St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1880-02-07
FARM TOPICS.
I From the New York Times.
SPREADING MANTRE.

From the New York Times.J
SPREADING MAN1-RE.
! Spreading manure Is q seasonable
work The effect of the manure may
be greatly increased by judicous spread
ing To put it up in heaps, as is very
commonly done, is wasteful. A field SO
MANFRED, at harvest time shows the
spot where every heap lay by a green
cone of vegetation above the regular
level. Grain on these spots is apt to be
laid and damaged. Manure has been
wasted there which would have done
good elsewhere. SO, in making heaps in
the field, not only is manure wasted, but
the work is doubled by the second hand
ling. In spreading manure now, it will
be labor well spent to follow with a fork
and break up the Jumps and scatter
them even.
Use OF FERTILIZER IN THE DRILL.
| A very important consideration in aD-
plying artificial fertilizers in the hill or
the drill is that the early vigor of the
crop enables it to appropriate much
more nutriment from the soil than it
| would otherwise be able to do. An early
and quick start often saves the crop,
pushing it beyond danger, and securing
it from harm from insect pests. Insects
doubtless hunt by scent The cut-worm
discovers the tender cabbage Or the spire
of corn by the aid Of its olfactory nerves.
If this is true, light dressing of strong
favored chemical fertilizer may mslead
it and drive it away from the corn. Or
the acrid effect upon its susceptible To-
hot hn,
feet or "prOlegs,' or whatever else
they may be, may be disagreeable, if
not injurious. But the main point is,
with every crop, to give it a vigorous
start; to push it ahead from the first,
and to encourage the roots to spread
far and wide for food, which they will
find for themselves as soon as they can
take care Of themselves. And this is
precisely what is done by fertilizers.
POULTRY CHOLERA.
This destructive disease has begun its
annual rayages. 1t is peculiarly a dis
ease of the winter, when constant corn
feeding, close confinement to unwhole-
some quarters, and general disagreed
ment bring on intestinal disorders. The
bright yellow excavations and paleness
of the comb and wattles denote bilious
and intestinal arrangement. The dis
ease is 4 true typhoid and eDteric fever.
The liver is diseased, and the bowels
are infamed and gangrcnous. 1t is viz
ulent and contagious, and spreads from
farm to farm rapidly. In my case last
year, it affected every farm along a road
10 miles from where it started, until it
reached mine, and, in spite of every
precaution that | then knew of, it al
fected my flock to some extent. BY
cleaning down the house, digging up the
ground, covering every thing with hot
lime-wash, killing every fowl that was
sick and burying the carcases, the dis
ease was arrested after some loss. This
year it is again prevalent, but only one
of my flock has been affected so far.
The hen was removed into a separate
she'd and put in quarantine; a full grain
dose of blue pill was given daily for four
days, but no food. After four days
baked potato, hot from the oven, was
mashed with plenty of salt and pepper
and given to the hen. She ate this with
eagerness, and | considered her safe.
One hot potato, well peppered, was Civ
en- daily until, the door of the shed be-
ing left ajar, she escaped and returned
to the flock, weak, but otherwise well
If any new case occurs, the blue pill and
a course of starving will be tried again,
but, by giving plenty of hot baked pota-
toes, with pepper and salt, and the use
of disinfectants, | hope to avoid the dis
ease, %