Eaton weekly Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1866-1875, 1871-12-28
Farm and Garden.

Chicken ChoIera.--The symptoms OF
chicken cholera, as, known in the
West, are dropping of the wings and
a ruft1ed appearance of the feathers,
those of the head particularly seeming
to stand out instead of laying close over
each other as in health. The comb and
wattles become dark, and the fowl
mopes along in some corner, or remains
on the roost. When disturbed, it moves
at first with reluctance, and heavy de-
Jected gait. Yet once aroused it seems
much alarmed, and hurries out of the
way with wild and crazy stare. When
alone again it resumes its quiet, moping
attitude, with wings slightly dropped,
and neck contracted, SO as to bring the
! head back near the body. It usually
refuses food, but its thirst seems un-
quenchable. Discharges from the bowels
are frequent and of a green color,
and the crop is distended with a dark,
| watery and very nauseous fluid. which
runs from the mouth when it is held
up by its legs. The course of the disease
is from two days to week; some live
ten days or more, while few are carried
off in less than two days from the ap-
pearance of the first symptoms. Some
die as if they were strangled, and 9TH
ers, as if from mere exhaustion.
1 believe, from observations made
during the past year, that this disease
is entozoic in its character. The varia-
tions in symptoms and manner of death
in different fowls-which are due per-
haps, to the variations in point of at
tack by the parasites, as lungs, liver,
heart, or other vital organs-and the
great variety of substances which appear
to prove efficient in arresting the spread
n fha ofr RI
tlons that entozoa are the cause of the
trouble. Frequent dissections of dis
eased fowls, as mentioned in a late
| number of the Poultry Bulletin, have
| given evidence of the same thing. Soon
after that article was written, another
case of cholera occurred The drink
ing vessels were Immediately sup
piled with alum water. The sick bird
| was placed in an apartment alone where
he could get neither food nor drink.
The discharges from the bowels were as
above described, and in short time he
was so weak as to be scarcely able to
stand. A piece of alum the size of a
small hazel nut was given, and the next
day he was fed little wheat bread
soaked in curds. He was kept on this
diet for nearly two weeks, having been
twice during that time well dustad with
sulphur. By the end of the second
week his appetite began to improve,
and he was then allowed, for change,
pie crusts and wheat bran soaked in
curds but not drop of water did he
get during that time, not a spear of
grass or any other green food. In about
three weeks he -oonSiaerod well
enough to be turned out, since which
time he has continued to improve. His
comb and wattles now have their natural
color, and he is looking nearly as sleek
and fat as ever and crows as heartily as
any young cock on the place.
The course of treatment is not
claimed as a certain cure, although in
each case in which we have tried it,
recovery and not death has been the re-
suit. There is, therefore, some encour-
agement for further trial. The disease
has thus far, in every instance, checked
up as soon as the fowls are required to
drink alum water. There may, however,
be other preventives equally Efficient
as sulphur, carbolic acid or sulphurous
acid. Combinations of sulphurous acid,
as the sulphitis of soda, &c, might also
be good. Extensive observation and
careful study, with repeated expert
ments, will be necessary before any
thing like specific remedy can be
determined and the object in writing
the above has been to direct the atten-
ton of those interested in poultry
breeding to more careful examination
of the subject. Pm. s.
Value of Pototoes as Fsed-A subscriber
asks US whether potatoes are worth
more than twenty-five cents per bushel
for feed. We do not think they are
worth SO much if fed raw, but when
cooked we have fed them to stock rath-
er than sell them at forty cents. Pota-
toes contain large percentage of starch
from eleven to twenty-five per cent?,
and are estimated to be worth more
than carrots, and half as much as hay,
weight for weight, but if fed raw, much
of the starch, which would be utilized
if they were cooked, escapes undi-
gested.-Hearth and Home.
Feeding Straw.-Straw, if properly
managed, can be made to serve more
profitable purpose than mere ittering,
or to add bulk to the manure pile. In
England, and among the English
farmers in Canada, most of the bullocks
are fed and fattened on straw, with
roots and meal. No hay is used, that
being kept for the horses. Thus lar.
ger number of stock can be fed. Straw
cut, wetted, and sprinkled with ground
feed or oil-meal, will carry cattle very
well through the winter. Oat, barley,
| rye, and wheat straw are proportionately
| valuable in the order in which they are
placed. Pea-straw is more valuable
than oat straw.
BaZky Horses.-I1uf, Field and Farm.
| gives the following means of starting a
| balky horse: "Take couple of turns
of common wrapping twine, such as
grocers use, around the fore leg, just
below the knee, tight enough for the
horse to feel, and tie in bow knot. At
the first cluck he will generally go
dancing off, and after going short dis
tance you can get out, remove the
string, to prevent injury to the tendon
in your further drive. The philosophy
Of the appliance is something on the
same principle as that whereof we once
read for preventing hens from scratch
ing up the garden. Put gaffs or spurs
on the hens, reversing them-instead of
the points up, have them pointing
downward. Then when the hen lifts a
leg to scratch, as it decends the point
of the spur catches in the ground,
| placing that foot forward and the
stroke with the other leg is attended
with like results, until the hen walks
herself out of the GARDEN