70 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
October 27. 
“ Yes, of course it is’; everybody says so.” Whether, however, 
I look at the common causes which so easily produce the 
disease, such as cold, damp, had ventilation, uncleanliness 
Ac.; oratthe nature of the disease itself,inflammatory catarrh; 
or at the few experiments I myself have made; or at the 
certainly very inconclusive details set forth by others; I am 
wholly impressed with the very opposite conclusion. 
Sly purpose, however, is not to argue the matter, which 
would certainly not lead to a settling of the question; hut to 
request that some of your readers, who are well acquainted 
with the disease (and I repudiate the notion that there are 
two diseases, it only being a difference in severity), would he 
so kind as to send me, say two fowls, in the very worst stage 
of the complaint; these birds I shall place with healthy 
fowls, and conscientiously detail the experiment in The 
Cottage Gardener, and repeat it, again and again, if 
afforded the opportunity. 
If it prove contagious, I shall he thankful for the know¬ 
ledge ; if it does not, others will feel relieved of their present 
fears. 
What is re alt, y the nature of the gates —Though it is 
thought that great progress has been made in ascertaining 
the nature and treatment of poultry diseases; and smiles of 
satisfaction mantle our lips as often as we think of the 
“ march of intellect, ” I fear it will be found that we shall 
do well to march a little hack again. 
It has been stated, again and again, in The Cottage 
Gardener, and repeated in a separate publication, by Mr. 
Tegetmeier, that the cause of Gapes is the presence of 
worms in the windpipe. This, I hesitate not to declare, is an 
error. The disease of Gapes is, truly, inflammation; acute 
subacute, or chronic, as the case may he, of the lining 
membrane of the larynx and of the windpipe, which pro¬ 
duces a thickening, and a deposition, or exudation, of a false 
membrane, and this, narrowing the air passage, produces 
the symptom called Gapes—the fowl gaping to open, as it 
wore, a freer passage for the air. The small worms, or 
fasciola', said to have been extracted by the twisting of a 
feather in the passage, I judge to be small shreds, or pieces 
of this false, or newly formed membrane, broken up by the 
feather. 
I have, with the utmost care, dissected six fowls that died 
of the Gapes—in none of them were any appearance of 
worms to be detected; but that diseased state of parts that 
I have just described; and which I hesitate not to pro¬ 
nounce is the true nature of the disease. 
1 would not deny, however, the possibility of parasites 
infesting, either the windpipe, or any other part of fowls; 
I would, therefore, entreat any one of your readers to forward 
me the windpipe of a fowl containing them: or, a fowl 
affected with Gapes, where those parasites are pronounced 
to exist. It will bo observed, that though different individuals 
are said to have extracted the worms with feathers; or that 
the hen has coughed them (the broken up membrane? ) up, 
after the twisting of the feather; yet no one has described 
) them as situated in the windpipe, by dissection after death. 
To deal further with this question, by correspondence, 
will serve no purpose. AVe must see these worms in situ, 
in the windpipe; and I again entreat any one of your 
readers to furnish me with an example, to dissect, as none 
such occur inmy own experience.—R. Horner, M.D., Hull. 
P.S.—Since writing the above, I have been most unex¬ 
pectedly gratified with a note from Dr. Ranking, of Norwich, 
well known as the learned author of the “ 11 all-yearly 
J abstract of Medical Science, Ac. ” wherein, without one word 
on the subject from myself, he greatly corroborates my 
I statements and opinions. He says,“ I have lost a fowl or two 
with membranous croup or diptherite; the symptoms were, 
\ in the first instance, those of Corysa, followed by Gapes, or 
laryngeal dyspnoea—the larynx contained a soft membrane, 
A second case, I have healed by antimony and dislodging the 
membrane with a probe. I fancy the membrane has been 
mistaken for a worm in the trachea occasionally.” 
I hope it is quite unnecessary to add, that in both the 
foregoing instances, truthful enquiry and elucidation is 
ray sole aim. Yet, feeling, that in so subtle a matter as that 
of contagion, I should myself doubt the conclusions arrived 
at in any particular case by one holding opposite views, 
unless I was fully satisfied with the genuineness of all the 
I preliminaries—so do I now wish that the diseased fowls to 
be operated with should be selected by others. Tor wo 
know that the judgment may sometimes be self-imposed 
upon, either by a too scanty survey of those circumstances 
which are adverse to previous impressions, or by over esti¬ 
mating those which support its foregone conclusions. 
