o new disease, but one 
which every pouJ 1 '? breeder and fancier 
should make himself ns familiar with as 
“household words;” fet fu domestic birds 
are liable to it, more particularly aii young 
fowls, It’ not properly guarded against. This 
disease is moat destructive in the excessively 
warm weather of July and August. It is 
caused by ill-ventilated and unclean coops, 
together with the unwholesome, s<ur food, 
and putrid or impure water, too often given 
to young fowls; more particularly this the 
case with young turkeys. It should bo borne 
in mind, also, that the “gapes” is nn epi¬ 
demic disease, and when it once mokes its 
appearance in a flock of young fowls, those 
affected with it should at once bo i emeved 
from the coop; for it is well understood t!%A 
“ an ounce of prevention is better than ff- 
pound of cure.” 
REARING DUCES. 
It is said that ducks baing aquatic birds 
will not thrive or do well unless they are 
placed in a location so that they can have free 
access to ponds or running streams of water. 
This is a grava mistake; at legist we have 
found it so, and one which we flunk deters 
farmers and others from rearing them as 
much as they otherwise would do, did they 
but know how to rear them without this 
want being supplied; for what is better or 
sweeter to the taste of the epicurean than a 
nice plump roast duck placed before him by 
the “ good housewife ?* 
Ducks, as a general thiug, can be easily 
reared—in flict require much les3 cam tlum 
other aquatic birds, as has been dernon- 
' strated to our perfect satisfaction. And 
willing that Oiliers should profit by our ex¬ 
perience if they desire so to do, we give our 
experimental mode of rearing them for the 
benefit of Rural readers, 
Iu 1SG3 vc tried the experiment of rear¬ 
ing ducks without ltavbig tiie water ftucilities 
said to lye necessary to maim our unefcrtak¬ 
ing successful. Against the ad vice of breed¬ 
ers we bought, of the common variety, one 
drake and three ducks in the fore pzft of 
February, placed them in our back yarj and 
still beep a few of them for winter Infers, but 
have purposely run them down lu size, in order 
to get at)art and heavily leathered legs, by 
select]n>r the smallest to breed from; but many 
parties in this vicinity keep up tho size, and 
have very large and tlnuly bred epedraailS.— 
J. P. C., WhimtkcU P.. J." 
-- -- *<»^--- 
The Kind or Poultry to Keep — Cochins.— In 
answer to the Inquiry of W. w. Smith, in the 
Ken An of Junto Sotb, I would recommend him 
to try the Coobf China fowl, They possess tho 
Qualities ne do-fros more than any othor I know 
of. There are Several colors, but the Buff and 
Whit© are wrist- bi flily prized, lie should bo 
corAiIn to proeuan hrsuclasspecimens to begin 
with; get early hatched cbiokotts (when adver¬ 
tised for Etilo this fall) from some reliable 
breeders. TIkspo ftwls are good layers, very 
hardy, tine for trifle, not anth great eaters il, 
most, people IbiuU, amd any one ge’. ting good 
specimens of them I will warrant will not give 
up this breed as lorn: as bo keeps fowls, ir he 
can help It. The £rftlin*:s are nbout. the same, 
and I recommend them highly, but think the 
Ooohins will give more satisf.totloiij—J ohn P. 
Campion, St, Louts, Mn. 
THE POWER-LOOM. 
Notwithstanding ike early date atwhioh 
weaving was first practiced, very little Im¬ 
provement was effected in the loom until 
about 1078, when M. de Genres, a French 
naval officer of some distinction, constructed 
the first power-loom. His plan was com¬ 
municated to the French Academy of 
Sciences; but though all the advantages of 
productiveness, economy, uniformity of fab¬ 
ric, Ac., which he claimed, arc now real¬ 
ized, no practical results followed in over a 
century. Meanwhile, other power-looms 
were brought forward, by English inventors, 
none of which were generally adopted. The 
| first successful power-loom was invented by 
Rev. Edmund Cartwright, a gentleman I 
who bad never previously seen a loom o r 
known tests of genuineness which are chiefiv 
optical, and require apparatus and skill to 
make them. A method which any one can 
apply, or easily get applied, has boon a 
desideratum; but the want exists no longer, 
If you have a doubtful stone, put it or cause 
it to be put into n leaden or platinum cup, 
with some powdered fluor-spar and a little 
oil of vitriol; warm tho vessel over somo 
lighted charcoal, in a fire-place or wherever 
there is a strong draught, to carry away the 
noxious vapors that will lie copiously evolv¬ 
ed. When these vapors have ceased rising, 
let Toe whole cool, and then stir the mixture 
with a glasstM to fish out the diamond. If 
you find it intact it is a genuine stone ; but if 
it is false it will he corroded by the hydro¬ 
fluoric acid that has been generated around 
it.— American Artisan. 
