32 - THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
hearth, to become an object for compassion 
and surreptitious fondling by the children 
of the family. A few days later one of the 
youngsters may be down with diphtheria. 
and the docter. not knowing there is a de- 
composing body of a diseased ¢hicken on 
the adjacent dunghill or ashpit, ascribes 
developed the bacillus, and were then 
chloroformed for examination; healthy 
fowls seemed to be the least impressible, 
and in many cases, after showing the 
disease they recovered. 
(To be Continued,) 
February 1, 1909 
errr 
breeds supply the place of a machine, 
In breeding poultry for ege-production 
or for market fowls, it is advisable to 
breed at various parts of the season, so ag 
to have a constant supply of pullets to 
provide for a continuation of the eg: 
the cause to some other quarter; and as — SSS harvest, as well as to_take the Place of 
the parents are unaware of what the bird : the worn-out hen . Except for breeding 
died of, and that it was ‘catching’ the true Poultry for Farm and _ 8tock birds, matured hens of over two 
origin of the child’s illnesm is never Onenainy seasons are not required, and even then 
traced. ¥ 
When it isremembered that fowls are 
scavengers by nature, and if the oppor- 
tunities occur wil! feed largely on garbage 
acquired in questionable places, and drink 
of the filthiest puddle, it is not to be 
wondered at that in some cases the com- 
bination of foul food and water with foul 
roosting places sets up this loathsome dis- 
order. Doubtless the time will arrive,and 
will be welcomed, when fowl diphtheria 
and fowl diseases will be made notifiable 
diseases under theDiseases of Animals Acts, 
for they are apt to be quite as devastating 
among poultry as, say, swine fever among 
pigs; and much the same restrictions 
should be brought to bear upon their 
keepers. Animpost placed by authority 
on a farm or village where the disease is 
rife, to prevent the removal of birds for 
sales or shows, and enforcing the des- 
truction of eggs and infcted fowls, would 
cause the small necessary attention to 
cleanliness to be vbserved that the poultry 
required, 
_ Mention of swine fever calls to mind the 
great affinity between it and fowl diph- 
theria, and the question has been raised 
whether or not they are the same com- 
plaint in two different animals. 
It will be most frequently found that 
when oneis ona farm the other is prevalent 
aiso; but whether this is a coincidence 
dependent upon the common fact that 
both originate amid dirty surroundings 
and filth, or whether the one animal con- 
tracts it from the other, isuncertain. One 
American pathologist, who had been struck 
by the possibility. of the two diseases 
being very closely related. says, ‘in a 
report upon ‘Fowl Diphtheria,’ ‘from the 
other (ie., @ diphtheritic fowl) were ob- 
tained pure cultures of a bacillus not 
distinguishable from that cf swine 
plague, 
In this country we can hardly hope to 
progress far into the history of poultry 
diseases until official aid in the shape of 
grants for laboratory and experimental 
work and publishing is given; and anyone 
conversant with the information at the 
disposal of poultry-keepers in some other 
countries, and comparing it with that 
contained in our meagre and frequently 
absurd textbooks on complaints, cannot 
fail to realise how far we lag behind. [ 
daresay it has come to the knowledge of 
very few poultry-keepers here that 
definite experiments have been made in 
the United States of America by Dr. 
Veranus Moore, with the object of 
ascertaining the contagion risk of fowl 
diptheria, and as far back as 1895, the 
proofs were ample. ‘The animals 
inoculated by virus direct from diphtheritic 
poultry included rabbits, white mice, grey 
mice. cavies, and healthy fowls, Taking 
the results as tabulated, rabbits were very 
susceptible and died inone to fourteen 
days; micein four to six days, cavies 
There is noone in the land better 
placed to make poultry pay than the 
farmer or orchardist, says Chanticleer 
in the ‘Australasian’ Yet, as a body, it is 
probable that such representatives of the 
soil give less attention to fowls than any 
other class who are in a position to pro- 
vide accomodation for poultry. The 
farmer will, as a rule, see to it that his 
mares, cows, sheep, or pigs are sent to 
qualified stud animals,tthe intention being 
that some advance should be made in the 
appearance and profit of the next 
generation. But the fowls! What farmer 
would think of paying £1 for a fowl to 
improve his feathered stock? The same 
false economy pervades the mind of the 
ordinary grower of fruit. These classes 
of producers. are, speaking generally, 
satisfied with what may be termed the 
‘scalawags’ of poultry. That is, the stock 
kept are bred for no particular quality, 
and their appearance is no better than 
their performance, either as egg-layers or 
producers of reasonably good table fowls. 
