Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-05-21
AGRICULTURAL.
MATTER PREPARED SPECIALLY FOR
THE "REcoRD UNION"
Chicken Cholera, How to Detect and How to
Get Rid of It-Blight in Pear Trees
Early Moths-Etc.

Every farmer is interested in knowing all
there is to be known of chicken cholera iof
every farmer is supposed to raise more OF iess
chickens, and consequently to be trouoieu
more or less with diseases 20 which they are
subiect. The diseases of chickens are SO little
understood that very many kinds of diseases
to which they are subject no doubt are caiieu
cholera when in fact they have none OF tne
symptoms or characteristics OF that DISEASE
Tn view OF the great losses to which farmers
are subject through diseases OF their fowis'
the Commissioner of Agriculture Is having
these diseases investigated by competent
and scientific chicken doctor, and deems the
investigation and conclusions Of so mucn I'M
portance that he has issued special bulletin
On tbe snbiect. From this bulletin are maze
the following extracts for the beneht OF our
readers interested in the subject
although the cholera OF fowls Is an eA-
ceedinely violent and fatal dlsease' Destroy
inc vast numbers of birds of different species
and remaining on premises for years after
being once introduced, we are SATISFIED, atter
a long series of experiments, that there are
points in lis natural history which enable us
to control it with comparative ease and with
a considerable degree of certainty.
1.-THE virus is not diffusible- is, the dis
ease germs are seldom if ever taken up by
the air and carried any considerable distance
to produce the malady. The virus remains
in the fixed form, and is generally, il not
always. taken into the body with the food
It is distributed over grounds feeding places,
ETC., in the excrement of affected birds, and
the food, drink, gravel, ETC., are thus con-
taminated. Healthy birds may be kept IN
coops within few feet of the sick ones for
months without contracting the disease. But
if the former are now placed in the same in
closure with the latter they sicken in few
days.
g The virus must be carried upon the
grounds frequented by fowls before they con-
tract the disease. 1t is not probable that this
disease originates in any considerable num-
Der of cases in any other way than by con-
tagion There is possibility that 1t may
originate in occasional instances by filthy
surroundings il closely confined, or by feed
ing on decomposed substances. but these few
facts fail to support such conclusion, and IL
appears certain that in vast majority OF cases
the disease is imported and kept up by con-
tagion alone. ., -,
at is thus brought upon farms either u
with sick or infected fowls newly acquired
(2). with the blood or parts of the bodies oil
dead birds carried on the feet OF people or
brought by dogs or other animals !; ~, with
infected manure or feathers (; or t4), possibly
by wild birds, animals lrabbits), or even IN
sects that have contracted the diseases. or
have eaten the blood or bodies of affected
birds recently dead. The origin of the dis
ease can generally be traced, IN country dis
tricts where houses are considerable distances
apart, to recently acquired poultry; 1t Is
only in districts more thickly peopled, and
then in exceptional cases, that the germs are
carried by wild birds or animals, or by in
sects."
The writer claims that the chicken cholera
could be distinguished from all other diseases
of fowls by an inspection of the excrements.
With the fowls the excretions of the kidneys
are Joined in the cloaca with the undlgested
parts of the food, and both solid and liquid
excrement are consequently voided together.
They are not mixed to any great extent how
ever, The part excreted by the kidneys is
easily distinguished, as during health it Is OF
a pure white color, while the bowel dis
charges are Of various hues. The excretIon
of the kidneys is called urates. a diseased
fowl NAV be detected as soon as 1t has taken
the disease in the body, by the coloration of
the urates. At first these have only faint
yellow tint, which rapidly changes into a
deep yellow color. In one or more days after
this yellow color appears. the urates are great
lv increased III ahu SNhoSisNSO VIZ
whole or greater part of the discharges, and
an obstinate diarrhes sets in. In some cases
the urates becomes of a greenish color.
If the fowl be killed and subjected to post
mortem examination it will be found to have
an enlarged liver-this sign is nearly always
present. When birds have certainly con
tracted the disease, as will be known by the
yoiding of yellow urates they should be de-
stroyed. The killing should be done so as
not TO leave any blood or excrement on the
soil where well birds may get it. as this Will
soon give them the disease. The bodies OF
diseased birds should be buried deeply in the
soil where well birds do not run. Some
times farmers, to get rid of the disease, sell
off all their fowls and buy new ones. This
will do no good, as the new ones viii take the
disease from the leavings of the old Ones
even if long time has intervened-they will
sometimes take the disease when a year has
ELAPSED since getting rid of the diseased
fowls. The drinking vessels and feeding
grounds must be disinfected. Also the roost-
ing coops. A good disinfectiug solution is
made by mixing three pounds of sulphuric
acid with forty gallons of water, or about
that proportion for a greater or less amount.
The places to be disinfected must be COM
pletely and thoroughly drenched with this
solution. To disinfect the roost all the old
manure must be carefully cleaned out before
the solution is applied The coops or roost-
ing places may also be disinfected by fumi-
eating MISUNDERSTANDING fi)wer Of sulphur
plentifully within them.