THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
108 
I 
! 
| 
May 12. 
roller, Arc., until the lan<l is made perfectly fine, and the 
weeds separated from the soil; and take the first oppor¬ 
tunity of favourable weather, and burn the stubble and 
rubbish altogether, after which the land will be in a fit state 
to receive the first deep ploughing, and at the same time 
subsoiling, if the nature of the soil requires it, for it must 
be borne in mind that Mangold requires a deep soil; then 
proceed as before, and roll and harrow until a perfectly pul¬ 
verised surface is obtained, and again burn those weeds 
which may have been collected during the work. The land 
will then be ready for deep cross ploughing, and also sub¬ 
soiling ; for I believe the subsoil is never thoroughly stirred 
unless the subsoil plough is used lengthways and crossways. 
The land may now remain during the winter, and receive 
the full benefit from alternate frost and rain ; and when the 
weather becomes favourable in the spring, proceed with the 
course of culture according to the mode of planting re¬ 
quired. If intended for stetch culture, begin by drawing 
stetches at two feet or thirty inches apart, with the double 
mould-board plough, according to the nature of the soil and 
the kind of manure used. When yard or town manure is 
used, the carts laden with manure should pass along the 
stetches, the wheels being in the furrows. Two men will be 
required to cast the dung from the carts, and four women to 
follow, spreading it regularly in the furrows. At the same 
time it is desirable that the plough should immediately 
follow, splitting the stetches and covering in the manure to 
prevent loss by evaporation ; it will then be in a good state 
to receive the seed. 
In case artificial manures are used (such as guano, Ac.) 
which are rich in ammonia, they should be sown broadcast 
upon the stetches just previous to splitting them and ridging 
for the last time; but when superphosphate, or bone-dust, 
and those manures not likely to damage the seed are used, 
it would be best to drill with ashes at the same time as the 
seeding takes place. 
I do not, however, advocate ridge culture for Mangold 
under all circumstances, for 1 have obtained excellent crops 1 
on the flat, when it has followed a turnip crop fed off with 
sheep, or on very light land, where it is sure to work fine. 
In these cases the manure may be laid out, and the land 
ploughed directly, being worked by harrows and roller to 
the proper tilth, and drilled immediately, which will retain 
the moisture of the land, and insure the vegetation of the 
seed. In this manner, also, good Mangold may be grown 
upon some strong soils, for such land scarcely ever works 
fine enough to sow on the stetch. 
The best time for sowing Mangold is tbe first week in 
May, for it often happens that frost does injury to the young 
plant if put in before that time, and the weeds are sure to 
advance rapidly, if the plant makes but little progress, 
thereby increasing the expenses of cultivation. 
The quantity of seed required will range from six pounds 
to seven pounds per acre, according to the mode of putting 
in ; for, whether by the drill or dibble, a liberal quantity of 
seed is always desirable, because the plants, when mode¬ 
rately thick, not only stand the best chance of a sufficiency 
being left, in case of attack by fly, Ac., but grow so much 
faster whilst young, that they become secure from the enemy 
at a much earlier period. 
The best soil for Mangold is a deep rich loam, but 
there is scarcely any root which we grow for the purpose 
of cattle feeding which can be successfully grown upon a 
greater diversity of soils, particularly when the land has 
been well tilled and manured, and also where the climate 
is favourable ; for it is known to practical farmers that this 
root, unlike the turnip, delights in a warm, dry climate, 
like the eastern and southern counties of England. 
The writer has been very successful in the culture of 
Mangold upon land situated close to the sea, and believes 
the air from the salt water to have a very beneficial effect 
upon the plant. The kinds of Mangold most usually grown 
are the Long Bed , Long Yellow, and Yellow Glohe. I think 
the Long Bed best for deep rich loams, but for strong lands, 
or soils in general, I prefer the Yellow Globe , or the Long 
Yellow, these varieties being more nutritious than the Bed, 
as well as more easily cultivated upon ordinary soils. 