Laics Superior Iran .—Great Lake Superior 
Mineral Region furnishes annually 500,000 
tons of iron ore—one-fourth cf all the oro 
produced in the United States, and is rapidly 
liny kind, nlxwt 1.88; and unco tut I,me j illcre8sl „,. te production. It is estimated 
The gapes is said to be caused by a sort of j 
interna] worm infecting the wind pipe; in 
some instances it has been so observed, but 
it is by no moans a sure criterion with all the 
disorders accompanied with the gaping of 
fowls. The general symptoms of the dis¬ 
ease, and tho one most noticeable, is the con¬ 
tinual gaping, coughing, dullness, inactivity, 
loss of appetite and sneezing of the fowls 
attacked. 
Mr. Mowbray, on eminent English 
breeder, says the “disease first shows it¬ 
self when the chicken or turkey is between 
three and four months old, and not often 
after.” On the contrary, we have seen tire 
disease iu its worst form show itself in young 
turkeys and chicks from four weeks to six 
months of age; therefore, there is no more 
certainty of fowls being rid of the disease at 
four weeks old than they are at six months 
old. 
There are several modes for the treatment 
of turkeys for this disease; the one which has 
proved the most successful in cases which 
we have treated is as follows:--Take a small 
quill feather, stripping the vane, except half 
au inch from its extremity, of the feathers; 
this should be dipped in spirits of turpen¬ 
tine, and the diseased turkey or chicken, as 
the case may be, being held, the feather so 
prepared is passed down tl trough the small 
opening of the wind-pipe, which is readily 
seen at the base of the tongue, and giving it 
one or two turns, will generally bring up and 
destroy the worms. The turpentine ai once 
kills the worms, and its application excites 
a fit of coughing, during which those that 
are not drawn out by the feather are expelled 
by the coughing. After this process being 
used the young turkeys should be kept for 
several days in a dry coop, and not be al¬ 
lowed to wander in damp, swampy places, or 
| let them run with tire rest of our lijwlfi; fed 
I tlum regularly, (ns wo do all otljer fowls,) 
wet grass. Their feed should be either cooked 
corn meal, or cracked wheat which is better, 
soaked in turpentine, given every morning, 
and the remainder of the day they should 
bs fed with boiled whey or sour milk, well 
sprinkled with black pepper; they should 
also have plenty of clean fresh water in the 
coop. Crushed corn soaked in alum water 
is also said to be a good remedy for gapes. 
Bement, in the “American Poulterer's 
Companion,” recommends shutting up the 
turkeys or chickens in a box, with some 
shavings dipped in spirits of turpentine, 
when the vapor arising from the extended 
surface produces, in moat cases, a cure. He 
also recommends creosote, used in the same 
manner, which will produce a like result. 
We know nothing of the efficacy of these 
remedies, never having tried them, hut we 
do know that spirits of turpentine will not 
harm fowls if it does not do them any good. 
The remedies arc certainly simple and no 
doubt well worthy of trial. 
We would advise E. B. to set himself at 
work at once and master the disease of 
which he complains; it can be done if attend¬ 
ed to in time. If your hennery is an old one, 
remove all your fowls from tr. immediately, 
and purify it by using plenty of lime. Give 
it two or three good coats of boiling hot 
whitewash. If your young turkeys are con¬ 
fined in movable coops, remove i lie coops to 
a dry location, take the young turkeys out, 
put some brimstone under the coop and set 
fire to it, and smudge it a veil with the sul¬ 
phur; then replace your fowls under it, and 
we’ll “wager a big apple” you will not be 
troubled any more ivith gapes among your 
young fowls. 
