®fte |3oultr t ir fJatji 
MOORE’S RURAL HEW-YORRER. 
DISEASED FOWLS. 
Can you or Home of your correspondents 
inform me what, the disease is now prevaling 
among my hens, which I will try and de¬ 
scribe ? In the month of August last I had 
one hen break out with swelling of the eyes 
and discharge of the nostrils. 1 immediately 
doctored for the Roup, giving soft food 
mixed with ale, also one grain sulphate of 
copper, washing eyes with tepid water, and 
very soon cured her up. During the ■week 
had several more break out but cured readily. 
Borne six weeks after I noticed two or three 
henB discharging at the nostrils, but had no * 
swelling or watering of the eyes, the dis- , 
charge being very offensive and if not t 
followed up closely it is very disagreeable to 
attend to. I again used my first remedy but 
it was of no use. Then I tried red pepper 
and milk, castor oil, raw whiskey, aconite in 
drinking water, burning with nitric acid, 
washing the mouth ami bill with alum and 
vinegar, giving one and all a good fair trial, 
and as yet have not succeeded in curing a 
single case. 
My house is well ventilated, plastered 
inside, hoard fl tors covered with sand, 
plenty of pure water every day and roosts 
cleaned twice a week, in fact every precau¬ 
tion taken to prevent disease. There are 
one or two eases of the same kind in this 
neighborhood, ami if through your columns 
you can throw any light on the subject you 
will benefit a few weary poultry fanciers of 
this locality. H. D. w. 
East Lexington, Mass. 
-- 
THE NUMBER OF EGGS IN A REN. 
A CURIOUS point of inquiry among zoolo¬ 
gists has been, for a longtime, How many 
eggs are there in the ovary of a hen ? To 
determine this, a German naturalist, a short 
time since, instituted some careful investiga¬ 
tions, the result of which showed the ovary 
of a hen to contain about 000 embryo eggs. 
He also found that some twenty of these are 
matured the first year, about 120 during the 
second year, I On during the third* 114 during 
the fourth, and during the fifth, sixth, sev¬ 
enth and eighth years, the number decreases 
by twenty annually, It consequently follow¬ 
ing that after the fourth, or ul. most till* fifth 
year, hens are no longer profitable as layers, 
unless it may be in exceptional instances. 
Borne interesting experiments were also 
made a short time since, in Germany, to de¬ 
termine the comparative fecundity of ducks 
and hens—that is, from which of the two the 
larger number of eggs can be obtained in the 
same time. For this purpose three hens and 
ducks were selected, all hatched in February 
and nourished with suitable food. The fol¬ 
lowing autumn, the ducks lmd laid ‘-'25 eggs, 
while the hens laid none. In tile next Feb¬ 
ruary the laying season began again with the 
ducks and continued uninterrupted till Au¬ 
gust. They showed no inclination to sit, but 
became very thin, although they afterwards 
fattened up somewhat. The total number of 
eggs laid by the hens amounted to 257—or s(> 
eggs each —and 393 —or 151 each for the ducks. 
Although the eggs of the ducks were rather 
smaller than those of the hens, yet they 
proved to be decidedly superior in nutritive 
material, so that the superiority in produc¬ 
tiveness was decidedly with, the ducks. 
In regard to the moans or possibility of 
deciding the sex of eggs, much difference of 
opinion exists. But M. Geilin, in a communi¬ 
cation to the French Academy of Sciences, 
says on this subject that he is now able, after 
having investigated the matter carefully for 
several years, to state that all eggs contain¬ 
ing the germ of males liuve wrinkles on their 
smaller end, while female eggs are smooth at 
the extremity. 
- : -- 
MARKET FOR COMBS OF FOWLS. 
