POULTRY KEEPING.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 144, 19 June 1926, Page 24

POULTRY KEEPING.

(By R. ... TERRY.)

TO CORRESPONDENTS. ELLERSLIE. —As I cannot give the information you ask in this column, I tv-'R see that an advertisement is put at the foot of the garden column. HENWIFE (Cambridge). —See reply to Ellerslie. DIGGER (Te Awamutu). —See reply Ellerslie. BIRKENHEAD has a Mexican parakeet which appears to be crop bound. It • brings up a small quantity of semi- : digested food, which it immediately : swallows again. The crop is somewhat ■ enlarged. He is now fed on soft food : only.—lt may be that the soft food is accentuating the trouble. The skin of ; the crop is really a network of muscles : which contracts and torees the' food into . the gizzard. A quantity of soft food , might be too heavy and sag the crop ; down below the entrance leading to tbe : gizzard. If the muscles were not power- : ful enough to lift the weight tbe food : would remain there and ferment. If you ■ can handle the bird pour a little water ; in which has been put a little germicide. ; down the throat, then hold the bird ; downwards, keeping the neck straight. . Get someone to gently pinch the crop . 'while you hold the bird, and' the bad ; food and water should be forced out. ; Rinse the crop a second or third time. : Don't give the bird any food for SO : hours after the cleaning, then you may : give it a little raw white of an egg or • raw beaten egg; after that ordinary ; food. Discontinue the sunflower seeds. ; The bird may have eaten too many. NAPIER writes that all their fowls have : colds and they are not eating, so they : have decided to place a hopper in their pen'containing a dry mixture. Would I give the exact materials for the mixture? The fowls are not eating the wet mash. •—I am afraid that if the birds will not eat a good wet mash they will not care much for the dry mash. The constituents of the dry mash depends to a certain extent on* the present condition of the birds. If they do not carry a lot of fat (I don't mean lean meat), make the mash 35 per cent bran, 35 per cent pollard, 20 per cent ground maize or maize meal. 10 per cent albumen meal. If the birds are fat leave out the maize meal and increase the albumen meal to 15 per cent till they are in full lay. then drop to 10 per cent and continue at that. If they are fat feed oats and wheat; if not fat, wheat and maize. Use germicide as directed for colds. GAME CLUB.—I am sorry but tbe object of this column is purely utility, and if I commence to give prominence to show matters I would be utilising space that was intended for another purpose. The secretary of the newly-formed club is Mr. E. Bust, of Pitt Street, Ellerslie. I wish the club every success. At one time I bred game. AVON had a laying Black Orpington which died. When she was opened her liver was about twice as _ig as It ought to be, and she had a round thing about tbe size of a lamb's kidney, which seemed to be made of tbe same kind of stuff as a kidney. The bird just coUapsed and died. There was also a pullet egg bound. The bird was steamed and olive oil put up the vent. The egg could not be shifted. What shall I do another time*!' What green feed should I plant besides silver beet and cabbage? Is miracle good for diarrhoea? —Both the liver and the spleen were congested and diseased. The spleen and the kidneys of a fowl mislead most people owing to their shape. The spleen i is round like a little kidney, and the ■kidneys are embedded in bony cavities along the back. I expect that you put tbe olive oil into the bowel, not into the oviduct, which is a passage by the bowel, i but the opening is not quite so easily found. If you have a similar case and it sans impossible to remove the egg. as a last resource insert your finger into the egg passage, previously dipping the finger in oil or vaseline, and when you can feel the egg run a stout darning needle alongside your finger and endeavour to scratch or pierce the shell of the egg. If you make a weak spot in the arch of the egg it will often collapse, or a little pressure will often make it collapse, which it would not do otherwise. You may plant oats, barley, rye, millet, rape or kale. In your district you - could plant them at any time. The miracle will cure the diarrhoea if it was brought about by dirty water or food or any bowel disease. MOTHER OF SEVEN (Epsom) writes that it is esential that she should have good , fresh eggs for her children. What proportions of mill offal should toe mixed with household scraps? What is the correct quantity of albumen meal to use for 16 birds daily? There are eight bens in each pen.—lt depends on what the household scraps consist. If they are largely composed of starchy material, that is, white bread, stale scones, potatoes and potato peelings, etc., mix more bran than pollard. If. "there are plenty of green vegetable scraps or you eat wholemeal bread then mix more pollard. If there is not much fat a little maize meal would help but you can get over this by gi%ing maize at night during the cold weather. Give a quarter of a lb of albumen meal to the 16 birds. It is not a tonic, so it is best fed continuously. ANAEMIA. Anaemia denotes a deficiencr or poverty of the blood. There are certain strains or families in most breeds which are very prone to this trouble. The birds have a very palid appearance, the comb and wattles pale, sometimes with i a very slight yellow tinge. The legs and feet are exceptionally cold. The birds are very listless. The causes are frequently insanitary ' conditions, overcrowding, badly ventilated houses, innutritious food, want of green food and so forth. Fowls of this sort should be got rid of. They are not profitable. The treatment to build them up would be expensive, and they are not "fit to breed from. It is another matter when the symptoms are comparatively recent, or , if you know the parent stock wete ' robust, then the trouble has been brought \ about by your mismanagement, and can ' be rectified by improving the conditions, j if the symptoms are of not too long I standing. DROPSY. Several correspondents have written ' lately that they have hens which app.->ar to drag the back portion of the body almost to the ground. The disease is most frequent in old fat hens. Tbe abdomen becomes very large and pendulous, sometimes touching the ground., This is known as abdominal dropsy. The enlargement is frequently minus feathers, looks shiny, feels soft, and is easily movable. The swelling contains an accumulation of a thin, watery nature, and is sometimes colourless, or it may be straw coloured. There is a certain amount of contention among experts as to the cause, hut the generally accepted theory of those who have studied the disease is that it arises from the escape of water from blood vessels into the tissues or into some cavity such as the j abdomen. This form of dropsy can be relieved by a puncture '. with a surgeon's hollow needle or similar instrument," when most I of the water will run out, but it must j be remembered that this is only ter- | porary relief, there being a tendency to j a further accumulation of the fluid; in i fact, an almost certainty, and the bird should be treated only if it has some { sentimental value. It should never be retained in the breeding pen. Small i watery cysts on the breastbone which are sometimes found on growing cockerels may be opened and washed out with a weak solution of germicide and water, when they will invariably h»aL

