The record-union., 1893-10-19
FARM AND ORCHARD.
How to Destroy the Enemies of the
Domestic Fowl.
The Farm Pays-Pruning Grapes-In-
teresting Experiments OF Value
The Coming Poultry show.

During the past summer lice have
been the cause of a great deal OF
trouble and annoyance to poultry raisers
as well as to the fowls themselves. This
is especially true where the chicken
house has not been kept properly cleaned
and disinfected. Numerous cases of sup
posed chicken cholera have been re-
ported where, it was said, a number of
hens had died with the disease, but on
investigation it was found that the fowls
were literally covered with lice, and after
these were destroyed the hens were ap-
parantly as well as ever. There are many
just such cases Of cholera ~ in the coun-
try now, and it will continue until cold
weather unless proper remedies are EN-
ployed to stop it. One of these COM
monty used is to spray the whole interior
of the chicken-house, especially the
perches and nests, with strong kerosene
emulsion, which is made by disSolvlng
one-half pound of hard soap in one gallon
of hot water, then adding one quart of
kerosene oil. Pump the mixture back
into the receptacle several times until it
becomes thoroughly mixed; then add
water until the kerosene forms one-tenth
Of the whole compound. This will de-
Btroy all the lice with which it comes in
contact.
Another remedy which I have tried
with success during the past summer is
the one commonly used to destroy weevil
in grain, viz: Carbon bisulpnid. This
was placed III open vessels in the hen
houses and allowed to evapOrate. The
fumes, l infer, penetrated TO the skin of
the fowls, killing the lice. At any rate,
the lice disappeared without any appar-
ent injury to the fowls. The substance
is very explosive when brought near the
fire, otherwise there is no danger unless
the fumes are taken into the lungs.
Since making the above experiment l
noticed an account OF singular expert
ment by DR.. Schneider, published in the
journal deL AqTlcuttu4e Of Paris, an eX-
tract of which is printed in Insect Life
for July, 1898. In this case the sulphide
was placed in small medicine vials with
out shoppers, which were hung under
the roosts. This would doubtless be an
advantage, as the material would not
evaporate so quickly as when placed in
saucers. In the course OF his remarks
he says: ''The very next day after using
1t was agreeably surprised to find that
the enemy had left, leaving none but
dead and dying behind, and on the fol-
lowing day not single living insect was
to be found, while my birds were sitting
quietly on the roosts, enjoying an un-
Wontedly peaceful repOSe. This lasted
for twelve days, till the sulphide had
evaporated. IWenty-four hours later
fresh invasion of lice had put in an ap-
pearance under the wings of the birds in
the warmest portions of the house where
there were no currents of air. | re-
pleniShed the supply of sulphide and the
next morning every trace of vermin had
disappeared. Since that time I have
made a great number of further trials
with bisulphide Of carbon with imme-
date and absolute success. u. Troop,
in the Guide.
THE FARM PAYS.
Farming is not as profitable an occu-
patton as IL was in this State" says Gov
ernor Flower in one of those country
fair talks which politicians make every
autumn, and he urges a change to truck
farming in order 10 keep The boys on the
farm"
The Governor is mistaken. So are a
great many other people who talk the
the same way. The farm is as profitable
as ever. 1t is the other things that have
grown less profitable. Farm products
bring less in money than they did; but
they bring more in goods. The farmer
with a given quantity of farm products
can bny more travel, more clothes, more
furniture, more household supplies more
agricultural Implements than ever.
These things have all fallen faster and
further off the farm than on il.
1t is not that the farm is less profitable !
Forty years ago pigs still rooted in the
streets OF New York and Philadelphia !
The latter were nearly all unpaved and
few lighted Amusements were few and
high. All the pleasures of life were dear
and open only to the rich. Only the
houses of the rich had bath-tubs, warm
halls, big windows and the minor COM
forts of life.
The level of life in the city in this coun- /
try has risen immeasurably in forty
years. Think what Philadelphia was
when it was a third as large as to-day and
had no horse cars? Life on the farm has
improved, but not in the same proper
ton. This is just as true in Europe and
England as here. All civilized countries
record the same transfer from the farm to
the city.
But for new lands and cheap freights
and agricultural machinery, this transfer
would have made food dear. Instead,
food is cheaper than ever. and this makes
life in the city still more comfortable.
This process will go on until wages on
farms rise to point which makes up for
city comforts. Meanwhile Governor
Flower and other men with city resi-
dence go on pointing out what good
place the farm Is for the other man to live
n.-Philadelphia Press.
PRUNING GRAPES.
Last winter two rows Of Concord grapes
were used to illustrate methods of prun-
ing. The rows were divided into sections
of equal length, and each section was
pruned differently from the others. In
section one a single bud or ''eye'' was
left; in section two, two buds; section
three, three buds; section four, four buds: !
section five, five buds; section six, six
fruiting canes bearing six TO eight buds |
each; section seven, not pruned at ali.
In another part of the vineyard the
vines had been cut OFF at the ground the /
year before, and each vine was allowed !
10 grow four canes from the root; these |
were pruned to three feet long and trained |
fan shape on the trellis. The fruit has |
now reached almost its full size, and the |
benefits of severe pruning are apparent
to the most casual observer.
The Concords which were pruned to |
one and two eyes have compact we'll |
filled punches. the berries are fully a |
third larger than on the unprnned vines |
but the clusters are much smaller and |
looser, and the berries being much
smaller the fruit will hardly be market !
able. The rot is much worse on the un- /
pruned than on the close pruned vines /
1t certainly pays to prune and prune |
closely
A comparison of the station vineyard |
with others in the neighborhood shows /
encouraging results from spraying. The |
station vineyard has been sprayed five /
times, and part of it six times. The other |
vines examined had not been SPRAYED at /
ali. There is fully four times assmuch I
rot in the unSprayed vines as in those /
that have been sprayed, comparison being /
made of the same varieties. The solution /
used in the station vineyard was. for the 1
first five applications: Two and one-balf /
pounds blue yitriol, two pounds lime, /