The Poultry World has this which may 
suggest a new resource to some of the Rural 
New-Yorker poultry breeders and create an 
increased demand forth© large comb-bearing 
breeds :—“ The combs of Spanish and Leg¬ 
horn fowls are sold in some parts of Europe 
as choice delicacies for the plates of those 
who sigh for fresh appetizers. Under the 
name of 1 Cretes do Coq,’ a supply of these 
morsels has been recently imported hither 
from Paris. The combs are of large size, both 
single and rose, and are put up in white vine¬ 
gar, in long tubular white bottles, holding 
about a pint, sealed with block wax. When 
we say that these small bi tiles cost at whole¬ 
sale in Paris more than a dollar in gold each, 
the reflection is forced that many a large- 
combed rooster may in future be sacrificed 
to Mammon, as many were offered up to Es- 
culapius. There are enough large combs in 
the yards of our breeders to make a fortune 
if they could be utilized.” 
-<*-*♦- 
THE POULTRY-KEEPER.—NO. 14. 
THE SPAHISH FOWL—CENERAL CHARACTERISTICS. 
Bony oval; erect on the feet; muscles 
well developed ; legs long ; four toes on 
each foot; feathers of the liaekle and wing 
of the ordinary length ; 1 iroad, long sickles ; 
Garments;. 
Figure 41, 
tail bushy, earned erect, and close to the 
neck ; plumage entirely black, black and 
wlxite, or floury white, in cliickenhood ; 
comb single, fleshy, and erect (fig 41). 
Weight. At full ago from 0 lbs. 10 ozs. to 
7% lbs. Bones small and light. 
Fletih .— Flesh abundant and very good. 
Shape,—From the upper part of the head 
under the feet from 21% inches to 23% 
inches ; from the back under the feet, 15% 
inches. 
Head (fig, 42 ).— Particularly distinguished 
by the thick wrinkles of the cheeks. 
Comb. — Single, erect, and very high, 
larger than in any other variety, very thick 
at the base, slender at the upper part, 
denticulated with large, regular points. 
Wattle*, —Long, slender, and pendant, and 
of the same color ns the comb, which is of a 
very rosy color. 
Ears.—Thick and sinewy, of the same color 
and nature as the cheeks, with which they 
seem to join, and to make one large piece of 
white, only interrupted by a small, thin 
buuch of feathers, which covers the auditory 
organ. 
VAce/fs.—Large, thick, and white, pearly, 
with a very light blue tint. When the bird 
gets old its cheeks are full of large wrinkles 
and irregular folds, so deep that the eye dis¬ 
appears when th© head is seen behind or in 
front. Its cheeks are seamed with very 
small depressions, far apart and Invisible uta 
distance. 
Tufts. —Composed of small black feathers, 
fine and few. 
He ale.— Nearly straight, and generally 
black. 
Eye. —Iris, red ; pup”, dark chocolate. 
Foot. —Rather slender ; length, 3 9-16 
inches ; color, slate blue. 
Toes.—Usual size, same color as the foot. 
PLUMAGE. 
The plumage of the cock is completely 
black. The leathers of the hackle, the back, 
Figure 42. 
and loins have metallic iridescence of silver, 
and in certain positions have mixed tints of 
green and purple. Those of the shoulders 
are of a velvety black. The wing coverts 
are of a green and bronze hue, as also are 
the large and small sickles ; the rest is dull. 
Altogether the Spanish cock has the hidal- 
go’s aspect, belonging to it alone. Its vest¬ 
ment of velvety black, its face covered with 
white, its comb in the form of an aigrette, 
and its red gills, give it quite a Spanish air. 
GARDENING AND FARMING. 
- I 
Do they not mean one and the same thing 
—namely, abundant crops produced by 
ample manuring and by very deep and fre¬ 
quent cultivation f I can detect no differ¬ 
ence ; the object is to gain the most perfect 
and profitable development of the plant, 
whether in flowering or seeding, and this 
brings me to the consideration of deep culti¬ 
vation. What should we say to our gardener 
who allowed hi.4 Uower-pot, without a hole 
in the bottom of it, to be half filled with 
dense, undisturbed stiff clay, and then to put 
into the upper half a few inches deep of 
friable, manured, and cultivated earth ? 
