7i< 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



-Makch G, 190S. 



AGRICULTURAL SHOW AT NEVIS. 



The Agricnlt.mal Show held at. St. Kitt's on 

 January 28 last was a fairly siicce.«sfiil one, and although 

 ill Mime cl.-isses the e.xhilnts were nut so numerous as 

 ill previous years, the quality on all hands showed 

 distinct improvement. The total number of exhibits 

 oil bhow was 4t)8, of which no less than 182 were in 

 Class I (Live Stock). 



After a few introductory remarks by the Hon. C. A. 

 fShaiiH, Chairman of the Nevi^ Agricultural and Coiniuercial 

 Society, the Show was opened by his Honour the Administra- 

 tor of St. Kitt'.s-Nevis, who gave an interesting address. 

 Mr. Roxburgh referred to the high quality of many of tlie 

 exhibits The live stock showed much improvement in 

 (•om|iai-i.son with past years, and there were .some really fine 

 animals present. His Honour also mentioned that the vege^ 

 tables, fruit, and preserves were, in ijuite a number of 

 iiistance.s, remarkable for their excellence. In conclusion he 

 expres.sed the thanks of all to Mr. Shaud, wiio had exi>ended 

 •so much time and energy to make the Show a success. 



The best classes at the Show were tliose for Live Stock 

 and for Vegetables. The foriner class included no less than 

 thirteen foals, the progeny of the stud liorse ' Norman,' and 

 six young mules the otl-s|iiing of the .Jack donkey * Bismarck 

 both the property of the Imperial I)ei>artiiieiit of Agri- 

 culture, and which were in th& past located at Nevis. These 

 animals, in all cases, were a credit to their respective sires. 

 The prize for the best animal at the Show was awarded to 

 a mare three years old, the jiroperty of S. 1). ^lalone, E.sq. 



In the vegetable class, there w^ere 90 entries. A prize 

 given by Lady Sweet-Escott for the best collection of produce 

 was won by a peasant proprietor whose assortment included 

 nearly twenty different vegetables, some of excellent quality. 



The School exhibits w¥re distinctly good, and were 

 a special feature of the Show. St. (ieorge's School, Ginger- 

 land, took first prize for a collection of jilants, .serfind prize 

 for vegetables, and second prize for pot plants. 



'GAPES IN YOUNG CHICKENS. 



What is known as gapes is a disease liable to 

 ittfect chickens in all parts of the world, and the follow- 

 ing notes ns to the cause of the disonh-r, and methods 

 of prevention and treatment, are worthy of attention by 

 poultry keepers in the West Indies. They are taken 

 from Bulletin .V/ of the Pennsylvania Agri- 

 cultural Experiment Station, entitled 'Some Poultry 

 Experiments ': — 



' Gapes ' is a jiarasitic disease caused liy the jiresence of 

 M-orms in the windpipe of young chickens. A small, reddi.sh, 

 forked worm is attached to the mucous lining of the wind- 

 . pipe. Where tli(;.se worms exist in large numbers the chickens 

 die from suffocation. The disease is most dangerous to 

 chicks from one to four weeks old 



Chi' kens often cough up the.sc worms. A female worm 

 ma\' i:oiitain several thousand eggs, and is consequently 

 a dangerous source of infection. Healthy chickens may eat 

 the worms coughed U)) liy sick ones, and may swallow the . 

 eggs in food or drink. The urgent necessity of .separating 

 atfectcd birds from the remainder of the Hock is therefore at 

 once aiiparcnt. 



The most ilcsirable method of conibaliiig the di.sease is to 

 rear the young chicks on a new piece of land where no other 

 chicks have been kept. After the chick.- have become well- 

 grown there is less danger of the trouble, as they are 



stronger and more able tu throw the worms out of the wind- 

 pipe, should any get lodged in the lining. 



All coops and runs should be disinfected with a 2-per 

 cent, solution of sulphuric acid in water, or a solution of 

 creolin, two table.spoonfuls in each gallon of water. The 

 bodies of all chicks that die should at once be burned. 

 A small jiiece of sulphate of iron placed in the drinkini^. 

 water is said to prevent infection. 



||HThe worms may be extracted from the chicken's wind- 

 pijje by a loop of horse hair, stripped feather tip, etc. This- 

 is a tedious operatirtii and reijuiies careful manipulation in. 

 order not to kill the bird. Dip the extractor in a solution 

 of creolin (one tablespoonful to one pint of water) before- 

 inserting it in the windpipe, lieiiig careful not to have any 

 quantity of the liquid on the instrument, or it may cau.se 

 death. In.sert the extractor gently into the windpipe, and 

 withdraw with a .slightly twisting motion. This ivill brinf 

 out most of the worms. What remain will be killed by the 

 creolin solution. 



CORNS ON HORSES' FEET. 



A corn on the foot of a horse or a mule necessarily 

 results in a certain degree of temporary lameness. If 

 the profier method of treatment is adopted, however, 

 the trouble can usually be got rid of in a comparatively 

 short time, but it is important to remember that 

 unskilful or ignorant treatment may readily increase 

 the trouble so as to result in more serious lameness. 

 The following sensible note on this subject is extracted 

 from Hunting's ' Art of Horse-shoeing': — 



A corn, be it remembered, is not a tumour or a growth ;. 

 it is merely a bruise of the sensitive foot under the horn of 

 the sole. It shows itself by staining the horn red, just as 

 a bruise of the human body shows a staining of the skin 

 above it. To ' cut out a corn ' with the idea of removing it 

 is simply' an ignorant proceeding. 



If a corn be slight, all that is neces.sary is to take off the- 

 pi-essure of the .shoe, and this is as.sisted by removing a thin 

 slice or two of horn at the part. When the injury is very 

 great, matter may be. formed under the horn, and, of course^ 

 must be let out by removal of the horn over it. Provided 

 there is no reason* to believe that matter has formed, 

 a corn — i.e., the bruised and discoloured horn — .should not be 

 dug out in the ruthless manner so commonly adopted. Gutting 

 away all the horn of the sole at the heels leaves the wall 

 without any support. When the shoe rests upon the wall it 

 is unable to sustain the weight without yielding, and thus an 

 additional cau.><e of irritation and .soreness is manufactured. 

 The excessive paring of corns is the chief reason of the- 

 ditticulty of getting permanently rid of them. 



The simplest de.vice for taking all pressure off a corn is 

 to cut off an inch and a half of the inner heel of the shoe. 

 A\'ith the three-quarter shoe a horse will soon go sound, and 

 his foot will then resume its healthy state. The saying 

 ' once a corn, always a corn' is not true ; but it is true that 

 a bruised heel is tender ami liable to bruise again, from veiT 

 slight unevenne.ss of pressure, for at least three months. All 

 that is necessary is.i'care in fitting, and abstention from 

 removal of too much horn at the part. Of course, wh^n the 

 degree of lameness is such as to suggest that matter is formed, 

 the horn must be cut)' away so as to afford an exit for it ; but 

 the majority of corns are detected long befon- the stasre of 

 suppuration has resulted from a bruise. 



