1911. 
THE CAUSE OF “WRITE DIARRHCEA,” 
Part I. 
Without doubt the greatest scourge of young 
chicks is white diarrhea. During the year we have 
hundreds of hurry questions from people who see the 
little things fading away and are unable to save them. 
Dozens of “cures” are recommended in addition to 
certain methods of feeding. These cures run all the 
way from giving “sun cholera cure” or Squibb’s 
mixture, to inoculation with various combinations of 
turpentine. The treatment has been largely guess¬ 
work, because the exact nature of the disease was 
not clearly understood. It is now known that the 
disease is caused by bacteria to which the name of 
Bacterium pullorum has been given. The mother hen 
is the original source of infection and the disease is 
carried in the food. 
These facts are made clear in Bulletin 68 of the 
Connecticut Station. Prof. F. H. Stone- 
burn and Dr. L. F. Rettger give the re¬ 
sults of long investigation. To prove 
that the disease may be carried in the 
food, the bacteria were separated—that 
is, they were propagated alone by them¬ 
selves. Chicks known to be free from 
the disease were divided into six dif¬ 
ferent lots, evenly balanced in number 
and quality. These chicks were kept 
under good conditions and all fed alike 
on chick feed and a dry mash witli 
clover, charcoal and grit, with ..clean 
water. The chicks were taken right 
from the incubator to the brooders, and 
three of the six lots were “fed on the 
disease.” That is, each little chick was 
given six drops of beef tea in which 
the bacteria of white diarrhea were 
found. The other chicks had beef tea in 
which none of the bacteria was present 
of this was to see if the disease would develop and 
affect the chick as the result of this feeding. That 
was most certainly the result. Within three days the 
chicks thus treated showed the well-known indications 
of white diarrhea. There was loss of appetite, hud¬ 
dling together in the brooders, listless and rough 
drooping feathers. Deaths began on the fourth day. 
Out of 100 chicks to which the bacteria were fed, 71 
died in 25 days, while of 100 not treated in this way 
only four died. . This is regarded as sure proof that 
the disease may be and often is spread through the 
food supply. No doubt the bacteria are in the manure 
and are taken when chick feed is scattered in the 
brooders or runs. A number of public demonstrations 
were made—chicks fed on the germs and others not 
fed being taken to poultry shows. Hundreds of prac¬ 
tical poultrymen saw the sick chicks and pronounced 
the trouble as white diarrhea, thus proving that the 
disease under investigation is the one 
thus commonly known. 
We have said that these treated 
chicks were known to be free from 
the disease when the eggs were hatched. 
How could they know? It seems to be 
proved beyond question that the mother 
hen may start the disease by putting 
the bacteria or germs inside her egg. 
When this egg hatches these living 
germs are inside the little chicks, and 
if conditions are right will start the 
disease. 
What do you call proof? 
In the first place this special form of 
bacteria is different from others. With 
his microscope and apparatus the scien¬ 
tist can distinguish it as a fruit ex¬ 
pert could tell a Baldwin from a North¬ 
ern Spy apple. There can be no doubt 
as to this, so that when the germ 
found in a hen, an egg or a chick, 
can be positively identified—like the 
sumption. 
THE RURAfc NEW-YORKER 
obtained from farms where the disease was not 
known. These were free from the germs. Chicks 
hatched from such eggs were entirely free from 
white diarrhea. They were not immune, however, 
since when fed the germs they became sick. The 
chicks hatched from eggs containing the germs were 
affected—for the germs were found in the liver of 
these little things. Thus it is proved that the germs 
are found in the hen’s ovary, in the egg which such 
a hen lays, and in the chick which is hatched from 
the egg. On the other hand, the hen which contains 
no germs lays an egg also free from them, and the 
chick hatching from the egg is also free. Experi¬ 
ments were tried in trap-nesting hens and testing 
their eggs. This showed that some hens in a flock 
are free and others not. By separating such hens it 
was found that one lot produced germ-free chicks, 
while chicks of the other were alive with the disease. 
Thus it is demonstrated that the chart printed at 
THE SPREAD OF A CHICKEN SCOURGE. 
The object 
Fig. 270 is true. The disease comes from the hen, 
carried on by the chick and passed along to others 
through food. What can be done to prevent or kill 
off the disease? We must leave that for another 
chapter. 
736 
cents’ worth of plant food in all her droppings, or 
about 13 cents’ worth in that part which is found un¬ 
der the roosts. Five hens will give as much nitrogen 
in one year as you will find in a ton of ordinary stable 
manure. This nitrogen, too, is in far more available 
shape. We can understand from this why a flock of 
several hundred hens running at large in an orchard 
make such a showing on the trees. In six months 
250 hens would drop all over such an orchard, if we 
take these station figures, nearly A]/ 2 tons of fresh 
manure. This means over 225 pounds of nitrogen— 
or the amount expected in nearly 25 tons of stable 
manure, or 1200 pounds nitrate of soda. In addition 
to this the hens give partial cultivation by scratching 
and tearing the soil, and also secure a fair share of 
their food in bugs and grass. We see from this why 
hens are not popular in peach orchards. The large 
amount of soluble nitrogen which they drop stimu¬ 
lates too much wood growth on the peach and makes 
soft and light-colored fruit. To a less 
degree this is also true of apple trees. 