If E. 3., and iu fact, all poultry breeders, 
would but follow the “Golden Chicken 
Rules,” as laid down by Ltvwis IIoop. .In., 
in the Rural of the 10th ult., there will be 
no trouble whatever in the rearing of poul¬ 
try—it would prove not only a pleasure and 
profit to breeders and fanciers, but also a 
humane act toward the fowls. J. Brace, 
three limes n day, and having placed at their 
command or convenience at all times an 
eight-quart basin full of water. We did not 
coop them with our other fowls; understand¬ 
ing they would do better in ddkk coops or 
roosts, wo therefore made for tbedi two tight 
tent-coops of rough bounds with :fundi, open 
doorways iu front in the most secluded place 
we could find in the yard between, a couple 
of trees and surrounded with shrubbery. 
The three ducks commenced laying about 
the last of February, and continued laying 
pretty regularly until the latter part of Au¬ 
gust or first of September. In April we set 
a hen on thirteen ducks’ eggs, which brought 
off twelve young ducks. We did not sot any 
ducks, but continued to use hens for that 
purpose, and at the close of the season were 
rewarded with a flock of sixty-eight young 
ducklings, which brought i» the fall, when 
well fattened, from eight to mine shillings per 
pair, saying nothing of the large number of 
eggs used for culinary purposes in a family 
of t en persons. 
In rearing the young duel® with the liens, 
we placed near the coops, which were al¬ 
ways located in the vicinity of the pump, a 
small pan or water-tight box sunk in the 
grr and to receive the waste water from the 
pump, w hich answered the purpose as well 
as if they were given a pond of water to 
swim in, and fretted the lien-mcjther much 
less. In fattening them, we gave them 
plenty of boiled potatoes, mixed with cooked 
Indian meal, made into a pudding. V,’c 
!i:d but little corn or oats. They paid 
us well for our undertaking, as they doubt- 
loss would others, if the experiment were 
tided on a larger scale. J. Plane. 
- *.->.* - 
TROUBLE ’WITH BEES. 
ORIGIN OF BRAHMA FOWLS. 
In the Rural of 3 Lay 8th, under the head 
of “ Southern Chicken Notes,” was the 
inquiry “Can you inform me whether the 
Brahma is a distinct breed, originating in 
Asia, or has it been produced iu America by 
selection V” 
There has been so much controversy on 
this subject that almost everyone has some 
pet theory about it, which lie hacks up by 
this or that seemingly unanswerable argu¬ 
ment. 
Last fall, we accidentally stumbled on 
some information which quite convinced 
vs as to the origin of tho Brahmas. T7e met 
n gentleman at Philadelphia, and, in a con¬ 
versation about Brahmas, lie claimed to lenow 
the party who originated or, rather, first in¬ 
troduced the breed. In a subsequent cor¬ 
respondence we obtained the party’s name, 
and wrote to him for the information we 
were iu search of. His answer was as fol¬ 
lows : 
“Tours of the 12th Inst, receive cl, in which 
you request a history of the Brahma fowls. As 
near as I can recollect, it wag about the year 
3S50 the stock was brought into Connecticut, 
from Chirm, by a sailor, an J foil into a man's 
hands by the name of Hatch, who called them 
CtiUtatrongs. I jrot Information of them as 
being >. ory large fowls. Myself and two or throe 
neighbors subsequently bought up all tho stock 
wo could ilnd, of Hatch, and others lie had let 
havo thorn. They were immensely large, one 
hen weighing thirteen pounds; they were of 
various ooloi-s. gray, white, or nearly so, and 
huff; difforing from the Shanghais only In size 
of tail fenthets and wing. We selected and bred 
from those with dark neek-haekies, wing and 
tail feathers also dark, and body white; and in 
two or three years they all came nearly to that 
standard. The gray ones I sold to Geo. P. 
Burnham, and h« soon heralded ibein as newly 
imported gray Shanghais, the largest fowl in the 
world; and sent a coop of them to Queen Vic¬ 
toria. 