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

G. (Avondale) sends some specimens for identification? —(1) Colletia cruciata (anchor plant) ; (2) Osmanthus aquifolium; (3) Taxus baccata (yew); (4) Thryopsis dolabrata. J.B.R. (Ponsonby) writes :—I intend bringing in for a vegetable and flower garden a piece of ground that has been in grass for a number of years. Would you recommend clearing off the grass before digging or merely digging in the grass? Do you think it advisable to manure the ground very much. and. if so. i what manure would you suggest, and | quantity?— Provided the grass is not couch or twitch I should advise digging it in. The best way is to skim it off in a thin layer and put it in the bottom of the trench, putting the soil over it ] afterwards. I should not use any manure at the time of digging, but apply the \ manure afterwards just before the crops ] are planted. The best manure would be stable manure, but failing that use, superphosphate, lightly forking it in a, week or so before planting or sowing. At the time of sowing or planting use \ bonedust or blood and bone. Of course, j the amount and variety of manure depends upon the crops it is intended to grow, but for general purposes there is nothing to supersede the ones mentioned above. ; PUZZLED (Parnell) writes:—The bark on my Apple and Plum trees is split. Can you tell mc the cause and how to remedy it?—l expect it is due to excessive growth, and do not think there is any cause to worry so long as the trees are healthy and are growing well. It will remedy itself as the trees get older. I do not think you can do anything to remedy it. T.F. (Mount Eden) writes:—l have some Australian Waratah seed. Could you advise mc how to sow it, and when? Should I keep them inside. Some time ago I sought your advice for a Hoy a Carnosa. and have now a nice plant. I i am about to shift 'it into a larger pot. j What manure should I give it?— Sow the Waratah seed in a pan or box. Use ' a very sandy soil and only lightly cover I the seed. The seed pan should be kept inside, and should have a piece of glass | placed over the top until the seed germinates. The young seedlings require I great care in the young stages, and must not be over watered. Do not over pot the | Hoya, and only use leafmould and a little bonedust in the potting soil. ASTON (Ponsonby) writes:—During the past month or two we have purchased some Begonias in flower. Could you tell us what to do with the plants when they cease to flower?—lf the plants are in pots let them dry off gradually. The best way is to turn the pots on their sides. When quite dry the bulbs can be shaken out of the soil and stored in ' a cool, dry, frost-proof place until about September, when they can be brought out and started into growth. If the plants are in the open ground lift them, stand them in boxes under shelter, and let them dry off. When dry store them as mentioned above. A.F. (Auckland) writes :— '-I have a vigorous growing Peach Tree planted three years ago. It was badly infected with leaf curl. Last season it flowered profusely, but never set a fruit. The foliage was attacked so badly that the growth died off, wood as well. The second growth j had a few infected leaves which were picked off and burned. The tree has never j been sprayed, and now when I am con> i sidering what means to adopt I am adj viHed to do as follows : Bore two or three ! holes in and round ,tlie stem in a downS wards and slanting direction to the depth i of an Inch, and till them with a dilution ! of Jeyes' Fluid. Repeat at regular inteij vals "of between a week or a fortnight i until the end of July, and I am assured I that few. if any. leaves will be affected. i Will you say if this is a proved remedy? —So far as I know the treatment «f plant disease by inoculation has not been proved. There may be possibilities in it. but so far the best treatment of external fungoid diseases is by spraying. Spray the trees while dormant with a strong solution of Bordeaux or Lime Sulphur. Spray again with a milder spray when the buds begin to burst, end again when the flower bads Just