Fortunately, we have not now to investigate the abstract 
doctrine of contagion, but simply to deal with realities; and, I 
being agreed upon the existence and identity of Roup in a I 
particular fowl, have but to watch its effects on others ; that 
is, whether it he communicated or not. I repeat, that such a 
procedure as that now suggested is the only one that can i 
satisfy the public. All ex parte statements, however honour- I 
able "the individual who makes them, experience has taught 
me to doubt in matters relative to contagion. Cholera, itself, 
was shown to bo contagious by eminent physicians, some 
years ago, on ex parte statements—a doctrine now repudiated 
by themselves. 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
*** We request that no one will write to the departmental writers of 
The Cottage Gardener. It gives them unjustifiable trouble and 
expense. All communications should be addressed “ To the Editor of 
the Cottage Gardener, 2, Amen Corner, Paternoster Row, London.” 
Promises (Carrig Cathol). —Your request shall he strictly attended 
to; but the end of February is now the earliest period to put the train 
in motion. We shall preserve your letter till then, and all you say will 
be represented to the parties, with our own request, as earnestly as we 
can make them. The Irish Ivy succeeded very well indeed. 
Flower-garden Plan (E. M.).- The plan of your beautiful flower- 
garden will be engraved forthwith, and all that you say and want about 
it will be introduced into our own notes respecting it. 
List of Bedders ( J. C. and Neighbour).— Pray let us have the desi¬ 
derata and the lists at once. 
Watsonia fulgida (S.). —The very information you ask for was 
given this very autumn. “ A small root of it” may not flower these 
three years. Keep it green as long as you can ; as it was late in potting, 
keep the frost from it. It does not require a second pot; do not force it 
to rest, and most likely it will keep green till next autumn. If it is green 
next May, turn it out into a nice south border. 
Iced Things (J. C.). —How odd that you never think of getting ice 
dishes to hold the butter for breakfast till other folks are clearing out 
the ice-houses for a fresh supply. We could not now write about such 
things without the shivers. Remind us again when the weather renders 
ice a luxury. 
Roses (CarrigCathol). —No. 1 is Amie Vibert, a Noisette; and No. 2 
another Noisette, but the variety not determinable. 
Pillar Roses (M.). —Our correspondent has four pillars, and wishes 
to plant three kinds of Pillar Roses to each; she wishes them to flower 
five or six months in the year, and, if possible, to have crimson, rose, or 
pink, and a white or yellow to eacli pillar. It is evident, then, that 
none but Perpetual Roses will suit her, and among them there is neither 
a white nor a yellow, therefore she must put up with Paul’s Queen Vic¬ 
toria, as yet the best light Perpetual Rose which opens out-of-doors, of 
a flesh colour, and turns white as it fades. Of yellows, there are none 
for a pillar. Madame Laffay is the best crimson for a pillar. Mrs. 
Elliot and William Jesse make splendid pillars, of a deep rose colour ; 
Baron Provost, a blush, and one of the largest; Caroline de Sansal, 
another fine blush Rose for a pillar ; Compte Robrinsky, fiery-crimson ; 
Standard of Marengo, crimson-lake, with Geant des Battailles, would 
make the most brilliant of all, the latter to keep the bottom full and 
fiery. Gloire de Rosamene, the same. Chateaubriand, fine pink ; 
Auguste Mie, light blush ; and Pius the Ninth, crimson, would make 
another good match. To make a speedy pillar of such, one for each 
pillar ought to be a strong, tall standard, and two dwarfs. The treat¬ 
ment of such pillars will be given shortly. 
White Spanish Fowls (IF., a Subscriber). —A pen of white Spanish 
Fowls was exhibited at Birmingham in December 1852. Regarding them 
as similar abnormal productions to the white (Albino) chickens from the 
white-crested Black Polish, we should certainly expect to find them 
inferior to the Black Spanish in constitutional strength, and consequently 
below them in merit as layers. We have no accurate data, however, now 
before us, on which we might give an exact comparison on the relative 
number and size of the eggs laid by them, but surely the substitution of ! 
white plumage for the glossy black of the well-bred Spanish is no gain 
to their personal ^ipearance.—W. 
Black Siiangiiae Fowls (Alpha).—' The Black Shanghaes of this | 
year arc better birds, in respect of their intensity of colour, and the I 
absence of brassy feathers, than those of preceding seasons. We have I 
seen cockerels without any symptoms of a feather thus marked, although, 
in a great majority of instances, this failing is still present; pullets of | 
uniform black are far more easily obtained ; but hitherto we have not 
gained, in this variety, the deep velvet black of other fowls of that colour. 
The Secretaries of all Poultry Societies, we imagine, will receive fowls 
sent to them for exhibition ; labels are usually sent to exhibitors when 
the forms of entry are returned, with the direction of the owner, to be 
filled up by him on the reverse side, which is affixed to the basket after 
the show has closed, and the birds are returned.—W. 
