The National tribune., 1888-10-11
OUR RURAL TOPICS,
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers
DISEASES OF YOUNG FOWLS.

DISEASES OF YOUNG FOWLS.
Leg weakness and diarrhea are the most
troublesome ailments prevalent among young
chicks, and may arise from various causes.
Leg weakness usually attacks the cockerels of
a flock first, and generally when they are be-
tween two and three weeks old. When recov-
ering from an attack of it they look as if they
were walking stills, especially If it is caused
by too rapid growth. At its first appearance
those afflicted should be removed to pen by
themselves, particular attention being given to
the warmth of the brooder and dryness of the
scratching pen, and an additional quantity of
bone-meal should be given in their soft feed.
The Douglass mixture should be kept before
them regularly. Should the disability take
the form of rheumatism, which is apparent
from swelled joints at the hock a daily anoint-
ing of these with coal-oil is effective This, of
course would not be practicable with flock
two weeks old, but it has been tried with
chickens six weeks old with marked benefit.
An excess of heat will only increase the trou-
bic. If they preserve a healthy appearance
otherwise, no anxiety need be felt.
Diarrhea may arise from two causes, chill
and injudicious feeding. Ii from the former,
the chickens usually die within "a hours. The
greatest care should be observed in feeding, for
the amount of food which must be given i'll
order to produce rapid-growing chicks would
naturally tend to give them indigestion; hence
diarrhea or constipation.
Constipation is quite as dangerous as diar-
rhea, as il frequently causes rupture of the in
testines. | have seen them protrude nearly an
inch. They can be replaced by gentle pres
sure of the hand, and the parts should be we'll
bathed afterward with warm water A tea
spoonful of castor-oil rubbed into the yek
.c Io.I iol ~ 70 fha
brood, and will afford relief in few hours.
The temperature of the brooder should be care
fully observed, especially if lamps used, for
the outside atmosphere greatly affects that of
a brooder- house not heated by steam. One can
readily ascertain the proper heat Of brooder by
a touch of the hand. and observing whether the
chicks crowd in the center or settle comfortably
around the edges Seventy five chicks will do
much better in the usual space allotted to 100
in most brOoding- houses, and the strongest
should be removed from time to time to a pen
by themselves, as they will otherwise invari-
ably OverpOWer the weak.-Americdn Agrieul-
turist.
SWINE IN THE ORCHARD.
An old friend, farmer whose orchard has
always been above the average in condition and
production, recently told US that he thought
much of his success Ia orcharding was due to
his fattening his swine in the Fall aud early
has shown us very plainly that the close associ-
alton of swine aud orchard trees is mutually
beneficial. If the swine are given salt and
ashes regularly, and variety of food they
will not peel the trees; and the falling fruit
makes good share OF the needed variety. The
early windialls, at least, almost without ex-
ception. contain larre, the presence of these
being responsible for the falling of the fruit.
The hogs eat the fruit aud the larVB also, and
thus prevent their entrance into the earth or
lodgment elseWhere and as a result there is
not a swarm of their descendants TO blight the
fruit the next year The animals, being much
under the trees to get the fruit and the shade,
deposit their manure where it viii do the most
good. In exchange the trees give the animals
shade when high feeding makes shade grateful
and wholesome, and vegetable food when
strong feeding Of dry grains makes it a neces-
sity TO the health and thrift Of the animals
II it is desired to evaporate or can the best
of the windfalls. the hogs may be shut out dur
ing the night and admitted after those wind
falls desired have been gathered up.
CIDER VINEGAR.
Good cider vinegarscan be made enly from
good cider Cider made from ripe apples is
stronger than that made earlier, when the ap-
plies are yet green. Put the barrel on it's side
and ill it with good cider to the bung, that the
pomace may be thrown out as the cider fer
Inents. Fill up the barrel twice a day while
fermentation is in progress. at the close of
fermentation the cider should be racked Oft
carefully aud put into another clean barrel. or
the same one after it has been we'll washed out.
If there are enough barrels. IL is better to fill
them only half full after fermentation is finish
ed. as this exposes greater surface TO the air.
| The more air the better the vinegar will make
| Hence, darkened, airy clubhouse Is better than
Il close cellar for the storage of the barrels.
| Cider vinegar is not weakened by exposure to
| the air or injured by freezing and if the
| barrels are only half full there will be no
| overflow from freezing. 1t is not neces-
| sary to add anything to the cider; nor is it
desirable To add anything except, perhaps. some
old vinegar after the cider has fermented. The
cider will be converted into vinegar in about
! IL months, but will steadily increase in
/ strength.
The tightness required of cider-yinegar
| barrel has become pr0yerbial. Leakage is
what haunts the nights of the vinegar maker.
| The slaves of the vinegar barrel must be free
| Of sap wood and twice the usual thickness.
| Wooden hoops are better than iron ones, as the
| cider will cut through iron hoops in short order
| when once it gets TO them. Worms the larvae
/ of hy, which usually deposits her eggs in the
chime, make much bother, and must be care
| fully guarded against. Naturally enough they
prefer sap-wood, and on this account as well as
the elders soaking through sap-wood, it should
be avoided 1t is said that occasionally painting
the barrel with coal oil will kill the larve
But it is best to prevent the deposit of the eggs
| which may be done by keeping the barrels IN
| dark place from March to October.
NOTES.
It is said that in Dakota and MOntans
the expense of keeping sheep yearly is only &c
cents per head.
As soon as the leaves fall from grapevinee
| they may be trimmed. The trimming may bt
done at any time afterward until the sap flows
next Spring.
The Indian corn crop all over the country
is reported safe. The growing season this yeal
being unusually warm, and varied with gener
Gus showers, has produced an extraordinary
CROP booming almost everywhere, and only
shortened in places by high winds and latt
planting.
We have often dilated on the value o
sheep as weed destroyers and scavengers of thu
farm which pay for their keeping withon
strict regard TO wool or mutton. Sheep arr
useful on new land in nibbling off the shoot
which grow from tree stumps, and preven
them from sprouting.3
New 9O.Day Corn.
EDITOR EATIoNAneTRIBUN We have