AND SONG

do not appear to be subject to many diseases, however cannot be said of domesticated birds. Ina state of nature and at full liberty, instinct like an unerring guide points out to them the sort of food best adapted to their several

restraint and de-

But when caged oF under lect, carelessness, over-

STORE A SICK BIRD TO HEALTH or natural state but this

HOW TO RE Birds in a wild

pendent on man for support, Nes

feeding or feeding on musty, undeveloped, improperly of bird ceed, entail much

ripened, oF bad mixtures mischief in this tr spect, which a attention would certainly prevent. Consider the birds and they wl with cheerful sons: Cage birds are with kindness, but more rently with crt The very best way to treat |» rds 18 & give them, jaily, good, sound and clean s ed » :operly mixed with as pply of good water to drink, plenty of pure air of a regular temperature O ‘thout a draft, good grav’

and thorough cleanliness. 4 strong birds with beautiful plumage

regular and careful

i} amply repay you sometimes killed

at? nis wii

| neglect.

f 65 degrees, W 1 ensure healthy ane .and cheerful song:

184 THE BREADMAKER’S COOKING LESSONS.

Birds are often most cruelly neglected by their owners, sometimes being left to the care of disinterested individ- uals, in which case they are irregularly fed and watered, and sometimes they have too much, but often too little. Water is frequently left in the cage until it not only becomes stagnant and too filthy to drink, but poisonous to the very atmosphere of the place, and positively in- jurious to human existence, and yet the poor bird has to drink it or go without, and the food that is given to such birds is very bad and extremely dirty. The cage in which such birds are kept is often found in the most gloomy part of the room, and might never have been cleaned out for years, and the perches would puzzle a

Philadelphia lawyer to tell what they are made of on account of the dirt ‘the poor bird is literally eat up with vermin, whic) )sced very rapidly under such favor- able circumstances, or is so worried by them in the

night that it cannot get sleep, which is of more import- ance than food, and gradually loses health and spirits, becomes weak and nervous, and stops singing from sheer exhaustion, and the owner of sucha bird is heard ex- pressing surprise that his bird has stopped singing! That the bird should exist at all under such neglect and unfavorable surroundings is frequently a matter of great surprise to the writer. Thus the germs of disease are frequently sown and developed and medicine has to be resorted to.

Disease is an effect, which like other effects cannot exist without a cause. Therefore, when a bird is sick, find out immediately, if possible, the cause, and have it removed, aud when the cause is removed, disease, the effect, will often gradually disappear without the aid of much medicine. Nature is the great healer in birds as well as in human beings; all that we can do in cases of sickness is to assist nature to throw off disease and restore again to health and vigor. Some of the principal diseases to which birds are subject are as follows :— Colds, roup, constipation, diarrhoea, inflammation, asth- ma, pip, obstruction of rump gland, surfeit, consumption, etc. We know, by many unmistakeable signs, when our pets are sick, but it is not always so easy, even for those who have made birds a life study, to distinguish one

disease those 1 and sc and ti patien all thi and ir into a it wel sleep, the st a tim A | almo: healt A:

in tl servl relia atten

M feet strik shell

M feet the

MISCELLANEOUS. 185

disease from another. How can it be expected then of those whose experience amons birds is but very short and so very limited ? How often is one disease mistaken and treated for nother, and thus injury to the little patient instead of benefit is the sure r ‘Lo avoid all this in such cases of sickness, seek proper advice and in the meantime remove the sick bird from all drafts into a regular temperature of 70 or 75 degrees. Cover it well up every night during the hours of inactivity and sleep, when the temperature of the room, like the fire in the stove, is likely to become low, removing all feed for a time.

A faithful observance of the above instructions will almost invariably be sufficient to restore your bird to health and song, except in very obstinate cases.

A small piece of salt pork just out of pickle hung up in the cage for the bird to pick at is often of great service in restoring a bird to song, but the principal reliance must be placed upon proper diet and regular attention.

TO MEASURE CORN IN THE EAR IN BULK,

Multiply the length, breadth and height together in feet and tenths of feet, and multiply this product by 4; strike off the right hand figure, and the result will be shelled bushels.