Vol. IX. No. 20G. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



87 



POULTRY NOTES. 



In commenting on this, the Journal of the 

 Jamaica Agricaltaral Society points out that the 

 particular corn to which reference is made is American 

 corn,"\vhich contains a larger proportion of starch than 

 the ordinar}' West Indian varieties. After mentioning 

 that a constant diet of the latter, even, will not give 

 the best results, it suggests that, where it is difficult 

 to get other food for poultry than corn, the latter should 

 be parched, and fed in that state for three or four days 

 at a time. 



FEEDING POULTRY WITH CORN. 



The following article, which deals with the effect 

 of feeding an excess of corn (maize) to poultry, is repro- 

 duced, in the Journal of the Jamaica Agricultiwol 

 Society from Farm, Field and Firenide : — 



A very common mistake made by poultry keepers is that 

 of feeding their birds on too much corn (maize). Too much 

 maize is not good for fowls, as it brings on liver disease sooner 

 than anything we know. It makes the bird too fat inter- 

 nally, and also makes blood too fast. Fowls that are fed 

 liberally upon it are lined with yellow fat, especially in the 

 abdomen, sometimes to the thickne.ss of half an inch. The 

 consequence of all this is that the egg organs become so weak 

 that the hens lay eggs without .shells. These are not the 

 worst effects of feeding on maize, as birds that are so treated 

 are generally in a weak condition, and .so they are susceptible 

 to many other affections and diseases, especially cold and 

 roup. It is not always liver di.sease that actually kills them, 

 but in consequence of the derangement of that organ, the 

 birds get into such a state that diseases soon laj' hold upon 

 them and overcome them, because they are too weak to with- 

 stand the ravages of the disease. 



In some instances where we have found cases of roup 

 that have proved to be incurable, we have seen, on e.vaniina- 

 tion, that the liver was diseased, being full of tuberculous 

 matter and with white spots upon it. Sometimes these spots are 

 only as large as a pin's head. In most cases where roup has 

 not yielded to treatment, we have found this tuberculous 

 liver existing, and, in some instances, tumour, the growth of 

 which the maize is very likely to stimulate. In cases 

 where only ordinary scrofula is coming on, tuberculous 

 substance forms, at first, in small yellow sj)ots, and these 

 grow rapidly, so that in a very short time they are 

 a quarter of an inch through, and the liver is more than three 

 times the ordinary size. We have weighed a liver of from 

 9 to 11 oz., the normal weight being from 2 to 2 J oz. Another 

 cause of a great deal of liver disea.se is inbreeding. More 

 fowls die of this disease than the others put together. 



Insufficiency of small grit, feeding on Indian corn, in- 

 breeding, and bad ventilation are the four greatest foes to 

 success in poultry yards. We have known instances where 

 farmers have used maize for years together, and it has had 

 such a bad effect upon the progeny that scarcely a chicken of 

 all that were hatched lived. They died, many of them, when 

 from four to six days old, some living until they were from 

 three to six weeks old. 



Poultry keepers use maize (corn) because it is a cheap 

 food, and fowls seem to prefer it to any other, but they have 

 to pay very dearly for their fancy, and only the bare, sad 

 facts will convince them of the danger of using too much. 

 A little corn for a change does not hurt the fowls, especially 

 in the cold weather, but as a regular diet it should never 

 be used. 



FOREST POLICY IN HAWAII. 



There are in Hawaii two main classes of forest land, 

 which, for the sake of convenience, have been termed the 

 ' waterbearing fore.st' and the ' commercial forest'. The 

 waterbearing forest is situated for the most part in the 

 windward districts, and covers the watersheds and catchment 

 basins of the streams that are needed for irrigation, power 

 development and other economic uses. The chief value of 

 this forest is that it protects the headwaters of these streams. 

 Its most important product is water, and the treatment 

 indicated for it is therefore the one which will best serve to 

 produce the largest quantity of water. 



This class of native Hawaiian forest belongs to what is 

 known as the ' rain-forest' type, common in the tropics. To 

 render to the full its beneficial service as a conservator of 

 water, it is essential that the forest cover be kept strictly 

 intact; for, owing to its character and composition, the 

 Hawaiian forest is easily damaged by the inroads of cattle 

 and other enemies. The method of management best adapted 

 to secure the result desired with this class of forest is to keep 

 it as a ' protection forest', from which men and animals are 

 strictly e.xcluded. Only by so managing it, can it be made 

 to yield permanently the largest share of its most valuable 

 product— water. All but one of the sixteen forest reserves 

 so far set apart are in the water-bearing forest class. They 

 are therefore to be considered and treated as protection 

 forests. 



The other main class of Hawaiian forest — the commercial 

 forest-- is found for the most part in the districts on the 

 leeward side of the island of Hawaii, where, from the nature 

 of the topography, and the remarkable porosity of rock and 

 soil, there are no permanent running streams, and only occa- 

 sional springs. In such districts it is obvious that the 

 protection of watersheds does not figure. Consequently, the 

 chief value of the commercial forest lies in the wood and 

 timber which it can be made to produce. Fortunately, over 

 a considerable portion of the commercial forest, reproduction 

 can be secured through natural means, so that successive 

 crops of valuable timber can be obtained, provided the forests 

 are managed in accordance with the dictates of practical 

 forestry. 



Important as the commercial forest is, it should be clearly 

 borne in mind that, in Hawaii, the water-bearing forest is far 

 and away the more important of the two classes, and that 

 wherever it (the water-bearing forest) occurs, it should, 

 because of its relation to the ecfmcmic development of the 

 territory, not only be carefully protected, but so managed 

 that it may be of the greatest use possible. (From the Report 

 of the Board of Cominissioners of Ayririiltiire and Furc.ftri/, 

 Hawaii, 1908.) 



