25 
any canker exists. When any is found, they should be handed back 
to the seller, for canker is one of the most dreaded diseases. 
When the disease is mild in form, by the prompt use of the reme¬ 
dies recommended here, favorable results are almost always secured. 
Cholera.—This is the worst of all diseases with which the breeder 
contends, and more loss is occasioned by this complaint than by all 
others combined. It runs its course with fatal rapidity, and, when 
once present in a hock, rcmy quickly decimate the pens. Happily, 
however, the cause of cholera may almost always be traced to bad 
management and bad feeding, so that a careful and intelligent breeder 
seldom is called upon to carry out dead birds by the bucketful, as 
sometimes happens with hocks poorly kept. 
Usually when first affected the bird mopes about with a full crop, 
which if examined will be found to be full of water with a very offen¬ 
sive smell. When this is observed the bird must be carefully caught, 
the water gently squeezed from the crop, and a dropperful of the cod 
liver oil and creosote mixture administered. 
If the whole flock is diseased, put ten drops of carbolic acid to a 
gallon of their drinking water for two mornings. Be very careful 
what you feed, and watch the flock very closely, because if this 
trouble gets a foothold the entire flock may die in a short time. 
After having used the carbolic acid, use a tablespoonful of tincture of 
gentian to the gallon of drinking water three times in succession. 
If birds are well cared for this disease need cause very little anxiety, 
but lack of cleanliness and unsound food and impure water invite the 
disease in its worst form. 
GENERAL REMEDIES. 
In addition to the specific remedies already mentioned, there are 
two general ones which are most useful in squab raising. 
Gentian as a tonic.—For a tonic, after trying everything recom¬ 
mended, I find nothing equal to gentian. I use the compound extract, 
giving a tablespoonful to a gallon in the drinking fountain. During 
the moulting season in September, October, and November, I use a 
tonic every Sunday morning, and for the balance of the year only 
when the birds seem to be out of condition. 
Sweet-fern tea.—Whenever it is noticed that the birds have looseness 
of the bowels, I use sweet-fern tea, a teacup of the tea to 2 gallons of 
water in the drinking fountain. The tea is prepared by boiling a good 
double handful of the dried leaves in about 12 gallons of water, letting 
it boil down one-half. Strain and put in bottles or jugs and set away 
for use, out of the reach of frost. Sweet fern is botanically known as 
Myrica asplenifolia. 
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