Vol. XVII. No. 428. 



THE AGRICfLTirRAL NEWS. 



297 



inforniation has yet been received to show what was 

 the subsequent course and history of this disturbance. 

 The evidence of the existence of the two centres 

 is clear from the information obtained from the Tele- 

 graph Company as to the conditions prevailing ar 

 4 p.m., as follows: — 



Antigua — wind NK, gusty. 

 Dominica — wind .SE, squally. 

 St. Lucia — wind ENH. 

 St. Vincent — wind W, squally. 



The simultaneous appearance of two centres of 

 disturbance seems to be a common feature of West 

 Indian cyclones: a similar instance was recorded in 

 connexion with the disturbances occurring on Ctcto- 

 ber 15, 1916, in the Virgin Islands. (See Agricultural 

 A'eu:i, Vol. XV, p. :io5.) 



It IS well for observers, particularly captains of 

 steamships, to be on the look out for the existence of 

 more than one centre of disturbance. Unless these are 

 recognized it is difficult to locate the centres from 

 observations of the wind directions, for it may be that 

 the observer may have evidence of winds arising from 

 opposite sides of two centres of rotation, and it may be 

 difficult to interpret the tacts: this condition is quite 

 likely to happen in the case of a rapidly moving steam- 

 ship, which may pass into both the areas of disturbance. 



ible for those willing to work to purchase food, while 

 the steps taken by owners in salving schooners driven 

 ashore, involving an expenditure of some hundreds of 

 poimds, provided labour for a large number of able- 

 bodied men. 



Hurricane in the Cayman Islands, 1916-17. 



The Report on the Blue Book of the Cayman 

 Islands for 1916-17 ii published as Colonial Reports 

 — Annual, No. 9-59. In addition to the financial and 

 other data usually presented in reports of this descrip- 

 tion, this contains an account of a severe hurricane 

 which visited Grand Cayman on September 24, 1917. 

 The most serious feature of the storm was the complete 

 destruction of all provision grotmds: very few fruit and 

 breadfruit trees Avere left standing. Breadfruit had 

 been the mainstay of the poorer classes owing to the 

 high price of foodstuffs, and it can well be realized how 

 serious their position has been. Unfortunately two lives 

 were lost. All the available vessels in Grand Cayman — 

 fourteen in number — were driven ashore, thus adding to 

 the difficulty of communication with Jamaica. Fortun- 

 ately but a few days elapsed before a schooner arrived 

 from the turtle- fishing grounds of Nicaragua, which pro- 

 ceeded to Montego Bay with mails. A supply ot 

 foodstuffs was sent down as quickly as possible by 

 His Excellency the Acting Governor of Jamaica. In 

 the meantime a relief committee was appointed to 

 distribute supplies, and everything possible was doii'' 

 to alleviate suffering and distress. Approximately one 

 hundred houses were demolished beyond all hope ot 

 repair, and a grant of money was given to those most 

 deserving of help to enable them to rebuild. The 

 east end district of the island sustained the most 

 damage; about sixty houses were blown down in 

 this portion of the Dependency. Very little Govern- 

 ment property was destroyed, and the roads, though 

 sitrewn with debris, were left intact. Relief work on the 

 roads w*s immediately begun, thus rendering it poss- 



Treatment for Scaly Leg in Fowls. 



The following should be of interest to poultrj- 

 keepers in the West Indies, where scaly leg is fairly 

 prevalent. The account of the cause of this affection 

 and the recommendations for treatment are taken from 

 the Annual Report on the Department of Agriculture, 

 Fiji, for the year 1916. 



Acarina. —X request for information regarding 

 'scaly leg' or scabies of the legs of poultry, wiis received 

 during the year, and as the subject may be of general 

 interest to those who keep poultry, the following notes 

 are included in this report. This disease is caused by 

 a mite, Sarcopten mutans, which lives under the 

 epidermal scales covering part of the legs and digits 

 causing irritation which, if untreated, may affect the 

 general health of the birds. The fowls lose condition, 

 cease laying, and lose appetite, and sometimes succumb 

 to the effects of the affection. Although it often 

 happens that some fowls remain healthy for long periods 

 in spite of the cohabitation of healthy with diseased 

 birds, it must be remembered that the disease is 

 highly contagious, so that the first step towards 

 eradicating the disease should be the isolation of affected 

 individuals. The hen-house and all piirts thereof 

 should be thoroughly disinfected by scrubbing with 

 some standard disinfectant m boiling water. Th« 

 crusts should be removed from the legs of the fowls 

 and means taken to prevent their reappearance. The 

 crusts are often removed by means of the finger 

 nail, or scrubbed off with a brush dipped in tepid 

 water, but this is painful to the bird. The best) plan 

 is to soften the crusts by soaking the legs in a tepid 

 alkaline bath for a tew minutes, and then remove the 

 crusts without causing bleeding. Convenient alkaline 

 baths are lime-water made from calcium carbide refuse 

 [whitelime], washing soda in water, or Scrubb's ammo- 

 nia in water. When the legs are dry, smear a littl« 

 of the following ointment, known as 'HelinerichV 

 pomade: — 



Parts by 

 weight. 

 Sublimed sulphur ( flowers of sitlphur) 10 



Distilled water 5 



Almond oil ^ 



Potassium carbonate 5 



Lard 5 



This ointment can be made up locally, and for the 

 sum of ■2^. a sufficient quantity could be obtained to 

 treat many fowls. The ointment may be washed off in 

 two days' "time with soap and water, when the legs will 

 be found perfectly clean and free from parasites. I» is 

 advisable to smear the cured portion with vaseline for 

 a few days, to :dlay the irritation which sometime* 

 remains. 