begin to 6how pin-. Leaf curl is due to a fungus which has its starting point on the extreme tips and protective scale enclosing the young leaves, and by spraying in the early part of the season before the spores have time to attack the young foliage the disease can be controlled. R.I.X. (Mount Eden) writes: I have some Northern Spy Apple Trees, and would oe glad if you could tell mc hon- to prune 1 Ihem, and what should be put on the cuts after pruning? The trees have made a ' good deal of wood, and most of the fruit , was on the ends of the laterals, hanging i on the ground.—The Northern Spy is a j strong growing variety, and usually does I not bear until the tree has attained a fair size. Pruning should be sufficient to keep the tree a good shape and open, so as to enable the sun to get to the centre and ripen tne inside wood. The laterals, i which jou mention as hanging on tne j . ground, should be pruned back to three , . -or four buds from the main stem. Uprisrht | leading shoots should be shortened about balf their length. Laterals should be cut I back to three or four buds. Weak laterals i and branches that cross should also be ! cut back. Of course, throughout the ! operation the idea of keeping the tree a j good shape and evenly balanced must, to ! a certain extent, control how much o r how little is cut away. Prune sufficiently to bring about this result, but do not overprune. P._v leaving leading shoots or . laterals too long you will obtain lengths of branches with dormant buds and no lateral growth, and what you want •to aim for is to produce lateral "growths, which, by cutting back annually, will form fruiting spurs close to the main branches. There is no need to dress the small lateral cuts with any antiseptic, but if cutting off , large branches give the cut surface a , dressing of tar or ordinary white lead i paint. INQUIRER fWaharoa) as_s for a creeper that is suitable for grooving over a stone or concrete building.—The best creeper for covering concrete or stone buildings is the small-leaved Virginian creeper known as Anapelopsis. or Titis hederacea Veitchii. This is self-clinging, and is very ornameutal in autumn, when the leaves turn a brilliant crimson. Another creeper that does well for small structures is Ficus repens. the climbing Fig. This is also self-clinging and looks very i well, being of a dark glossy green, but it : will not stnud heavy frost: in fact, it i cannot be said to be truly hardy south ol Auckland. GARDEN NOVICE (New Lynn) asks: ,1) As I ._n about to commence sowing; my Tomato seed in boxes, what preparation does the soil want? <_) What is the best manure for the Tomato when planted out? |3) Is the black cricket injurious to small plants? <4l What is tbe best way to sow onions?—(l) The soil for sowing Tomato seed in should be lisht and sandy but no niauure should be used. If you' refer to the preparation of the soil for planting in, it should be well dug, and if possible a soilfumigant should be used to kill any spores or insects that may be present. cA, . rsona , ll:r - be - Ton<J living perhaps a little uouedust. I do not advocate the use of any manure to Tomatoes when first P anted. If the soil is very poor, or tlie plants do not start away readily a little blood aud bone can be given 'but as a rule Tomatoes jroiv fast enough and the best time to start manuring is when the first fruits have set. (3) The black cricket will eat anything. I think. Should it be troublesome spraying with arsenate ot lead, or if the plants are very small dusting with tobacco dust or hellebore powder will check them. (4) Onions are best sown in drills. The seed should be sown thinly and very lightly covered. Try ana sow them so that they have a few fine days after sowin... A-heavy rain immediately after sowin- causes the seed to burst tie outer skin and tbe germ rots. This is a fremipnt cause of Onion seed sown during autumn or winter to appear. *» CEANOTHUS. The Ceanothus are very pretty shrubs, bearing spikes of small blue* flowers somewhat similar to a miniature Lilac. There are several varieties, varying in different tints of blue. One of the 'best of the hybrids is Gloire de Versailles, and it is a shrub which is worthy of a position in every garden.

