The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1878-02-21

! per, or the pure mustard is adulterated
with a variety of articles. The same
may be said of ground spices. Cayenne
pepper is frequently mixed with the
most deadly poisons, such as red lead
and vermillion. 1t is fortunate that q
little goes a great ways.
The ingenuity of man has even gone
so far as to emulate the industry of the
busy bee, and make honey so nearly
like the original article that even the
wisest of bees are liable to be deceived
by 1t. 1t is strained honey, and Is
made of sugar, starch, and other ma
terials. We have not heard that any
one has succeeded in arranging 1t In
the cells, so have no doubt that honey
in the comb is one of the few things
that may be relied on as being an abso-
lutely genuine artice.
OF all the frauds that deluge the
country, none are viler than many of
the tiavoring extracts which are offered
for sale in city and country groceries.
They may be found of all varieties of
flavor and perfume, from varnish to
hair oil inclusive. Now and again
there Is bottle around which the
shsdowy scent of the rose or vanilla
bean Is lingering still. We have lately
discovered that homemade extracts
Can be made with no trouble whatever; !;
at less than half the expense of the
purchased article; aud that moreover,
the former will possess four times the
power of an equal quantity of the
latter.
MAKING POULTRY PAY.-A writer in
the Rural Neto Yorker gives the sub
Joined suggestions on the subject Of
making poultry pay, especially as bear
ing upon their winter treatment:
For hens to lay in winter, it is neces-
sary that they should be supplied with
all the requirements of food, egg-shell
matter, cleanliness and care, to keep
them In a high state of health and con-
dItion. Good feeding is all that is re-
quired by nature for egg producing.
This substance is better supplied by
giving them sound, sweet food liberal
ly, than by any artificial cendiment or
preparation sold for the purpose. The
high price of such preparations, how.
ever good they may be, puts them be-
yond reach of the farmer to get pro-
fitable return for the outlay. A trife
invested in few simple things, such
as pepper, pulverlzed charcoal, sulphur
and cayenne, answers all the purposes
of keeping the birds in health. Even
these should be used sparIpgly once or
twice a week. When fowl is found
to be ailing, it must be separated from
the Others and treated with proper
medicines for in most cases the spread
of disease is easily prevented, il taken
in time. After removing the diseased
ones, q little sulphur and cayenne
mixed in their soft food, teaspoonful
Of sulphur and half as much of cayenne
to four quarts of food given fer two or
three days, will generally arrest an or
dinary trouble. The sulphur should be
stopped, but the cayenne may be con-
tinued to be given as the birds recover.
Indeed, it may be given to advantage
once or twice week all through the
winter. Iron is great tonic for ailing
fowls, when first noticed to be out of
condition. 1t Is generally used in a
simple preparation known as Doug
las's Mixture"
The food should consist more of
other grains than OF corn. Although
all kinds of poultry seem to prefer corn
to other grain, yet corn has been proved
by great many poultry men to be in
ferior as an egg producer to wheat,
barley, etc., and occasionally to buck
wheat and oats. Corn may be gwen
sparngly with advantage, but corn
alone makes hens too fat and lazy. So
fed they lack animation and vigor,
especially the Asiatic breeds, which are
more prone than other strains to this
fatness that seems to border on disease.
Their intestiDes become encased in one
mass of fat, and to stint fowls to any
given quantity of food especially when
confined, is qlite impracticible. Soft
food gwen once day in winter, is
very benz fetal, particularly during
spells of severe weather. II promotes
laying. IC should consist of ground
grain, as corn, buckwheat, barley,
wheat or oatmeal, varied at times, with
some vegetable and animal food. ]
make up mine by boiling lot of pota-
toes or turnips, pouring the hot water
Gin which they were boiled) upon some
meal In another vessel, with ground
beef scraps added twice week and
little cayenne. Make this into stiff
paste. Mash the vegetables and add
meal enough to make this also into a
stiff mass. Mix them together and
feed when just warm. Most breeders
recommend this to be done for their
morning meal, but this will often keep
the stock waiting hungry too long.
Have light grain for them always, early
every morning. and feed with the soft
food by noon if not sooner. and all the
grain they will eat for evening meal.