There is no reason why farmers and 
orchardist and all who have land at their 
disposal should not keep and maintain 
flocks of pure-bred birds. The keeping 
of pure stock is essential to progress when 
applied to other classes of animals, and 
why not poultry? 
If it is desired to make the evg-raising 
industry a speciality, then itis imperative 
that breeds suitable for prolific egg pro- 
duction should be secured; and, further, 
the egg production must be maintained 
the whole year through as far as 
possible. 
In looking over the breeds for pro- 
ducing eggs in abundance, a team of 
white or brown leghorns is necessary. 
Such fowls are very suitable to this 
climate, and may be reckoned to produce 
eggs in fair abundance from July to well 
on to the Easter following. Poultry of 
the Wyandotte or Orpington breeds are 
most in favour for egg production, from 
about Easter right on to the end of the 
year, during which time they may be used 
tor hatching purposes two or three times. 
That tendency towards broodiness may 
be overcome by shutting them up for a 
few days and giving ample food. They 
will then resume egg-laying. These fowls 
too, are excellent as table poultry, and - 
the surplus, when sold young, meet with 
favour as table fowsl. 
Wyandottes or Orpingtons go well with 
‘the light breeds such as Leghorns, for the 
latter are non-sitters, and to those who 
haye no incubator the first two nameq 
it is considered best in most cases to dis- 
pose of hens as soon as possible after they 
have finished laying and when a little over 
one year old. 
Ducks and poultry intended for the 
export trade should be hatched before 
the end of November. After that month, 
except under special circumstances, poul- 
try-rearing meets with indefferent success 
the growth of chickens and ducks being 
retarded by the increased temperature 
usual at that time of the year. For the 
export trade it is imperative that the 
stock should be robust and grow rapidly 
from the time the bird leaves the shell. 
The following information has been 
received froin the Agent-General of 
Western Australia in reply to the 
Inquiries made on behalf of the Western 
Australian Dog and Poultry Association 
‘respecting the export of poultry from that 
state to the London market:—‘ Mr. H. J. 
Webb, of the Central Markets, London 
says:—l. The best time to land large 
young chickens and ducklings is during 
March, April, and May, and the first part 
of June, 2. Chickens should weigh from 
23lb to 4lb., and ducks from 3lb. to 5ib. 
All ducklings should be fat, with white 
feathers. 3. The best method of pack- 
ing advised at present is, I think, twelve 
ina case, packed closely together, but 
not so close as to get the breast or the 
bones broken when the cases are nailed 
down or roughly handled. 4. The price 
would probably be from 2/ to 4/ each 
according to size.’ : ; 
A Hen’s Choice. 
A successful local poultry grower was 
surprised to see a hen shepherding one 
chicken on the bare floor of an empty 
stable, and as the chicken was but 
recently fledged and there was no sign of 
a nest in the stalls, a further search was 
made, a bucket on a high place near the 
roof was investigated, when a beautiful 
clutch of chicks was discovered at the 
bottom. The only thing beside in the 
bottom of the bucket were a few dry 
peas, which goes to prove, according to 
the fairy tale of the Princess and the 
pea, that the hen could not have possibly 
been thoroughbred —Jamestown ‘ Agri- 
culturist.’ 
Ciatiae AND ORNAMEN- 
TAL PRINTING of every descrip- 
tion in first-class style, on the shortest 
notice, and at cheapest rates, at the 
‘Australian Gardener’? Office, corner of 
Pirie and Wyatt streets. 