PRUNING FRUIT TREES. One or two general matters call for attention on pruning. It will be readily recognised that the pruners must have some object in view. Frequent advice given to pruners is "Cut to an outside bud." Why? Because the growth from this bud. and the top or uppermost of those of the remaining will grow away from the centre of the tree, and thus tend to keep it open. But sometimes there may be a vacant space on one side or the other of a branch, in which case it is advisable to leave the top bud pointing in the direction of the space we wish to fill. (Fix. I.)

I The character of the cuts made in 1 pruning must also be considered. A long slanting cut not only proclaims the bad workman, but it calls for greater energy on the part of the tree than does the short clean cut near the bud. To leave a portion of wood above the bud there will be decay, which will not infrequently threaten the bud in addition. (Fig. IL) Whatever the tools used in pruning, let them be sharp. Always pare over with a sharp knife wounds made with a saw. The question of whe-

ther it is better to use knife or secateurs has mainly resolved iteelf into a matter of expediency; both tools are useful, and, in fact, necessary for making a good job. When a large amount of pruning has to be done, it is found that secateurs expedite the work considerably, and when the tools in question are really good ones there need be small occasion for finding fault with the work done by them. It is often advised not to prune in hard, frosty

I weather. So far as personal comfort is concerned, the advice is good, but otherwise pruning can be done, and, where a large amount has to be done, I pruning is done in almost every kind of ■weather without detriment to the trees. Of recent years the tendency has been to look on pruning from a more common sense point of view than formerly. There is not the belief in cutting to an ! exact number of buds, nor the same ' desire for severe restrictions. Wouldbe pruners should always remember that in the case of ordinary health and vigour hard pruning will often cause increased growth at the expense of fruitfulness.

The materials joined by the white bands may be mixed and applied together, but not for storage. The thin black lines join materials that can be mixed at any time. Do not mix, nor apply together the substances joined by heavy black lines, as they re-act destructively on each other. CLEMATIS JACKMANNI. 1 If large flowers of this Clematis are 1 desired, the growths should be pruned well back to the main stem, in fact, the -whole plant should be cut almost down to about twelve inches from the ground. Plants so treated will be late,

I CUT BACK CLEMATIS JACKMANNI. , flowers can get them by merely cuttin°--3 back the slender tops that are hano-- . ing about loosely. A mulching of well * rotted manure should be placed over t the soil, around the plant, after prun- , ing. Slugs are very fond of the young i growths and some protection from these I pests should be given.

CLTJB ROOT ON CABBAGES. This disease is peculiar to various plants belonging to the Cruciferae, which includes many of our common vegetables such as Turnips, Cabbages, etc It is caused by a bacteria which is said to exist particularly in acid soils. In many gardens it is particularly bad, and "once it gets hold it does not seem to matter whether the soil is acid to alkaline. Stable manure appears to be favourable to it, and the best antidote is heavy dressing of lime. Any Cabbage or Cauliflower plant showing signs of swellings below the collar or in any part of the roots should be discarded

CLUB-ROOT ON CABBAGES. and burned. All plants that are seen to be affected should be dug up and j the roots taken away and burned as | soon as possible. The ground should receive a good dressing of quicklime and I no Cabbages, etc., grown in the same ground for at least four or five years. BRUSSELS SPROUTS. To keep Brussel Sprouts in good condition, go over the plants and remove all dead or decaying leaves. The top growth must be left, for removed it causes the sprouts to open. The sprouts should be gathered from the base upwards, and the lower ones should never be left and picking com-

