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Show o i PESTS OF THE POULTRY YARD ; C. S. Gorlinr. ! 1 ;; Animals and birds, like plants, re subject to disease and death. Ds-. ease and death are due to bacteria, minute organisms that comprise a class of low plants, of which there arc more than twelve hundred known varieties. About ninety-five per cent of this number may 'be considered as conducive to life, while the remaining remain-ing five per cent will produce disease, resulting in death, unless arrested. The .word f microbe- was coined from two Greek words, (micros, small, anil bios, life,) to include all of the minute plants termed bacteria. Now, bac- j tcria while having the characteristics of plants, possess also the power, likj I animals, of independent motion and J in their habit of feeding upon complex com-plex bodies. They arc also much alike the lower forms of animal life in that they multiply by simple division. di-vision. Each individual elongates, then divides in the middle, ea'ch half becoming a whole individual, which in turns again -subdivides, and so on, and the power of reproduction is simply sim-ply marvellous. It has been estimated that each microbe will in one day produce pro-duce sixteen million descendants, so that in two or three days they will be numbered by billions, and their bulk and weight would 'be enormous were the multiplication not checked by lack of food or by the rccumulation of their own excreted products which arc injurious to them. Many of these bacteria arc parasitic, feeding upon some other species, and they thrive best in filth and foul air, and abound in all putrescent or fermenting mixtures mix-tures containing organic matter. Some of the more common diseases caused by bacteria arc pustule, erysipelas, ery-sipelas, tuberculosis, typhoid fever, hydrophobia, chicken cholera, roup, etc. Indiscreet eating and drinking, neglect of hygenic principles in any way that will lower the vitality and ' ' these bacteria arc ready and waiting to seize upon the system, causing disease dis-ease and often death. Doubtless, very nearly ninety-five percent of ills in the poultry yard arc due to ill feeding, feed-ing, unclean water and parasitic insects. in-sects. If fe icnting food or dirty water arc easy of accc-ss, look out. There arc bacteria there by the million, mil-lion, for they abound in all fermenting ferment-ing mixtures and in watci. If lice or mites are allowed to work their will upon the flock, the effect upon the birds will be devitalizing and low vitality invites the disease germs or microbes. Allow the roosts and i dropping-'boards to accumulate filth, and disease germs arc lurking in every available space. Lice and mites . ' will appear and multiply, often when we think that we arc absolutely free I of them. Watch the sitting hens. Dust them with insect powder once or twice a week. An ordinary baking powder can with the lid well perforated perfor-ated with a sjiingle nnil makes, it easy to sift the powder over the sitting sitt-ing hen. Take of insect powder one part, air slacked lime one part and sifted ashes one part and mix, and wc doubt if anything better may be found. Ordinarily painting the roosts with coal oil once or twice a month applied with a whitewash brush will suffice. For mites, spray the -roosls and sides of the roosting quarters with a strong solution of salt and water brine will quickly rid the premises of these pests. Fumigating with sulphur and red pepper will effect ef-fect the desired result in extreme cases. Kindle a fire in an iron kettle or on the floor, if there is room without with-out setting fire to the building. When the blaze is strong, throw over it a cup full of sulphur and red pepper, then throw over the fire a damp gunny gun-ny sack, back out quickly and close the door. If the building is tight, the fumes In an hour or so will kill animal ani-mal life in the building. One of the very best lice and mite cradicators wc have ever found is air slacked lime. Throw it by the shovel full on the sides, over the roosts, under them on the dropping boards or ground floor and on the floor proper. Plenty of it will effectually rid the premises of all insect life and will cause the air to smell clean and sweet. To sum up, then, to avoid disease and death in the poultry yard in summer, keep the birds rid of insects,' thus :,., avoiding low vitality and 'bacteria, afford clean food and clean water and plenty of shade and there should be but little loss from the pests of the poultry yard. |