Vol. IX. No. 201. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



POULTRY NOTES. 



BREEDING AND CARE OF FOWLS. 



The ExperlriKndal FaTirts Rejmrts of the Domin- 

 ion of Canada for the year ending .March 31, 1909, has 

 been recently issued as an appendix to the Report of 

 the Minister of Agriculture. In the section which 

 deals with the work of the Poultry jManager, some mis- 

 taken impressions of ])oultry keepers are corrected in 

 a useful manner. The points which have special refer- 

 ence to conditions in the West Indies are given here: — • 



An erroneous impression on the part of many poultry 

 keepers is, that having secured a prolific egg laying strain of 

 fowl, no effort is necessary to perpetuate the excellence of 

 that strain. Experience has clearly shown that continued 

 careful and skilled breeding is necessary to retain or develop 

 prolific egg-laying characteristics. The term prolific is not 

 u.sed as referring to those phenomenal egg-layers with records 

 of 200 to 210 eggs per year each— rare specimens of which 

 are sometimes exploited — but to refer to hens, from which, 

 by selection, we may obtain an average of from 100 to 120 

 e»gs each per year. It may be claimed that manj- fowls, 

 under ordinary conditions, lay that number of eggs. But 

 the experience gained in many years, by breeding from 

 layers selected by trap-ne-it tests, does not verify that asser- 

 tion. There is reason to believe that, in numerous cases, the 

 number of eggs laid by a specially good hen or two in a pen 

 have been noted and the laying qualities of the remainder 

 have been rated as of the same exceptional merit. 



The remark may be frequently heard, from an enthusi- 

 astic but inexperienced [loultryman, 'I have a hen which I 

 believe lays an egg every day.' But what about the merits 

 of the other fowls in the same pen? The impression convey- 

 ed is that all the other inmates of the pen are equally 

 extraordinary layers. The trap-nest, with its mechanically 

 correct record, is the surest means of proving which are the 

 best, the worst and the indifferent layers. Only fowls of one 

 of the varieties which have been shown to be good layers of 

 large eggs, as well as of correct market type, should be 

 selected, and these should be carefully mated before being 

 placed in the breeding pen. It is of paramount importance 

 that the male bird, mated with the selected layers, should 

 also come from a family of proved prolific layers, as other- 

 wise there might be retrograde rather than progressive 

 influence. Careless or haphazard mating of old, young or 

 untried birds is not likely to result in success. 



In establishing a strain of prolific layers of large eggs — 

 in combination with good market type- -the following breeds 

 rnay be suggested, viz.: for eggs and flesh, select one of the 

 best utility types, such as Barred Plymouth Hocks, WTiite 

 Wyandottes, or Buff Orpingtons. For eggs only, a choice 

 may be made of any of the following: White Leghorns, 

 Black Minorcas, Andalusians or Black Hamburgs. A rule 

 important to observers is that none but the be.st layers among 

 the varieties named should be chosen. Where it is possible 

 to make a selection by trap-nests, such fowls should be pre- 

 ferred. Too much care cannot be taken in selecting a cock 



bird to head the breeding-pen. The mistake is frequently 

 made of purchasing a cock bird derived from a family of 

 inferior layers to mate with heife of proved merit. Such 

 action is surely detrimental. Unl|ss it is absolutely unavoid- 

 able, pullets should not be used to breed from. They are 

 really undeveloped fowls, and no such immature specimen 

 should be found in a breeding-pen. 



A second erroneous impression — especially common 

 among the farming community — is that any sort of building 

 is good enough for the housing of poultry. As a result of 

 this impression, poultry houses dilapidated, lice-infested, ill- 

 ventilated, unclean and improperly furni:shed are sometimes 

 met with. It is hardly necessary to remark that in such 

 cases the birds are unprofitable. Poultry houses are now 

 made which are ea.sy and cheap of construction, while of the 

 most approved patterns. 



THE ROOT DISEASE OF SUGAR-CANE. 



At the next general meeting of the Agricultural 

 and Commercial Society, Antigua, to be held on 

 January 14, I9I0, it is intended that the chief subject 

 for discussion shall be Root Disease of Sugar-cane in 

 Antigua, and the best methods of suppressing it. 

 Previous to this meeting, a circular containing a series- 

 of questions has been issued to sugar planters in the 

 island, by the Superintendent of Agriculture for the 

 Leeward Islands (Mr. H. A. Tempany, B.Sc), with 

 a request for answers, in order that information which 

 will form a useful basis for discussion may be available 

 at the meeting. As these questions are of more than 

 local interest, they are given below : — 



(1) Have you observed that root disease of sugar-cane 

 is prevalent on the estate under your charge. If so, to what 

 extent ? 



(2) Do you consider that it has increased in extent 

 during the past few years ? 



(3) Which do you consider most attacked, plants or 

 ratoons ? 



(4) Have you noticed that the disease is more prevalent 

 on any one type of soil I 



(.5) Have you noticed whether any form of treatment of 

 the soil or otherwise has resulted in either an increase or 

 decrease of the disease ? 



(6) Have you noticed whether any particular varieties 

 .of cane are attacked worse than others 1 If so, what are they ?" 



(7) Ha%-e you noticed whether any particular varieties 

 are attacked less than others ? If so, what are they ? 



(8) If you have not definitely recognized root disease of 

 sugar-cane, have you observed any appearance of retarded or 

 insutficicnt development of canes under circumstances w-hich 

 would appear favourable to growth ? 



(9) Have you noticed any decrease in the prevalence of 

 root disease as a result of rotations of (a) cotton, (b) green 

 dressings, (c) provision crops, (d) fallow I 



(10) Have you noticed any increased spread of the 

 disease as a result of the use Of pen manure containing 

 material infected with the disease ? 



(11) Do you consider that root disease of sugar-cane at 

 the present time is a serious menace to the sugar industry of 

 the island 1 



(12) Are there any other facts which you have noticed, 

 which have a bearing on the question ? 