Dr. Bennett obtained some of the light 
colored ones, and he. too. had a new importation 
from Brahmapootra, in India, but thinking the 
name a liitletoo long, nbbrevtated it to Brahma; 
thus originating the name. Their true name is 
Chittagong, and I firmly believe that all the 
fowls of this variety in this country, and even 
in England came from this stock. * * * I 
Wren you, or some of your subscribers who 
have had oxpcrk>noo in keeping bees, inform me 
what is tho trmibh) with my boos? I hud a 
swarm como out i'eur days ago which pitched on 
(bo top of a small apple tree. I placed a com¬ 
mon bo.v hive over thorn, lotting tho corner of 
the hire rent upon r. Maying which T put up for 
tin) purpose, and leg it remain over them until 
tho next morning, ^opposing they would go up 
luto it, us they alwufr- have when 1 have done so 
bv thorn; hut thoy <i!d no such thing, but ro- 
nmJned where I first*found them. I then tried 
to “break them up," 3m t they only moved their 
quarters from the top jo the trunk of the tree, 
where they remained uniII Inst night, when I 
brushed them info the Hive, and they stay there, 
but do not work or act its if they ever intend to. 
Now 1 never had much <*»ericuce in bee keep¬ 
ing, and do not know what to do in this case. If 
Anyone will enlighten mo on this subject they 
will confer a favor and oblige an—A mateur• 
Beekeeper, Brooks, Wahlo Co., Me., June It. 
Tire, bees described above probably failed 
to realize, tv lien the biee was first placed 
over them, that they had been hived at all, 
or might be. And when brushed in at last, 
they may have been perfecting their ar¬ 
rangements to co to the woods, and so were 
indisposed to commence operations else¬ 
where. But. aa the above appears to havo 
been written within twenty-four hours after 
the bees were finally put into the hive, 
combs might have been commenced i*i tiie 
cluster, which could not be seen without 
shaking it down. 
The case io a very unusual one, and if the 
bees still persist in remaining idle, I would 
suggest introducing a piece of comb de¬ 
taining young brood. This may be fastened 
to the top of the hivv;. or supported on au 
upright stick fastened in the bottom board, 
or in any way brought among the bees, and it 
would be very likely to set them to work. 
M. Quinbt. 
St. Johnsonville, N. Y. 
--.—.- 
the power-loom has progressed wondet Alik¬ 
in perfection, until now its capabilities ftp 
pear indeed marvelous. 
-- 
USEFUL AND SCIENTIFIC ITEMS. 
Experience with licet-.—it is a poor soason for 
bees; so much rain and cold weather. Thoy 
have swarmed but little yet (Juiy 0). I have 
noticed that in some hives thoy wore killing off 
the drones. I suppose it is owing to the cold, 
wet weather; and they do not intend to swarm. 
I have been troubled with ants getting into my 
hives; but I have fou*d a remedy—a few drops 
of kerosene or spirits turpentine is a sure pre¬ 
ventive. Many lose new swarms for the Jack of 
proper manancmcnt. I lost some swamp, this 
spring, by tho queens dying. The bees dwin¬ 
dled gradually, and left a quantity of honey, 
but no eggs or young broods.—A. \V., Marcdtus, 
JV. Y. 
-- 
Bee Hives.—The bee men havo not advertised 
in the Rural any tl) fog a bout iholr hives—a sub¬ 
ject In which I am intensely Interested. I have 
a swarm of boos that have given me ibroe colo¬ 
nics this spring; but, being lu an old hive LtiaL I 
bought two years ago, I waut toremovo thorn 
to a now gum. I ana inexperienced and 1 am 
afraid of losing them as I did one of the colonies, 
which would no: take the ne-.v home that I of¬ 
fered, though it was made of new plank rubbed 
with peach leaves, &o. Will not Mr. LANG^rnorn 
keep a standing advertisement eo that 1 can get 
his address, if there be no other apiarian who 
deals in hives?—w. J. Mokcock, Foreytfi, On. 
--- 
A Most Wondorfa! Uco Hive.—The front Bide 
of the dwelling-house of Mr. C. W. Davis, near 
this city, was, several days ago, noticed to be 
nonrly covered with bees. Upon examination, 
it was found tlmt tbs bees had entered a small 
hole in the side of the house and hud filled u 
large space between the siding and Ike wall; 
also, under the floor of the second story, a large 
space was filled with honey-comb. Several 
swarms have been seen to enter wi th these beee 
since they were discovered.— if. H, Beckwith, 
Elmira , N. Y., July 3. 
