410 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[September, 
Cure for Poultry Cholera. 
There is only one positive cure for poultry 
cholera, a cure which can he depended upon every 
time, in all localities, and 
in every climate. The il¬ 
lustration herewith given 
will convey a clear idea 
of the cure, as well as 
its great effectiveness. 
Some breeders do not like 
to resort to such sum¬ 
mary means, on account 
of the birds being pure¬ 
bred and expensive. In 
keeping the sick birds to 
“doctor” them, there is 
great danger of the well 
ones in the entire flock being affected. The cure 
we have suggested stops the progress of the dis¬ 
ease, and is as simple as it is ancient. 1). Z. E. 
The Tree Onion, or Rocambole. 
The onion assumes several forms quite different 
from the one generally cultivated from seed. The 
variety known as “ Potato Onion,” and in some 
localities in this country as “ English Multiplier,” 
never produces seed. It is propagated solely by 
offsets. A bulb of moderate size, if planted in 
the garden in spring, will, during the summer, 
produce a cluster of six to ten small ones. These, 
being kept during the winter, and planted the fol¬ 
lowing spring, will each grow and form a large 
onion. This variety is largely cultivated iu Vir¬ 
ginia, to supply Northern markets with early 
onions. We have several native species of onion, 
though they are popularly called “ Garlic,” two of 
which bear at the top of the flower-stalk, instead 
of a cluster of flowers, followed by seed-pods, a 
bunch of minute bulbs, not much larger than a 
grain of wheat. These wild garlics, as they are 
called, are sometimes a great nuisance, as the 
plants occur in wheat fields, and the little bulbs, 
being ground up with the wheat, greatly injure the 
flour. This method of multiplication, the produc¬ 
tion of small bulbs in the place of seed-pods, 
occurs in some cultivated forms of onion. The 
variety known as “Tree,” “ Top” or “ Egyptian ” 
onion, and Rocambole, is of this sort. The flower- 
stalks, often very large and stout, are surmounted 
by a cluster of small bulbs ; these bulblets, when 
planted out, form large bulbs ; the large bulbs, 
when set, throw up stalks with a cluster of small 
bulbs, and thus generations alternate. 
A number of persons have recently sent us for a 
name, an onion that has this habit of growth, but 
THE CATAWISSA ONION. 
which seems to be unlike the ordinary “ Top 
Onion,” in that the small bulbs are flat, rather 
than globular, and like well formed onions in 
miniature. The small bulbs, in the specimens 
sent us, are elongated, and the clusters throw up 
short branches which bear a few small bulbs at 
the top. In looking up the subject, we came 
across, in the elaborate French volume, “ Plantes 
Potageres,” an engraving of a variety of onion 
which corresponds well with the specimens in 
question, and which is here reproduced. The au¬ 
thors say that they received it from this country, 
some years ago, under the name of the “ Cata- 
wissa Onion,” a plant which seems to be a slight 
modification of the “Egyptian” or “Top Onion.” 
The variety, “ Catawissa Onion,” is not mentioned 
by any of our writers, so far as we are aware. If 
ony of our readers know the “Catawissa Onion,” 
we shall be glad to hear from them, and hope they 
will tell us whatever they may know of its history. 
Fences for Poultry Yards. 
The confinement of poultry necessarily requires 
a large outlay in fencing, especially if there are 
many subdivisions. Fortunately, unlike other 
stock, poultry exert but little force against such 
structures, their endeavors being in an upward di¬ 
rection. What is needed for the purpose is a cheap 
fence, of a kind that can be easily repaired, and 
yet effective for purposes of confinement. Plas¬ 
tering laths, though not as substantia] as boards, 
answer well if the cost is to be considered, for 
such fences, if not durable, are easily repaired. A 
permanent lath fence can be built as shown in 
fig. 1. Place the posts eight feet apart and six 
inches from the ground nail a strip from post to 
post; one foot above this fasten another strip. 
to them. The staves may be used for the bottom 
course, as described in the first plan, or nailed 
crossways, with full-length lath projecting upwards 
from the staves or strips, if preferred. 
Concerning Ticks. 