Whenever hens are pastured in apple 
orchards there is a wonderful growtli 
of wood and large fruit of rather light 
color and soft texture. We have a case 
of this for comparison on our own 
farm this year. Part of an old orchard 
is heavily stocked with poultry, while 
the remainder in sod. The difference 
in growth is readily seen. The remedy 
for this overgrowth is an application of 
wood ashes or phosphate and potash. 
We see from the analysis of hen manure 
that it contains an excess of nitrogen, 
and the potash and phosphoric acid are 
needed to “balance” it. The very fact 
that this form of nitrogen is so available 
means that a large proportion of it may 
easily be lost. In another article we 
Fig. 270. 
will try to tell how to hold it. 
FACTS ABOUT HEN MANURE. 
No. 1. 
“What is the value of hen manure? How much 
per hen in a year?” 
These questions are asked so many times during the 
year that we have hunted up some of the records. 
At the Maine Experiment Station the manure dropped 
by 180 hens for three nights was collected and 
weighed. It was found that on the average these 180 
hens dropped in three nights 45 pounds or 720 ounces. 
This is the same as 540 hens one night or 11-3 
ounces per hen each night. This would mean about 
30 pounds for each hen per year in night droppings 
•Z ' ■ \ * - " - ’ . - - * ' - • 
IS 
it 
THE THOMPSON ROLLING TANK SPRAYER. Fig. 271. 
germ of con- 
Now in dozens of cases these germs have 
been found in hens, and they are located in the ovaries 
where, as we know, the eggs are started on their 
course. We do not need to go all through the evi¬ 
dence given in this bulletin. It is enough to say that 
many hens have diseased ovaries which contain these 
disease germs. Other hens are not thus affected. 
Having proved that some hens are affected while 
some are not, the scientists examined eggs. A 
method for testing them was devised and the bacteria 
were found in the yolks of certain eggs, while others 
were entirely free. For instance, farms were reported 
on which “white diarrhea” was prevalent. Both hens 
and eggs were obtained from such farms. The bac¬ 
teria were found in the ovaries of the hens and also 
in the eggs from them. On the other hand eggs w r ere 
alone—not counting the day’s droppings. At the 
New York Station it was figured that the night drop¬ 
pings of each hen for one year averaged about 31 
pounds. So far as we know there are no figures 
showing how much manure is made while the hens 
are off the roosts. The fowls roost less than half the 
time, and probably drop more while exercising than 
while quiet. It was concluded therefore at the Maine 
Station that a hen of average size probable drops about 
75 pounds during the year altogether. 
The fresh manure at the Maine Station was an¬ 
alyzed and found to contain 2.8 per cent of nitrogen, 
1.8 of phosphoric acid and 0.9 of potash. On this 
basis 100 pounds of the fresh manure—right from the 
henhouse—would be worth about 65 cents on the basis 
of what chemicals would cost in a local market. 
Thus a hen in one year will give not far from 45 
A ROLLER TANK SPRAYER. 
There is another new idea made available for or¬ 
chard spraying. It is extremely simple and entirely 
practical. One of the modest but intelligent fruit 
growers of Yakima County, Washington, in the 
Yakima Valley, Mr. F. C. Thompson, conceived the 
idea of having a round iron or copper tank to hold 
the liquid and make of it the direct means of generat¬ 
ing the power to force the liquid into a mist in the 
trees. Lugs are riveted onto the tank, which is a 
simple roller to prevent any failure to revolve, and 
this motion makes sure of the constant agitation of 
the liquid inside the tank. To the center of this 
rolling tank at either end, are fastened simple gearings 
that work two air pumps. These force compressed 
air into a tank that is used as any such stored power 
is used for forcing the liquid into the hose and out 
through the spraying nozzles. 
It has been clearly demonstrated by 
several years testing that enough power 
is generated in passing from one tree to 
another to maintain the necessary air 
pressure to do the spraying. All that is 
needed is to fill the big tank with liquid, 
which for a two-horse machine holds 
150 gallons, and drive a sufficient dis¬ 
tance to fill the compressed air tank to 
the needed pressure before starting to 
spray. The weight of a machine of 
this size is 1500 pounds, and when loaded 
with 150 gallons of liquid weighs about 
twice this much, making a fair load for 
an ordinary team on ordinary orchard 
ground. A tower and the ■ operators 
would add something to this. Some of 
the advantages of this machine are a 
minimum amount of very simple ma¬ 
chinery that the ordinary fruit grower 
can understand and operate; no danger 
of the liquid settling during spraying; no needless or 
dead weight to haul, as must be with power engines 
of any kind; ease of making short turns; ability to 
travel over rough ground without capsizing; no sink¬ 
ing of wheels in soft ground; no extra expense for 
gasoline or other fuel for generating power; and 
durability. The cost of the two-horse machine is 
about $350. A smaller size can be had at less cost, 
and larger ones could be made if desired. Within 
due time this new invention will make its way into 
general use, but at this time is in the first stages of 
introduction. I have known of it for two years past. 
We should be proud of the fact that a fruit grower of 
very moderate means but of superior intelligence has 
invented so useful and simple a machine for the 
benefit of his fellow workers. It seems to have an 
assured future. h. e. van deman. 