I menced half way up the stem. The sprouts are best picked when closed, and before opening; in fact, the latter are considered of poor quality. FUCHSIAS. Fuchsia cuttings rooted in autumn and intended for bloom next summer, should be potted up into small pots. Use a compost that allows free drainage and do not overwater. Keep the plants growing slowly and do not attempt to force the growth. Old plants

should be cut back hard. The Fuchsia stands hard cutting and seems to im- , prove with it. Seeing how well the | Fuchsia does about Auckland it is surprising that more use is not made of it. It makes a very good low hedge, especially the small flowered hardier varieties. It can be trained into almost any shape and a well-grown specimen is an object of beauty for any garden. They make fine standard plants, and show off the drooping flowers to advantage in this form. As dwarf wall plants, or trained to the rafters of a greenhouse, and pruned in a similar manner to vines, the Fuchsia is one of the best of plants for the purpose, and shows to perfection. OVERHAULING THE ROCK GARDEN. This is the best season to rearrange and, if necessary, partially to rebuild the rock garden, provided the taking up and replanting is executed expeditiously a nd during open weather. It is a common failing to the majority of rock gardens to dry out during the hottest months of the year, and in the case of a long-sustained period of dry weather and a shortage of water, or time and labour to apply it, many of us have just to accept the inevitable and let things go, with the result that many plants have to be replaced. It will often be found that in many cases the most unlikely plants pull through. In every such case it will be found that the plant has its roots under, or around, or among stones and rocks which are buried in the soiL The benefit of buried rock is very obvious in dry ; weather. The rock that is exposed is j very ornamental, but unless plenty of it, | from quite large pieces to fine grit, is . buried everywhere in the B oil, the rock I garden will never be what it should be. Another factor in the conservation of moisture is humus. This Js best provided by leaf mould or well-decayed stable manure. Do not add the material in wads or layers, but fork it evenly through the soil. Finally, remember that ,etone chippings on the surface after j planting prevents excessive evaporation. j Where the soil i s excessively wet it may |be necessary to put in some kind of ' drainage. Another failing often noticed ,is the lack of blossom for quite a large part of the year in certain parts of j the garden. This is due largely to the j eagerness of producing certain effects in the way of contrasts and combinations of colour without giving sufficient thought to the duration of flowering Often when the rock garden is viewed as a whole it has what may be termed a "spotty* effect, and to avoid thi s it is necessary to plant as far as possible in bold masses. When planting groups of particular plants, with the idea of contrasts or combinations of colour, do not place them next to each other, with the result that when the flowering) period is over there is a large space devoid of colour for months. This can be avoided by planting one colour at a different level. Often there is an overcrowded • appearance, due to the planting of too many shrubs and trees, which probably looked very charming when first planted but have now outgrown the positions they occupy. Only suitable varieties for the ; purpose and position should be employed . Large, coarse-growing shrubs should not i on any account be planted.

LOUDON'S RULES FOR GARDENERS. 1. Perform every operation in the proper season and in the best maimer 2. Complete every operation sively. 3. Never, if possible, perform one operation in such a manner as to render another necessary. 4. When called off from any operation, leave your work and tools in an orderly manner. J 5. In leaving off work, make a temporary finish, clean up your tools and carry them to the toolhouse. 6. Never do in the garden or hothouses that whicli can be equally well done in the_ reserve ground or the back sheds. 7. Never pass a weed or insect "without pulling it up or taking it off, unless time forbid. S. In gathering a crop take away the useless as well as the us-eful parts. 9. Let no plant, ripen seeds, unless they are wanted for some purpose, useful or ornamental-, and remove all parts which are in a state of decay. •WATERING POT PLANTS. The successful cultivation of plants i_ pots is largely a matter of the proper ; management of the water supply. More I are killed or injured by being given too j little in summer and too much in winter than by any other causes. At this season the majority of plants are resting, or growth is very slow. They therefore cannot use much water, and evaporation is so slight that there is very little needed to replace any lost by that means. The trouble is, that if the soii becomes saturated at this season it remains cold and wet for so lonf that the roots begin to decay. If a plant by some means c- other g. s too much water the best way to overcome the matter is to stand the pot at the first opportunity in a sunny position for s few hours. Efficient drainage and a friable soil are the first essentials to the successful cultivation of pot plants, especially during winter. Never apply water during the dull months of the year until actually needed, and if pos-. sible apply it during the morning of art apparently fine day. HEATHS. The Heaths or Ericas are very pretty shrubs, especially for the small garden. Where they do well they bloom profusely and never get too large. They like a good soil, but they will not stand free lime in any form, it simply aeti as a poison to them. Well decayed manure or leafsoil is the best manure to use, although even without any they will flourish in the average soil provided lime is kept away from them. Drainage should be perfect and if the soil is on the heavy side add plenty of sand. Firm soil is also necessary and this is why the addition of sand is recommended, it enables a soil to be packed firm without preventing free drainage.