62 Agricultural Gazette of N.S.W, [Jan. 2, 1920. 



There is, perhaps, no better evidence of this fault than a market report 

 that appeared in a Sydney paper early last month. It ran as follows : — 



Glut of Chicks. — The market is overstocked with White Leghorn chicks of four to seven 

 weeks, and they arc selling (alive) at 9d. to Is. 2d. per ])air, with a few at Is. 3d. to Is. 4d. 

 Dark table breeds of that age are Is. to Is. 6d. jier pair, with a few at Is. 7d. to Is. Sd. 

 Chickens of eight to twelve weeks have better sale, the White Leghorns at Is. 3d. to 

 Is. lOd., and the heavy breeds at Is. 9d. to 2s. 4d. per pair. Grillers of fair weight sell 

 readily at 3s. 9d. to 4s. 6d. per pair. 



At that very time cockerels from Ilawkesbury Agricultural College and 

 the soldiers' settlements, and also from many well-managed private farms, 

 were making from 4s. 6d. to 5s. 6d. per pair for ten to twelve weeks old 

 chickens, while four to five months old birds were making 6s. 6d. to 12s. 6d. 

 per pair, and even White Leghorns were realising 8s. and over. 



The Outlook for 1920. 

 Many inquiries are being made relating to the prospects of the industry 

 in 1920, some taking a pessimistic view because of the shadow of uncertainty 

 that hangs over the question of food supplies between now and next harvest 

 time. 



One thing can be said — there is an ample supply of wheat in the Common- 

 wealth, if not in this State. This assurance, together with the partial breaking 

 of the drought (which will result in taking much of the larger stock of! the 

 consumption of mill offal and wheat, liberating it for the poultry farmers), 

 should induce a more optimistic outlook. Then again, information received 

 by the Department as to the prospects of next season for the export of eggs 

 points to a period of fair prosperity, to say the least. In the meantime, the 

 prospects are, unfortunately, for scarcity of foodstuffs and consequently for 

 high prices — a condition of things that will weigh heavily upon the class of 

 poultry farmer which of necessity must purchase in small lots and cannot 

 afford to stock up. 



A Reminder about Chicken-pox (Warts). 



It should be understood that chicken-pox is a definite blood disease, and 

 that once contracted it will run its course in like manner to a fever. There 

 is no cure, and the only amelioration of the disease that is possible once it 

 attacks a bird, is to dry up the scabs, for which there is nothing better than 

 tincture of iodine. 



The severity of the disease can be controlled, however. In fact, a faithful 

 administration of flowers of sulphur in the morning mash at the rate of 1 oz. 

 to fifty full-grown birds two or three times per week for short periods of two 

 or three weeks consecutively, substituting Epsom salts in the drinking water 

 for two or three weeks and then returning to the sulphur, will make the 

 birds practically immune. This treatment should begin this month. 



How to Cut a Bird's "Wing. 

 The flpng propensities of such breeds as the "White Leghorn makes the 

 cutting of wings almost imperative, particularly when the wire-netting 