A correspondent sends us some insects, from 
which the accompanying engravings are made, of 
about the real size. The left-hand figure shows the 
upper, and the other, the lower side. The creatures 
are evidently Ticks, now regarded as insects, be¬ 
longing with the spiders, mites, etc. Indeed, ticks 
are really mites of a larger size. The proper in¬ 
sects have a distinct head, chest (thorax), and ab¬ 
domen, which is made up of distinct rings. The 
ticks have no rings, 
and a head and body 
a're all the visible 
parts. They usually 
have eight legs, 
terminated by claws 
adapted for holding 
on, and their mouth parts are constructed for the 
copious sucking of blood. In their early life, the 
ticks live upon plants, but when occasion offers, 
they attach themselves to vertebrate animals of all 
kinds, man included. The females are covered 
by a skin capable of great extension, and when one 
of them can attach itself to an animal, it at once 
begius to suck blood, and grows to many times its 
running in the same direction. To these two strips 
nail one-half laths (two feet), first driving the 
lower part of the laths two inches into the ground. 
Place a cross-strip three feet above the second one, 
and nail full length laths to the middle and upper 
strips. The cost is as follows for eight feet of 
fencing : one post (which is all that will be required 
for eight feet after the first panel), five cents ; 
three cross-strips (two inches wide will suffice), 
twenty-four feet, at $6.00 per thousand feet, fifteen 
cents ; fifty lath, twenty cents ; total, forty cents, 
five cents per running foot, or one cent per square 
foot, as such a fence will be about five feet high. 
The advantages of this fence are, that the two 
strips near the bottom, being so close together, 
sustain pressure from dogs or outside intruders 
better than any other fence constructed of lath, 
and dispenses with a foot-wide board, so generally- 
used. The estimates of cost of material are based 
from experience in one locality only, and may be 
less elsewhere. 
The cheapest lath fence is made with the posts 
four feet apart, first sawing them in two length¬ 
wise at a saw-mill, and nailing the lath directly to 
the posts without the use of strips. The two up¬ 
per laths have short vertical pieces fastened to 
them with cleat nails, and present points to pre¬ 
vent fowls alighting on the fence. Such a fence 
(fig. 2) will cost, for four feet, one-half post, three 
cents; twenty laths, eight cents; and the nails, 
three cents, per running foot, six feet high, or one- 
half cent per square foot. 
More expensive and durable fences may be made 
of pickets, bean-poles, or wire netting. For mov¬ 
able fences, tarred, netted rope is excellent, and 
can be procured from any dealer in poultry sup¬ 
plies. The price varies according to quality. Num¬ 
ber six wire may also be used as strings, three 
strings being fastened to the posts and lath, inter¬ 
laced by alternating them so as to have the upper 
and lower strings on one side of the lath, and the 
middle string on the other, as shown in fig. 3. Old 
barrel staves can also be used for fencing, by plac¬ 
ing the posts close together, and nailing the staves 
original size. Cattle, horses, sheep, dogs, and other 
quadrupeds are attacked by them, as are bats and 
several birds. Hunters and others, who are much 
in the woods, are sometimes annoyed by them. 
Ticks are abundant in some parts of the far West 
and Southwest, and attack not only cattle and their 
drivers, but deer and other wild animals. Ticks 
cause great annoyance to cattle, but they soon get 
so large, that they are readily seen and may easily 
be removed. When they attack the traveller, the 
itching they cause is so intense that the cause is 
soon sought and removed. If neglected, they have 
sometimes caused serious tumors, which had to 
be opened and the annoying creature extracted. 
Beware of Bloat. 
Bloating from over-feeding on clover is not 
uncommon among cattle in autumn. No experi¬ 
enced farmer would think of turning his stock into 
a stout piece of clover when the dew is on or when 
it is wet with rain ; but bloat may come from some 
disorder of the digestive apparatus ; or if the 
herbage be too rank, so that it cannot be properly 
disposed of, it will ferment in the paunch, produc¬ 
ing gas, which, by its pressure, closes all way of 
escape, and, unless relief can be given, the animal 
will die. Every farmer should know how to 
“tap” the paunch, to let the gas escape. If no 
other means are at hand, insert a sharp pen-knife 
about half-way between the last rib and the hip, 
and eight inches below the level of the line of the 
back, the point tending somewhat downwards. 
This opening will allow the gas to pass off, and the 
wound will soon heal. A better instrument, and 
one that every stockman should have, is the tro- 
char, made for this purpose. This consists of a 
sharp-pointed steel pin, about six inches long, 
having a tube (canula) which covers all but the 
point. When the pin is inserted, the tube follows 
it and remains, forming a means of exit for the gas 
in the paunch. Food should be light for a few 
days after such an operation. J, W. D. 
