The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1880-12-14
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HOUSE, FARM AND GARDEN.
Road Dust In the Hen House.

The extreme and long continued heat
of this summer, extending as 1t did late
into the month of September, has been
prolific source of the multiplication of
all kinds of vermln on fowls. Those
who were either to Indifferent to adopt
plans for the suppression of the pests, or
or who are not sufficiently versed in the
little convenient tricks of the trade to
know how, must suffer pecuniarily,
while the poor chickens must bear the
burden upon their innocent backs. 1t
is well known that oil In liberal quanti-
ties is sure death to all insects. This is
due to the stopping up of the breathing
openings along the sides of the insect,
like the port holes of man-of- war
Thus oil causes death by suffocation.-
well fed animals produce oil enough on
their bodies, thus keeping the insects on
them in moderate subjection, while ILL
fed halfstarved animals are sure ulti-
mately to fall prey to these parasites.
1t will thus be seen that we'll fed fowls
have on their bodies, a partial means for
hSNRih5 NON II bbCll GnClliitS Dub butIb
is no doubt that they do much better if
aided in this warfare by the skill of their
owners. To accomplish this, many use
kerosene or crude coal oil, or any kind
of cheap oil to brush over the walls of
the hen house, and particularly over the
perches and about the nests. Oil, how
ever, is nasty thing to have about, and
while it banishes vermin it is very apt
to disgust the operator, and, If q female,
cause her to give up the whole business
or, at best, to put its use off till to late to
be of the most service. After using oil
we abandoned 1t for the cause above
stated, and found a better and far more
agreeable remedy in road dust, dry ashes
and whitewash. For the purpose of
being handy, to clean and purify, we
made perches, shelves, nests and parti-
tions all movable, and as often as iudg-
ment dictated or necessity required, we
removed everything and gave the house
a good and thorough wetting inside with
whitewash. No fears of getting it to
thick. Sosh it into all the cracks; but,
over and above all, we always keep on
hand goodly supply of road dust, and
sift all the ashes on the heap. This we
spread one or two inches deep over the
floor of the hen house. 1t instantly alb
serbs all droppings, keeping the air fresh
and pure, and every time hen flies up
or down to or from the nest or perches
she raises dust that settles on the perch
es, nests, etc. This dust may not be
immediate death to insects, but renders
life so miserable to them that they i'm
mediately vacate the premises. 1t seems
not only to hinder, but efiectually to ar
rest their locomotion, like a horse in a
bed of quick-sand. The effect on the
chickens is like magic so far as Kidding
them of lice is concerned.
e8 Horses should be watered in the
morning before they are fed. A full
drink of water Immediately after being
fed is sure way to produce indigestion,
if not inflammation. When water is
drunk by a horses the bulk goes directly
to the large intestines, and little of it is
retained in the stomach. Some old and
worthless horses, Ivy way of experiment,
were fed with split peas and supplied
with water Immediately before being
killed. 1t was found that the water had
carried the peas into the intestines,