262 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



cultiirists. My "personal experience" for instance, nay, my 

 observation, reason and common sense all combine to utterly 

 explode tlie idea of " eighteen-incli" plowing with the view of 

 improving the land where I live and increasing the yield of crops. 

 I do not wish to be understood however as asserting that there 

 may not be localities or districts of country where deep plowing 

 may not be beneficial. Where lands have been worn out by long 

 and constant cropping it is not unlikely that they may be aided 

 very materially by tui-ning up the lower soil to the surface, and 

 by manuring, the evil effects of the exhaustion may be got over in 

 due time. Land thus circumstanced requires rest. Thorough 

 seeding is also very beneficial, and the grass should not be pas- 

 tured too closely. But where, as in this country generally, the 

 surface soil is good, the land not having been overtasked, six to 

 ten inches plowing I contend is far better than fifteen or eighteen. 

 At all events this is my " personal experience " in the matter, 

 and I shall hold that to be good against all " scientific" remark 

 merely, or until some one shall practically demonstrate that the 

 yellow clay is better than the dark loam for the production and 

 growth of vegetation. 



In conclusion, I suggest a seasonable subject, viz : What is 

 known as the " Gapes,'' or chicken disorder, a disease which 

 proves fatal to at least one-third, if not one-half, of all the broods 

 brought off on every poultry-yard in this country. The trouble 

 is occasioned by a little knot of red worms, as I think, which 

 may be found in the windpipe of every chicken so troubled. 

 These worms increase in size and work up toward the head until 

 the chicken is suftbcated. I have found these worms in every 

 instance out of many examinations which I have made. Some- 

 times I have cured the chicken when in a very advanced stage 

 of the disease, by running my finger and thumb down on the out- 

 side of the neck, pressed pretty closely against the windpipe, thus 

 forcing the worms down into the stomach or crop of the chicken. 

 At other times it will kill the chicken immediately. The best 

 remedy I know, however, is to feed with dry feed — whole grains 

 of corn or buckwheat is best from the start. Give them no meal 

 or other ground feed. If your corn is very large crack it be- 

 tween a couple of stones for a while, until the chicken is able to 

 swallow whole grains. This treatment will have a tendency to 

 keep the worms described above out of the throat. Perliaps some 

 of you may know a better remedy. 



The most profitable fowl is the Leghorn, in my opinion. They 



