364 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
April  2G,  1900. 
Framed  with  a  sharp,  piercing  mouth,  it  feeds  on  the  blood  of  its 
victim,  be  it  Homo  or  Gallinae,  and  returns  punctually  for  fresh 
supplies.  We  all  know  what  it  is  to  be  weakened  by  loss  of  blood, 
and  a  constant  withdrawal  of  the  “life  principle”  with  the  attendant 
irritation  is  not  calculated  to  improve  the  health  of  the  victim.  The 
flea  is  a  nocturnal  visitant  (need  we  dwell  on  that),  and  a  fowl 
requires  rest  as  well  as  creatures  on  a  higher  scale.  The  flea  is  the 
outcome  of  dirt,  flourishes  in  dirt,  is  only  happy  there;  remove  the 
dirt,  admit  light,  and  the  flea  vanishes.  Alas  !  our  experience  goes 
to  prove  that  tho  dirty  hen-roost  is  the  rule  rather  than  the  exception  ; 
there  is  an  idea  that  any  soit  of  a  building  is  fit  for  hens,  and  the 
“  cleaning  ’’  which  may  take  place  once  a  year  is,  as  a  rule,  very 
superficial. 
If  fleas  were  the  only  hen  pest  it  would  be  quite  bad  enough,  but 
there  are  two  other  varieties  of  parasites  equally  active  and  probably 
even  more  abundant.  We  refer  to  lice  and  mites.  Of  the  louse 
family  there  are  several  varieties,  which  dispose  themselves  on  different 
parts  of  the  body,  and  all  cause  a  violent  itching  and  unrest  ;  they 
feed  on  productions  of  the  skin  and  fragments  of  feathers,  and  are 
invariably  most  active  on  unhealthy  birds.  The  prolonged  action  of 
lice  will  of  course  cause  unhealthy  birds.  Nothing  can  thrive  when 
in  a  constant  state  of  irritation.  Here  again  the  best  cure  is  clean¬ 
liness — damp  dirty  runs,  badly  ventilated  houses,  are  the  grandest 
breeding  places.  It  is  a  strange  thing  that  light  and  air.  Nature’s 
best  health  givers,  are  so  often  denied  to  our  live  stock ;  indeed,  it 
might  appear  to  an  unprejudiced  observer  that  we  go  out  of  our 
way  sometimes  to  exclude  these  grand  preventives  of  diseases. 
Next  we  come  to  one  of  the  smallest  enemies — namely,  the  vast 
family  of  mites,  wee  things,  but  most  powerful  for  evil.  Some  live  on 
the  birds  at  night  only,  others  take  up  their  abode  at  the  base  of  the 
feathers ;  others  are  of  a  burrowing  nature,  and  prefer  the  safety  of  a 
home  under  the  skin.  Of  these,  perhaps,  the  most  injurious,  because 
the  most  abundant,  is  the  red  or  common  fowl  mite.  Blood  is  their 
desire,  and  it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  that  fowls  so  infested  cannot 
and  do  not  thrive.  They  become  dejected  and  emaciated,  and  thus 
are  in  a  condition  to  readily  fall  victims  to  other  and  fatal  complaints. 
We  have  frequently  seen  the  question  asked,  respecting  a  habit 
some  birds  have  of  plucking  out  their  own  or  their  neighbours’ 
feathers.  This  has  been  supposed  to  be  a  bit  of  pure  mischief,  but, 
like  many  other  mysteries,  there  was  a  reason  close  at  hand  if  only 
looked  for.  There  is  a  mite,  Sarcoptes  Imvis,  which  lives  and 
exists  among  the  roots  of  the  feathers.  The  bird  not  being  able  to 
stand  the  constant  and  intense  irritation,  naturally  tries  to  remove 
the  cause,  and  in  so  d'  ng  loosens  and  pulls  out  the  feathers.  Some¬ 
times  the  kind  office  is  performed  by  a  friend  with  like  results.  It 
is  not  malice  prepense,  but  merely  a  desire  to  be  rid  of  a  troublesome 
pest.  Remove  the  pest  and  the  feather  plucking  will  cease. 