When the rain from the clouds or his water- 
itig-pot hod saturated and passed through the 
friable surface soil, where would it then be 
found ? Why, certainly, in or on the dense, 
undrained, unmoved subsoil, its only mode of 
escaiie being upwards, as vapor through the 
surface soil, carrying with it to the air, as 
latent heat, the warmth that should invigor¬ 
ate and perfect (lie growing plant—the 
great agricultural undrained flower-pot and 
its contents are thus clearly and undisputably 
described. 
There in no ideality or guess work about 
the matter; the naked facts stand out. in 
bold and unmistakable relief. The 15,000,- 
000 or more of acre-; of undrained agricul¬ 
tural flower pots (for all farmsrs’ crops bloom 
or flower) exist as a great, national mistake 
and disgrace ; and equally blamnble is the 
miserable 5-inch agricultural pie-crust; for 
every one may learn by digging, and every 
farmer ought to know, that the roots of 
cereal and other farm crops, and especially 
autumn-sown wheat, descend deeply, and 
much beyond the plow ed soil, in search of 
moisture and food ; and it is because this 
subsoil is neither aerated and manured that 
the wheats “ go off ” in May. 
This is also often caused by too thick sow¬ 
ing nud the confused competition of roots. 
Does not thin sowing and plant room form 
an essent ial principle in the gardener’s prac¬ 
tice '{ If he desires a full, modern perfect 
/ruit, how carefully he thins out his fruit in 
its early stage to prevent undue competition 
and diminutive results. So does the farmer 
with his turnips—but why u _>t with his corn, 
for wheat plants require space '■ The 20 rods 
of laborers’ cottage garden, deeply cull ivated 
and highly manured by one pig, or 800 lbs. of 
meat made per acre, is an example that may 
be safely followed on the largest farming 
scale, provided, of course, the necessary cap¬ 
ital can be found. Our country is still not 
half farmed. It is the maximum crop that 
diminishes, pro ruin, the fixed chargee of the 
farm, in eluding manual labor, and, of course, 
thus Increases the farmer’s profit. “ Where 
there’s a will there’s a way so that when 
landlord and tenant believe that their capi¬ 
tal wall pay a larger return upon a diminished 
area, agriculture will present a more agreea¬ 
ble and fruitful appearance. 
The foregoing is from the pen of one of the 
most progressive of English farmers, J. J. 
Meciii, and its suggestions are just as good 
for American as English farmers. 
■ ■ •» ♦ »- 
GREASE YOUR NAILS. 
One of the technical journals says : Every 
farmer who has had occasion to drive a nail 
inti/ seasoned ouk posts knows its liability to 
bend and break. If the point be moistened 
in the mouth it will usually drive more 
kindly. Oil is still better, but then it is In¬ 
convenient to dip each nail separately into 
it. Another point observed is that boards 
become loose eventually from the rusting of 
the nails, which communicating to the wood 
causes not only an enlargement of the nail 
hole, but the wearing away of the nail itself, 
rendering the fence or the building shaky 
and Insecure. This may bo prevented by 
beating any rough grease until it smokes, 
and then pouring it over the nails to be used. 
The grouse will penetrate the pores of the 
iron, and cause the nails to last, without 
rusting, an indefinite period. Besides this, 
no trouble will then be experienced in driv¬ 
ing them into the hardest wood. The reason 
is that the coating of grease prevents con¬ 
tact of air, and, consequently, oxidation. 
Oxygen is the great destroyer of iron, and 
moisture is the inducting cause. 
-♦♦♦-■ 
ECONOMICAL NOTES. 
Deodorizing Night Soil. —A correspondent 
of the Canada Farmer says:—Night soil is a 
valuable and extremely powerful manure, 
richer in nitrogen than horse or cow duug. 
