1854 . 
351 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
€I |t 1'anltrt] 
THE SHANGHAIS. 
Messrs. Editors—As you request communications 
from Poultry fanciers on matters connected with the 
raising of fowls, as I ara writing, I take the liberty to 
intrude upon your notice a bit of my experience in 
that line. I have raised this season between one and 
two hundred chickens of the buff and white Shanghai 
varieties. All things considered, I think the Shanghais 
are one of the best (if not the best) breeds of fowls 
we have. There is a great deal of difference in the 
stock of this breed. Some are coarse, loose jointed, 
crane-like concerns, with legs long enough to step over 
a pretty high fence ; these are a disgrace to the race 
Many persons who have had fowls of this description, 
have, after a short trial, discarded them, and think 
(and justly) that there is a great deal of “gammon” 
in the “ hue and cry” about fancy poultry. Those 
who are procuring Shanghai fowls to breed from, should 
be sure to choose those that are short-legged and 
plump in the make, from stock that breeds uniform 
in size, shape and plumage. 
The Shanghais are quiet and peaceable, good layers, 
and careful sillers, and what is very important, the 
chicks are hardy, easy to raise, and less liable to be 
affected by disease than those of many other breeds— 
particularly the Poland and Black Spanish. It is a 
perfect vexation to try to raise chicks of the last named 
breed, for they are continually drooping and dying. 
With the exception of what have been destroyed by 
rats, and other vermin, I have hardly lost a chick this 
season, out of the broods which were properly cared 
for. 
I think that the pure White Shanghais are prefera¬ 
ble to the Buff", for the reason that they are less in¬ 
clined to be coarse and long-legged. Certainly, as far 
as beauty is concerned, they bike the lead, their large 
red combs contrasting finely with their snow-white 
plumage. Martin Burrell. Oberlin, 0. 
GAPES IN CHICKENS. 
Messrs. Editors —It is my aim never to publish 
anything which I have not thoroughly proved to be 
both true and useful ; but as there has been so much 
guess work and humbug published upon the disease in 
chickens called the gapes, I will publish, if you think 
proper, my experience in that disease. I have lost 
over one hundred and fifty chickens with the gapes, 
in the course of the summer, and have dissected many 
—examined them thoroughly,, and found nothing to 
justify the conclus on that the disease is caused by 
worms in the wind-pipe, throat or crop, as some writers 
pretend, nor have I found any remedy to cure or pre¬ 
vent the disease, in all that I have read. On the con¬ 
trary I tried all the remedies published in the Cultiva¬ 
tor, and many more, without any good effect. I do 
not believe that there ever was a cure performed by 
any remedy I have tried. But I have observed that 
they were not affected with the disease in the spring 
when the weather was cool, nor in the fall, but only in 
hot weather—that the most of them took the disease 
in the morning, after being brooded all night. I there¬ 
fore concluded it was caused by too much brooding in 
warm weather. I procured a headless barrel which I 
set upon a grass plat—took the chicks from the hen at 
a fortnight old ; put them in and fed them, since which 
I have lost no more with the gapes. You are welcome 
to my experience. Let others try it. Chas. Babcock. 
Guilford , Vt., Aug. 24 th 1854. 
SETTING HENS. 
In setting hens, thirteen eggs are enough to give 
them ; a large hen might cover more, but a few stron¬ 
ger, well-hatched chicks are better than a large brood 
of weaklings, that have been delayed in the shell per¬ 
haps twelve hours over the time, from insufficient 
warmth. At the end of a week, it is usual, with set¬ 
ting turkeys, to add two or three fowls’ eggs, “ to teach 
the young turkeys to pick.” The plan is not a bad 
one; the activity of the chickens does stir up some 
emulation in their larger brethren. The eggs take but 
little room in the nest, and will produce two or three 
very fine fowls. D. Kirtland. Albany. 
CURE FOR WASP-STINGS. 
In picking a peach from the tree, the writer was so 
severely stung in the finger by a yellow wasp (called, 
by untaught boys, “ yaller jacket,”) as to cause the 
effusion of blood, to produce pain even up to the shoul¬ 
der. Saleratus, made into a paste with water, was 
soon applied as a poultice, and in half an hour had so 
completely neutralized the acid poison, that the swell¬ 
ing had entirely gone down, and nothing remained but 
the soreness occasioned by the puncture. This appli¬ 
cation has proved better than liquid ammonia, so far 
as a limited trial has proved, and is probably the best 
remedy for stings generally. It is important that the 
nearest alcaline substance at hand should be applied 
till a better can be found, whether it be ammonia, or 
even a paste of fresh ashes. In the absence of any of 
these, a mud poultice is rf an excellent application. 
A VALUABLE LINIMENT. 
Messrs. Editors —I send you a recipe, which I cut 
from a newspaper a year or more since, for a liniment 
that I have found valuable in my own case, for rheu¬ 
matism of 14 years’ standing in my right arm and 
shoulder, and also for lame horses. Take 
1 quart alcohol, 
I giil beef’s gall, 
1 oz. oil oreganum, 
1 oz. camphor gum. 
These should all be mixed and well shaken together. 
Any druggist can make the above quantity for about 
60 cents. It may be applied by the hand, or with a 
rag or sponge, and should be well nibbed in. Care 
should be taken that the parts on which it is applied, 
do not get wet while using this liniment. C. G. 
A box 26 inches by 15-2 inches square, and 8 inches 
deep, will contain one hushel. « 