Then  there  is  the  mite  which  h'des  under  the  scaly  skin  of  legs  and 
feet.  This  is  a  well  known  and  common  disease,  but  quite  amenable 
to  treatment.  In  fact,  there  is  really  no  reason  why  vermin  in  any 
form  should  exist  in  the  poultry  yard.  It  all  resolves  itself  into  a 
question  of  dirt  or  cleanliness.  Indeed,  we  might  say  dirt  is  among 
the  primeval  curses,  and  we  do  not  yet  thoroughly  understand  its  far 
reaching  nature.  As  the  great  fire  effectually  stayed  the  great  plague, 
so  a  fire  in  the  majority  of  hen  roosts  would  be  the  best  thing 
imaginable. 
As  this  is  not  possible  or  practical,  it  remains  with  us  to  purify 
and  disinfect  to  the  best  of  our  power.  Dark  and  damp  hen  houses 
should  be  brightened  and  aired,  all  unnecessary  lumber  removed,  and 
no  accumulation  of  manure  allowed  to  remain.  We  know  it  is  the 
custom  in  some  places  to  remove  the  manure  once  a  year.  There 
is  nothing  yet  equal  to  good  limewasb,  with  which  should  be  mixed  a 
proportion  of  dissolved  softsoap — quarter  pound  to  each  gallon.  Every 
crack  and  crevice  must  be  penetrated,  and  all  the  perches  and  wood¬ 
work  treated  to  boiling  water  and  softsoap,  with  an  admixture  of 
paraffin.  Fixed  nests  are  a  great  mistake;  they  are  bad  to  clean,  and 
prove  ready  sources  of  trouble.  We  prefer  to  have  movable  nests, 
lihatcan  be  taken  out  and  exposed  to  the  influence  of  wind  and  weather. 
Straw  is  the  worst  possible  lining,  as  it  encourages  vermin.  At  the 
bottom  of  each  nest  should  be  sprinkled  hot  lime,  or  some  disinfectant 
powder  or  preparation. 
If  fowls  have  access  to  plenty  of  dust  they  will  keep  them¬ 
selves  in  a  great  measure  free  from  parasites.  Surely  sand  and  road 
dust  are  cheap  enough,  and  a  slight  sprinkling  of  paraEBn  adds  much 
to  the  efficacy  and  little  to  the  cost. 
Sitting  hens  are  often  among  the  greatest  sufferers  from  vermin. 
Sufficient  care  is  not  taken  to  let  them  have  a  wholesome  nest,  and 
during  the  period  of  incubation  matters  do  not  improve,  for  the  hen 
will  not  leave  her  eggs  long  enough  to  allow  of  proper  feeding  and 
bathing.  Indeed,  we  believe  and  are  sure,  in  many  a  case  where  a 
hen  “  runs  ”  her  nest  it  is  because  the  place  has  become  perfectly 
unbearable,  and  there  are  limits  even  to  the  endurance  of  a  sitting 
heb.  Even  supposing  she  hatches  off  her  brood,  they  are  borni 
among  an  innumerable  horde  of  creeping  things,  and  thus  begin 
life  under  most  unfavourable  conditions. 
A  grass  sod,  turf  downwards,  and  hollowed  out,  makes  the  best 
nest,  and  the  intended  mother  should  be  treated  to  a  dressing  of  white 
precipitate  ointment.  Rub  some  under  the  vent,  the  head  and  sides, 
and  then  dust  well  with  insect  powder.  Whether  it  would  be  possible 
to  close  all  openings  in  a  fowl  house  and  then  burn  a  sulphur  candle 
we  hardly  know ;  certainly  there  may  be  houses  where  this  could  be 
done  with  good  effect.  The  feather  mite  should  be  treated  as  soon  as 
seen,  and  the  infested  parts  rubbed  with  oil  of  cloves  or  creosote  and 
lard,  one  part  of  creosote  to  twenty  of  lard. 