-- 
What a JVcw Swarm Bid.—On the first day of 
May I put a swarm of bees that came out. In a 
hive containing 3,009 cubic Inches, with honey 
box on top. The second day of Juue they 
swarmed, having filled the hive and box, which 
I took off. The honey in box weighed twenty- 
six pounds. Can any one beat that in one 
month?—J. M. Moss. 
-- 
Best Remedy for Bee Stings. — The “best" 
remedy is spirits of ammonia. Keep a bottle of 
that in the house, and apply immediately after 
being stung. It will prevent “ much 11 or littlo 
swelling, Try it,—G. L. S., Bochport, N. Y. 
-- 
Notes of Observe!ions in the Apiary are very 
valuable as a matter of exchange between bee¬ 
keepers. Send us such, that we may print ’em. 
The Tietr Engraving Invention by the Otter- 
rant Brothers sit Leakaville, N. C., is very 
interesting os a triumph ofingeuuiiy in sim¬ 
plifying an exceedingly tedious art. Being 
throws Incidentally into the company of one 
of tho brothers recently, I was favored with 
a brief description of the little piece of mech¬ 
anism, but I fear to attempt a description. 
It works on the principle of a levci 1 , and is 
about as simple to operate, I should judge, 
as »m ordinary sowing machine. On a space 
the Bize of a man’s finger nail, the following 
may be engraved by it“ On the find (bird, 
the Lord’s prayer; on the second, a piece of 
music; and on the remaining third, three 
large initials. A large manufactory ia in 
process of erection iu the State of Massa¬ 
chusetts which it is thought will meet the 
demiun’s upon the invention.— M. 
How to Make, Jhrse Shoes and Nails. —One 
who lias been once elected to Congress says 
that he used to mow Ills own meadow s and 
shoe his own horses. In making a shoe, lie 
j punched the holes altogether ft-om the out¬ 
side or bottom, thus making them like a 
square or rectangular wedge, and then made 
the large end of the nails in the same shape. 
The result was that the shoe did not. come 
off as soon as the heads of the nails wore 
away, It staid on until it was pulled off or 
utterly worn out. All good smiths shoe iu 
the same way. There are many who, by 
this standard, would not bo judged good. 
Many of the nails sold in the stores are very 
flat and thin near the head, which is abrupt¬ 
ly squared instead of being sloped.— M. a. 
To Cat Off tho Nock of a Bottle. — With a 
strong twine a yard or less in length, make 
one turn around the neck, rapidly move the 
bottle from one end of the string to the other, 
that the friction may heat the part; while 
hot, dip in cold water and the glass is cracked 
off as clean and smooth as if cut by a dia¬ 
mond. A few strokes or movements with 
the string are all required. A bottle may be 
cut in tw> by the same process, if strips of 
paper are pasted around it, to keep the string 
from slipping from the place desired.—w. ji. 
State Geological, Surveys. —According to the 
Cheunsal News, the Legislatures of several 
Western States, at their late sessions, made 
appropriations for geological surveys. Obio 
votes §14,000 per annum, and probably Prof. 
J. S. Newberry of New York City, will eu- 
perintend the work. Michigan votes §5,000, 
and Prof. Wiuchell of Ann Arbor, will again 
take the field. E. T. Cox of New Harmony, 
will explore Indiana. A new appropriation 
has been made to complete the survey of 
Illinois, now in charge of Prof. A. II. Wor- 
thea. In the East we believe that, the only 
new survey is that of New Hampshire, which 
will be pushed forward vigorously by Prof. 
Charles H. Hitchcock. This eminent young 
geologist is a son of the late President Hitch¬ 
cock of Amherst College, who in his life-time 
did so much for the geological surveys of 
Massachusetts and New York. 
Beet Sugar in California. — A California 
paper says:—“ The French bark Bayonaise, 
one hundred and fifty-four days from Bor¬ 
deaux, arrived at San Francisco lately, hav¬ 
ing on board the sugar-beet seed purchased 
by Wadsworth in France and Germany for 
the Sacramento Valley Beet Sugar Company. 