It should be deodorized before using by sul¬ 
phate of iron or powdered charcoal. The 
use of charcoal for deodorizing night soil is 
attended with peculiar advantages, as it is 
of itself, from causes not entirely ascertained, 
one of the beat auxiliary manures known to 
agriculture. Wherever charcoal is present 
to a considerable amount in the soil, there 
grapes and all kinds of fruits flower luxuri¬ 
antly, and mildew is unknown. Charcoal 
and gypsum are the best deodorizers of night 
soil, os they both fix the ammonia. Lime 
should never be used with night soil, nor in¬ 
deed in the composting of any animal excre¬ 
ments, as it drives off the ammonia. As be¬ 
fore stated, plants take up their food in the 
liquid and gaseous condition, which of itself 
shows conclusively that the nrine of all ani- 
muls should be given to the soil. 
The lee 7/arrest on the Farm .—I hope the 
Rural New Yorker will suggest to its 
readers (if it has any such) who are in the 
habit of “just running over to Deacon So- 
and-8o’h after a. little lump of ice, just to 
cool the butter,” in July and August, that 
they will deprive themselves of all the de¬ 
light and pleasure of annoying tlieir neigh¬ 
bors by such requests if they lay in a stock 
of ice for themselves this winter. It would 
be too bad, and they had better be advised 
not to do it. Mrs. Deacon So-and So. 
jiitrotns off Husbandry. 
NEWS AND NOTES FOR PATRONS. 
Iowa Grangers paid out in charity last 
year $7,327.09. 
In Gumbridgeport, Mass., the Sovereigns 
of Industry number 500. 
Wisconsin has now 2,508 Granges, against 
304 a year ago. A healthy increase. 
There are 1,041 Granges in Tennessee, and 
the membership is est imated ut .50,000. 
There are four Councils of Sovereigns of 
Industry in Springfield, Mass., with 1,400 
members. 
j A Grange has just been organized at Lan- 
I sing, Mich., with 80 members. A good com¬ 
mencement. 
The Indiana Granges have increased from 
400 to 2,000 in the past year and the Order 
hasn’t stopped growing yet. 
HOME 500 of the 1,100 Granges in Ohio have 
already contributed $7,075 for the relief of 
suffering Patrons in the West. 
The office of the Secretary of the Nebraska 
State Grunge has been tiJfcsferred to Blair, 
Washington Co., the residence of the new 
Secretary, Bro. E. H. Clark. 
Grand Traverse Grange, Michigan, ha3 
instituted a free course of lectures, to be 
given during the w inter, for the purpose of 
advancing the interests of the farmers. 
The way to make the Grange more useful 
is to put more stress on the social and intel¬ 
lectual features contemplated. Financial 
benefits must follow in the wake of improve¬ 
ment. 
The Executive Committee of the Missouri 
State Grange has closed contracts with St. 
Louis manufacturers for the distribution 
among Patrons ut wholesale prices of $20,000 
worth of agricultural implements. 
Ashley Grange No. 1, South Carolina, 
will entertain the members of the National 
Grange on the occasion of their visit to 
Charleston tills week. An excursion to 
Buratc r will be among the festivities. 
The Patrons of Husbandly now number 
over 1,500,000. It is claimed that the Order 
has saved over $21,000,000 to the members 
since its organization, and that they have 
invested at the present time ubout $17,000,000. 
The Executive Committee of the Missouri 
State Grange has contracted for 500 reapers 
and mowers, to be delivered in season for 
the next liarveRt. We should like to know 
how much is saved over the old way of buy¬ 
ing. 
Franklin Co., Kan., wants 5,000 bushels 
of flax seed and 80,000 bushels of corn, which 
the Patrons propose to purchase, giving 
therefor notes of the incorporated Granges, 
under seal, with interest at 12 per cent., 
payable in one year. 
The N. J. Granger says :—The new Master 
of the State Grange, Bro. Mortimer White¬ 
head, is determined that the Order in the 
State shall grow if hard work will do it. He 
is talcing hold with any amount of energy, 
and, if we are not greatly mistaken, New 
Jersey will fairly swarm with Grangers in¬ 
side of six months. Strength of numbers is 
wliat we want, and with a thorough organ¬ 
ization of the best farmers in the State, there 
jg nothing of good which cannot be accom¬ 
plished. 