As  to  scaly  leg,  the  rough  crusts  must  be  carefully  removed,  and 
then  a  dressing  of  lard  and  creosote  applied.  Sulphur  and  vaseline 
are  equally  efficacious,  and  following  this,  in  the  course  of  a  few  days, 
should  be  softsoap  and  warm  water.  We  have  often  urged  the 
desirability  of  dipping  all  freshly  imported  sheep  before  allowing 
them  to  mix  with  the  rest  of  the  flock,  and  we  now  urge  that  all 
newcomers  into  the  poultry  yard  should  at  least  be  examined  before 
being  turned  down.  We  do  not  want  to  improve  the  breed  of  vermin 
by  fresh  blood,  however  much  we  may  want  to  invigorate  and 
strengthen  our  poultry. 
Work  on  the  Home  Farm. 
The  heavy  gale  which  has  visited  us  since  last  we  wrote  has  made 
havoc  in  the  stackyards  ;  freshly  thrashed  straw  has  been  blown  into 
the  fields,  and  the  roofs  of  corn  stacks  torn  off  or  partly  stripped,  in 
spite  of  every  precaution.  The  gale  has  been  followed  by  thunder,  and, 
as  we  write,  a  beautiful  warm  rain  is  falling  and  seems  likely  to  continue. 
The  vane  points  due  south,  and  the  farmer’s  heart  is  gladdened  with 
the  hope  that  the  protracted  period  of  his  troubles  and  difficulties  are 
at  an  end  as  far  as  they  apply  to  pasturage  for  his  stock. 
During  an  Easter  visit  to  North  Notts  we  have  had  many  oppor¬ 
tunities  of  hearing  farmers’  views  on  the  agricultural  situation.  Every¬ 
where  there  is  despondency.  Not  merely  the  old  grumbling  spirit 
which  has  been  so  often  quoted,  but  something  more  deeply  seated,  a 
kind  of  hopeless  fatalism.  They  see  loss  and  possible  ruin  before  them 
and  feel  helpless  ;  the  increasing  price  of  labour  is  the  last  straw,  and 
they  see  no  hope  of  better  prices  for  farm  produce. 
The  constant  remark  is  “  What  can  we  do  ?  ”  They  have  lost  part 
of  their  capital  and  have  not  sufficient  to  retire  upon,  so  have  to  continue 
the  unequal  struggle.  Wheats  on  the  sandy  forest  soils  are  a  full  plant, 
but  very  backward,  and  the  winds  have  cut  the  young  shoots  a  good 
deal.  Barleys  are  only  just  peeping,  but  all  are  now  in  the  ground. 
Potatoes  are  still  being  planted,  and  seem  likely  to  occupy  a  large 
acreage.  Up-to-Diate  and  Selected  Giant  are  the  almost  universal 
varieties  planted. 
Young  seeds  are  verybare  as  well  as  short  of  plant.  Ewes  are  very  poor, 
and,  contrary  to  the  general  rule  in  such  a  warm  forward  district,  there 
are  no  fat  lambs,  for  they  are  not  yet  fat.  The  grass  fields  look  green, 
bnt  a  lawn  mower  would  hardly  get  a  cut,  and  cattle  are  still  in  the 
yards.  They  must  now  go  out  as  the  weather  is  warmer,  and  they  must 
crop  the  pasture  as  it  grows.  Grazing  cattle  are  generally  low  in 
condition.  There  will  be  few  half-meated  or  nearly. fat  beasts  turned 
out  to  grass  this  spring,  and  there  must  be  scarcity  of  good  beef  in  June. 
All  strong  beasts  should  pay  well  for  a  liberal  supply  of  cake,  and 
especially  those  which  are  forward  in  condition. 
Mares  are  foaling,  and  the  number  of  casualties  are  quite  up  to  the 
average.  A  dead  mare,  two  dead  foals,  and  a  pair  of  twins  also  dead, 
all  the  property  of  friends  and  neighbours,  make  a  long  list  so  early  in 
the  season.  Big  and  good  town  horses  are  now  very  dear  owing  to 
scarcity. 
