The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1902-05-06

poultry on their farms as a very insig-
tistics carefully gathered 10 to show
that notwithst 2ndin2 fowls receive ordi-
narily but little care and iii many in
stances are left TO shift for themselves.
the poultry and egg crop constitute ous
OF the most useful ana important pro
ducts Of American agriculture If proper
attention were given this branch of our
Industry Cn the multitude OF farms
throughout the United States. it would he
hard to estimate the value OF the poul-
try business to the farmers of this coun-
try
If the farmers Of the South strive as
hard to make a success Of raising a Ger
tain number of chickens ana eggs each
year as they do to raise a certain num-
ber of bales OF cotton TO the ploW. lht.y
would be far more independent ana
would live much better than they now do
little care and attention will go a long
way towards making a success OF the
poultry business in d small way on each
farm because chickens If furnished with
range, Will pick up enough food about
the premises to sustain themselves.
which 40 other animal about the farm is
capable Of doing.
IT is big mistake to think that fowls
must be fed at stated periods OF the day
on certain kinds Of foods recommended 50
highly in the poultry journals With a
good outdoor range on the average farm,
and small quantity CT corn. or wheat.
f1 tn no fIttl L.. LAT, in 81
keep them gentle and that they may go
to roost with full craW is all that is
necdful 50 fer IS food is concerned with
a small flock Of twenty five to thirty
fowls. The trouble is not so much in an
absence of n wholesome diet as it is in
exercising little timely care in proper
y looking aftcr the poultry houses and
the hens While setting and raising the
broods Of little chickens
SOME USEFUL. HINTS.
At this Period of the year and on into
carly summer when the hens are laying
and Matching am constantly in receipt
of inquiries for information how best to
prevent the spread of mites and lice or
asking for remedies to check different
kinds OF contagious diseases among the
poultry. We wait until the trouble is on
us before looking about for remedies or
to put into practical operation preventive
measures The time for action is before
the insects and diseases appear. Steps
should be taken carly to prevent their
appearance at any period Of the year.
Every person who undertakes the care
of fowls should understand that cleanli-
ness about the poultry house, nests and
yards IS an absolute preventive against
no np inc 4 iG-
eases. Mites and lice will never find an
entrance into nice, clean, whitcwashed
poultry house. unless they are imported
from a distance. While a hen is setting
II a broken or decayed egg is allowed to
remain in an unclean nest it may be the
cause OF prOpa eating a million mites in
single week. When once the trouble
starts it requires active, vigorous work
to check it.
The same thing is true Of lice which
multiply rapidly and soon get a fOOthold
the entire flock. Cholera, roup
gapes, sorehead and other conta gious
diseases are all caused primarily by un-
clean poultry yards. or badly ventilated
poultry houses. There is nothing more
detrimental to the flock than lice, they
are the greatest obstacle to be overcome
in successful poultry raising. The houses
can be kept absolutely free from both
Ice and mites by a liberal use of kero-
sene emulsion and Whitewaeh. Change
the old nests after each Matching. white
wash tho boxes inside and out, and place
II a new nest of clean dry straw, rub
over the roost poles occasionally with
solution of kerosene oil and whtewash
and dust the fowls with insect powder if
any lice or mites are found on them.
h.. Oh iclyc hat oh MA
drop OF sweet oil on their heads anI
under each wing ard do the same for
the old hen using the oil a little more
freely. Grease OF any kind is death to
lice The poultry yards should be
plowed up occasionally and the top soil
turred under so as to destroy the little
worms which cause "sdpcs" and which
annually cause the death OF 50 many lit
tie chickens.
PREVENTION OF DISEASES.
The water supply for fowls should be
abundant especially in warm weather,
and should be at all times fresh. The
germs Of disease should he kept from the
troughs and feeding places by occasional
disinfectants. Plant patches OF rye bar
ley VIII eat Dr Glove close to the dwell
ling ana ALLOW the fowls free access to
them \ good plan is to have two yards
nicely fenced with netted wira. and whiie
the poultry are confined in one the other
can be plowed Up and planted in some
kind OF grass or grain crop to be used
for the flock later on.
In this wav the poultry runs are never
allowed to become filthy and liable TO
breed disease, but on the contrary the
land is occasionally turned and planted
ir crops which viii prove quite prCft
2 bic on the investment Since the beef
trust has recently decided 20 advance the
price of beef to % cents per pound there
will be marked increase in the de-
1nand for chickens and eggs. The men
who devote more attention TO the care
of their fowls will find that there viii be