As to its cause, nothing definite is as yet known. It may 
be from want of variety in food, and it may arise from want 
of cleanliness. In almost every case brought to my notice, 
I have found it directly traceable to some filth either in the 
water or in the food. In some instances the fowls were fed 
where the grain mingled with their own droppings, and this 
particularly in rainy weather, when the yards were muddy, 
and the droppings mingled with the mud. In one instance, 
where a friend of mine lost almost his whole flock, he found 
on examination that some of his neighbors, whose fowls had 
died of cholera, had thrown the eareasses into the brook 
from which his fowlsdrank. The result was as above stated, 
his own fowls were poisoned by the water, and died rapidly. 
In two instances which have come to my notice, the disease 
broke out immediately after autumn rains, when the drop- 
pings of the fowls became incorporated with the soil of the 
yard. In one of these cases fifty-four, and in the other 
thirty-six fowls were lost. 
In individual cases I have given a blue pill the size of a 
large currant, and next day a large teaspoonful of castor-oil. 
With this treatment I have lost but few fowls in some thirty 
cases. It, however, requires great watchfulness. As soon 
as one detects droppings of a thin, slimy character, and a 
greenish yellow color, the fowls should be sought out at 
once, and the treatment commenced. Generally they can 
be detected by their mopish and sleepy look. It is doubtful, 
however, whether the disease can be checked by this cure 
when once a whole flock becomes infected. I say frankly 
that while it has succeeded with me, others who have tried | 
it fail to find it effective. Let those interested try the ex- 
periment, and report their success; and by all means if any 
one has found either a cure or a perfect preventive, let the 
public have the benefit through our poultry journals. 
ARNG Ty. 

+ —em 

(For Fanciers’ Journal.) 
POULTRY DISEASE. 
We have a disease affecting the poultry of this Chemung 
Valley, proving fatal to many. 
Symptoms.—The comb becomes gradually a dark purple, 
crop hard, the fowl-is very dull and inactive, and not in- 
clined to eat much. Continuing to droop, they often die in 
an hour or two after the owner discovers something wrong. 
Remedy.—Give once or twice per day equal parts sulphur 
and Cayenne pepper, mixed with lard to a thick paste; put 
into the mouth a piece the size of a chestnut; feed light di- 
gestible food. Also put an ounce of camphor gum or assa- 
feetida into the pail from which you fill their drinking-pans. 
Give no other water for a few days. 
I give you the result of one trial. I purchased a buff 
Cochin cock a year and a half old; in a day or so the back 
part of his comb became purple. I watched him until I 
concluded that he also had the fatal disease that had killed 
so many of my neighbors’ fowls; so I gave him according 
to the above directions, and he soon came out with his usual 
lusty crow, and was all right again. 
The fowls of my own raising are very free from this dis- 
ease, which I attribute to an occasional use, during the sum- 
mer, of the Douglass mixture. I hope the statement com- 
municated through your paper will be of some use to others 
in saying of choice poultry. 
WILLIAM ATWoopD. 
Bia FLATS, CHEMUNG Co., N. Y. 

FANCIERS’ JOURNAL AND POULTRY EXCHANGE. 


(For Fanciers’ Journal.) 
CORRESPONDENCE. 
Concorp, N. H., October 27th, 1873. 
Mr. Wave: The fact that you are about to commence 
the publication of a Journal in the interest of fanciers and 
poultry men, is a new evidence that the public are appre- 
ciating the efforts to improve in these departments of ani- 
mated nature. A half dozen regular Journals do not now 
meet the demand which ten years ago was insufficient to sup- 
port a single publication. The political, miscellaneous, and 
even religious newspapers meet with warmer favor if they 
devote a column to these specialties. 
Even up here in cold New Hampshire has the improve- 
ment in all kinds of poultry and domestic pets been marked 
and gratifying. Ten years ago, a man who would pay $25 
for a trio of birds was deemed a fit subject for the insane 
asylum, or for legal guardianship. Now it is no uncommon 
thing to find beautiful specimens of all approved breeds of 
fowls in the yards of mechanics, merchants, and professional 
gentlemen, and even the incredulous and slow-moving 
farmer has often caught the fever, set apart a section of his 
lands, build poultry houses, and gone into the business of 
breeding for the market. It pays if rightly managed. A 
majority lose money for the first year or two, or as the 
governor said a few days ago at a fair, his eggs cost him a 
| dollar a dozen and his chickens $1.50 per pound. 
The leading varieties in the State the last dozen years 
have been the Brahmas and the Black Spanish; and these 
are still the most common. The old Light Brahmas alone 
have had a welcome here until within a few years. Now 
the Dark Brahmas are frequently seen; though they are 
majestic birds, and rather generous in their supply of eggs, 
they are not regarded as special favorites. The Cochin 
family in its several branches, white, buff, or black, is now 
held in higher estimation than any other of the large breeds, 
and the inclination towards the Partridge and Ginnamon is 
more and more marked. Of the French fowls we run very 
strongly on the Houdans, but few Creves and no La Fleche 
being found. The Leghorns, especially the white, are 
favorites. The Polish breeds have generally had their day ; 
and though, by no means uncommon, are not in great de- 
mand. The Games of some class or other are found every- 
where; and they possess the three requisites to make them 
popular—great pluck, many eggs, and nice food for the table. 
The Dorkings are sought for crossing with the Brahmas, and 
our poultry men maintain that more meat is thus produced. 
The old Bolton Grays are seldom seen, though they are con- 
fessedly better birds than many that have crowded them 
away. Of other breeds there are occasional samples, as the 
Dominiques, the Plymouth Rock, Sicilians, Bredas, Guel- 
dres, Sultans, Hamburgs, Silkies, Rumpless, and Frizzled. 
But of Bantams there are an abundance of every variety. 
In water fowls there is as lively an interest, while in the 
line of turkeys, pigeons, and rabbits, much attention has 
been shown. 
The increased value of poultry and its accompaniments 
in our State, within ten years, has been more than doubled ; 
and we consider this new interest and coupled with that of 
fish-breeding, we find a very profitable resource, one almost 
entirely disregarded. 
Jas. C. ADams, 
Secretary State Board of Agriculture. 