When it is inconvenient to apply dung, Mangold con and 
has been grown very successfully by the aid of artificial 
manures, a greater quantity being, however, employed j 
than is usually bestowed on the turnip crop. A compound 
manure may be employed, consisting of superphosphate 
; and Peruvian guano, or, otherwise, two-hunclred-weight of 
Peruvian guano and two or three-hundred-weight of salt 
may be applied broadcast previous to the last ploughing, 
j and two-hundred-weight of superphosphate drilled or dih- 
! bled in with the seed.— Joseph Blundell. 
DISEASES OF POULTRY. 
INFLAMMATION AND ULCERATION OF THF, STOMACH. 
The body of a prize Shanghae fowl was recently forwarded 
to me for examination, with a statement, that it had for 
some time refused its food and been moping; and that it 
had been treated with rue and butter, Epsom salts, castor 
oil, and latterly with calomel and tartar emetic, but that 
undereach treatment it continued to get worse, and died, 
much emaciated. On examination, I found that the case 
was an exceedingly instructive sequel to the one described at 
page 450 in the last volume, being inflammation of the true ■ 
digestive stomach, (viz., the proventriculus,) which had run 
on to ulceration; in the natural state, this organ (which ; 
forms the digestive fluid) is not larger than the thumb; in 
this case, from the inflammation and subsequent ulceration, 
no digestive fluid had been formed, hence the food could 
not be digested, and it had accumulated to such an extent 
j that the stomach was, at least, four times as large as the 
gizzard, and filled up the whole interior of the animal, 
pressing on all the other parts, and causing their decrease 
in size. 
I have had several fatal cases of the same kind under my 
notice, but in none was the part enlarged to such an 
enormous extent. The disease is not uncommon in highly- 
fed fowls; and when birds mope, and refuse their food, 
without any marked symptom that other organs are affected, 
its presence may be suspected. The treatment adopted in 
this case was the worst that could possibly have been 
followed. Stimulants, such as rue, drastic purgatives, as 
salts, Ac., were employed, and the bird was tempted to eat 
by enticing foods. The disease is necessarily fatal in ad¬ 
vanced stages, but at an early period it may be cured by a 
very low unstimulating diet, as rice boiled to a very thin 
pap, and given in small quantities. Medicine is of very little 
use, but above all, the employment of stimulants must be 
avoided. The success which has attended the plan of treat¬ 
ment that I suggested for inflammation of the egg-passage, 
viz., calomel and tartar emetic, has been followed by one 
evil result; the same remedies have been given to birds ill 
with other diseases, and, of course, without benefit. It 
| should be borne in mind that there is no universal medicine 
| for poultry disorders, and that a remedy, though perfectly 
adapted to the alleviation or cure of one complaint, is not 
likely to benefit another, but, in all probability, may aggravate 
j its symptoms to a very great degree. 
The treatment above mentioned, although very efficient 
j in checking the inflammatory action of an excited egg- 
passage, would increase very greatly the irritation of an 
inflammecl or ulcerated stomach. 
I cannot let this opportunity pass without thanking col- • 
lectively, as I believe I have done individually, those persons j 
who have kindly forwarded me dead and diseased birds for 
examination. All ranks in society, from the peer to the 
peasant, have done me the honour of soliciting my advice, 
and have aided in increasing my experience. If I w r ere 
asked to state, in a few words, the most important result 
that the very attentive examination of these numerous cases 
has led me to arrive at, I should reply, that more than three- 
fourths of the deaths have been owing to diseases caused by 
over-stimulating food ; meat, greaves, hemp seed, and peas, 
have greatly aided my experience, by furnishing my scalpel 
with numerous subjects. Apoplexy, especially in Shangliaes, 
inflammation of the stomach, and inflammation of the egg- 
passage, are all registered in my case-book by the dozen. 
I may add, that I shall always be most happy to receive 
any dead or sick birds for examination, and if the cases are 
new, or present any peculiar points of interest, they will be 
