The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1888-02-16
Henhouse Manure.

J. H.. W. of Lexington, N. c.,
writes: al have about SO or SO fowls
and have saved the droppings from
them, will you be so kind as to inform
me if they are valuable for the farm
or garden; also the best way to apply
the same 2"
In reply we would say: If every
farmer and every keeper of fowls even
on a city lot, only knew how valuable
poultry droppings really are, not a
handful of them would aver be allowed
to 20 to waste. Two tablespoonful
where needed, will make a thrifty hill
of corn, where without it there might
be only a sickly growth of puny stalks.
Prof. Voelcker, of the Royal Agri-
cultural Society of England, advises
as the least expensive and best way of
using poultry manure, to mix with
dry earth, ashes and the like, into
compost. Mixed with about twice the
quantity of dry earthly matters of this
kind, it will soon be reduced into a
fairly dry and powderly state, in which
it may be readily sown broadcast or
with the drill, and found useful in
growing any kind of farm crops or
garden vegetables. For root crops,
such as turnips, carrots, &C., it is ad-
vised that poultry manure be mixed
after reducing to a powderly state
with equal weight Of superphosphate,
and the mixture drilled in at the rate
of 500 pounds to the acre. In making
poultry manure into compost with
earth, Prof. Voelcker warns against
mixing quick lime with it, as the effect
would be to liberate the ammonia, the
most of which would escape and be
lost; on the other hand he econ
mends as a positive advantage, mixing
SCOT with this compost. In the alb
sence of SCOT the next best thing in
his opinion is to mix in burnt plaster,
to which a small quantity of super
phosphate is added, the free acid of
which will effectually prevent the
escape of the ammonia, a mixture of
two parts burnt plaster and one part
superphosphate may be kept in readi-
ness to mix with fresh chicken drop
pings for the purpose of absorbing the
excess of moisture and thus facilitate
it's being reduced to q dry nature.
Three parts of fresh chicken manure
and one part of the preceding mixture
of burnt plaster and superphosphate if
kept under cover for a few days and
turned once or twice during the time
and then passed through Q screen or
seive, will be found to be the most
eficacious when applied at the rate of
six to eight hundred pounds to the
acre, and it's beneficial results will be
readily seen, not only the first, but
frequently the second season after its
application.
Roup.
Whenever you have a northeast
storm, with damp, rainy, chilly
weather, look out for roup. Roup is
to the fowls what heavy colds are to
human individuals, and as we may
have cold in the head, cold on the
bowels, sore throat and other disturb
ances from cold, the term Group"
overs them all. Roup in some forms
is contagious, while in other shapes it
may exist in a flock without affecting
any but those of weak constitutions.
The first thing to do with the affected
fowl is to clean out the nostrils, and
every breeder should have on hand a
small syringe, which should be put to
use early. Roup, when malignant,
makes known it's presence by a pecu-
liar, disagreeable odor. The sick fowl
looks droopy, and a slight pressure on
the n~ostrils cause a discharge which is
very offensive in smell. Make a solu-
ton of copperas water, and with the
syringe inject some Of it into the nos
trils, and also down the throat. If
the fowl is no better in a few hours,
try a severer remedy, which is the in
lection of a mixture of coal oil and
carbolic acid, add ten drops of car
bolic acid to a tablespoonful of coal
oil, and force a small quantity into
each nostril. This will cure when all
other remedies fail: night and morn
ing give roup pills Tor powder) either
in food or by forcing it down the
throat; add some also to the food OF
those that are well.
How to make roup pills is what
most persons desire to know. The
basis of all roup pills is a~ssafoedita.
This is combined with tonlcs and