WORMS IN THE EYES OF GEESE. 
19 
sembles in its wild state the carrot, in having a dry, tough, 
somewhat acrid-flavoured root. 
There are several varieties of it, but the common long- 
rooted, is the one mostly cultivated. Like the carrot, it re¬ 
quires a deep and somewhat dry and sandy soil. It is sown 
generally in April, flowers in July, and is taken up in No¬ 
vember. It much resembles the carrot in its general pro¬ 
perties, being, however, sweeter in taste and is said to be 
more nutritious. All animals are fond of it. “ Cattle and 
pigs fatten upon it. The beef and pork of Jersey, where the 
parsnip has been used for centuries in the process of fatten¬ 
ing, long ago possessed the reputation of being equal, if not 
superior, to any in Europe.” It is also valuable for horses, 
milch cows and poultry; the latter fatten upon it, and their 
flesh is said to be much improved in flavour by it. 
WORMS IN THE EYES OF GEESE. 
By M. Small, Sen., Y.S., Dublin. 
I send to you the following, taken from the Irish Farmer’s 
Gazette : 
Worms in the Eyes oe Geese.—“ Sir, —The most singular thing I ever 
heard of has happened to our geese this year. They are all going blind and 
pining away. I had one of them killed; and when we opened the eyeball, 
a small black worm, just like a young leeeh, came out. It was very lively, 
and when it was put into water it swam about exactly as a leech does. I 
sent the insect alive in a bottle of water to Dublin, to Mr. Small, of Aungier 
Street, who is our veterinary surgeou. He has ordered us to cut open the 
eyeballs of those affected with a lancet or sharp penknife. If any of your 
numerous readers have ever been tronbled in this way w r ith their poultry, 
and would state what is best to do to prevent or cure the complaint, it 
would confer a favour on yours, &c., J. M : Keown, Land Steward to Sir 
John Macneil, Miltown Grange, Castlebellingham.” 
With reference to the above letter, I think it an extraordi¬ 
nary and almost unaccountable phenomenon. I have one of 
the parasites still alive in water at my hospital in Aungier 
Street, Dublin, where the curious may examine it. 
It appears that the eye affected first inflames, and the 
cornea, or front of the eyeball, loses its natural transparency 
and becomes white. By degrees the eye gets too large for 
the orbit or socket, and is projected outwards, evidently 
causing much pain to the animal. The disease only attacks 
one eye. Being in the vicinity of Milltown Grange the 