The ground has been prepared some time, 
awaiting the arrival of this seed, and it will 
be planted at once. Some one hundred and 
fifty acres of ground will be planted by the 
Company in the vicinity of Brighton, and 
lots of five, ten or fifteen acres will be planted 
here and there by individuals on contract 
with the Company. If this sugarie succeeds 
this year, there will be a dozen erected in 
the State next year, and, with the’r success, 
sugarles will multiply indefinitely, until we 
manufacture enough for home consumption, 
at least; And it may be that we can supply 
some other States with this article. 
An Easy Test for Diamonds. —There are 
that in the next five years it will be 1,000,000 
tons. Of this quantity, 300,000 tons go to 
Cleveland, Erie and other Lake Erie ports. 
A RURAL CONTRIBUTOR. 
Tlio Science of JLnncUeapo Gardening Ex. 
cuiplificii. 
[The Cleveland Herald, June £0, pays tho 
following tributes to our friend and well- 
known special contributor to the Pomo- 
logical, Landscape Gardening, Floral and 
other practical departments of tiie Rural, 
Mr. F. R. Elliott. We are sure those who 
enjoy his practical suggestions, enlightened 
as they are by a most extended and critical 
study of hiispecialties, will enjoy the picture 
of liis home and what he has done and is 
doing to adorn it, which we find in tho 
Herald. —Ed. Rural.] 
Few, if any, who enjoy the beautiful drive 
from the city to Rocky River fail to notico 
tiie very attractive place owned by F. R. El¬ 
liott, which lies on the south side of the 
road about two miles beyond tho city limits. 
Four years ago last spring Mr. Elliot, 
came in possession of this place of twenty, 
three acres. It had been in market a ioig 
time and was considered next to worthless, 
as several thousand attempts had been made 
by different parties to cultivate the ground, 
but each failed, and pronounced ii“ too poor 
to raise white beans,” Mr. Elliott ia a 
practical man, having spent a lifetime in tho 
f'tudy of agricultural science*, and has justly 
won an enviable reputation as a landscape 
gardener; and liis present beautifully laid 
out grounds and thousands of thrifty grow¬ 
ing evergreens, vines, surubs and fruit trees 
speak highly for his knowledge of agriculture 
and ability, and is positive evidence that 
with proper management in the laying out. 
of grounds, a truly lovely place can be made 
in a very few years. Almost always mis¬ 
takes are made in the beginning, whieh, ns 
things begin to develop, have to be changed, 
whieh causes prolonged delays, and six, 
seven and eight years arc often spent before 
any maturity of Liana is visible 
As we before •--aid, Mr. Elliott took his 
place but four years ago. It was then in al¬ 
most the worst condition that could be 
imagined, and the soil so poor that no one 
thought that it could be made to repay the 
labor of culture. He has now about twelve 
acres under cultivation, three of which are 
devoted to grapes of over sixty varieties, 
about half an acre of strawberries of over 
sixty different varieties, a pear orchard con¬ 
taining three thousand dwarf pear trees and 
two hundred standard, most all of them 
bearing this soason. He has twelve hundred 
apple trees, three hundred dwarf, and nine 
hundred standard. He lias four thousand 
gooseberry plants, eighteen varieties; five 
thousand currants, fifteen varieties; five 
thousand raspberries, sixteen varieties; one 
thousand blackberry, fourteen varieties; 
three hundred peach trees, three hundred 
and fifty cherry, and three hundred quinces, 
mostly all bearing this year, and all of tho 
most thrifty and hcallhy growth. The 
house is very pleasantly located on a rise of 
ground quite a distance from the road and 
nearly hidden from view by evergreens, 
shrubbery and fruit trees. There is no fence 
in front, which adds much to the beauty of 
the place. A nice drive leads from the main 
road up to the house. On ihe left near the 
road the former 6wail has been transformed 
into an ornamental pond with a rustic sum¬ 
mer house on the bank. A beautiful lawn 
slopes down from the house nearly to the 
road, with a gravel walk laid out between 
flower beds, now' all in bloom. The roses 
we must speak of in particular, as he has 
over four hundred varieties, all of which 
V 
i 
continue to bloom during the whole scasou. 
It is with wonder that wo view’ this im¬ 
mense amount of improvement and consider 
the short time that has been taken to de¬ 
velop it. 
8 
