IDENTIFY THE POULTRY DISEASE AFFECTING THIS BIRD

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Poultry diseases are great threat to the success of any poultry farm. Poultry disease is a traumatic condition that makes poultry farming a frustrating and unproductive one; also chides prospective poultry farmers from the business. Poultry diseases are deviations from the normal state of the birds' health.

Poultry birds have different behavioral patterns that attest to their wellness, it is obvious and can be seen or observed by the farmer. These are signs of healthy birds. Such birds are alerted with bright comb; they eat adequately and produce optimally. Any change in this normal behavior shows there is a problem within.

A change in the normal behavioral patterns of poultry birds is the beginning of an outbreak of a disease, most times; diseases are observed through clinical signs or symptoms the poultry bird exhibit. Different poultry diseases show different signs or symptoms on different parts of the birds. Some diseases makes the bird’s comb looks pale; some the legs become paralyzed while others are observed from the color or physical properties of the droppings the bird passes out.

Most of the deadly poultry diseases are observed from the droppings of the bird. The nature or physical properties, in terms of color and texture, of the poultry droppings is a great way to know the health status of the birds. This is why poultry farmers are often advised to pay rapt attention to the nature, especially the color, of the droppings of their birds. A healthy poultry bird’s dropping is always in form of a knot, grayish in color with white patches around it as seen above; anything aside from this means the birds are becoming sick and need swift medical attention.

Look at the picture below; it is a dropping of a poultry bird. It looks like a syrup and brownish in color. What do you think is wrong with this bird? Is it a poultry disease caused by bacteria, fungi or virus? Identify the disease and give likely preventive or curative measures.

SEED VIABILITY TEST: HOW TO KNOW YOUR SEED IS VIABLE BEFORE PLANTING

What makes most farmers fail is not lack of capital or labor but their inability to attest to the viability of the seed they planted. Seed viability test is very important in the cultivation of crops; you need to know how efficient and productive your seeds are before planting. This is part of the pre-planting operations a farmer must carry out before cultivation. However, most farmers boycott this operation in the quest to reduce or minimize the cost of production.

Seeds are living things and tend to die off after a long period. Seeds undergo a period of dormancy when stored; the ability of a seed to resume growth after the period of dormancy is called viability, thus, a seed that germinates after storage for some period is called a viable seed. Unlike humans, seeds do not show any physical sign of death or when they are not viable, in other words, you cannot recognize a viable seed and a nonviable seeds. Only seed viability test can give you the answer to this. So what is seed viability test and how is it carried out?

Seed viability test is the test carried out on seeds prior to planting to ascertain the possibility of the seed’s growth. It is simple to determine if the seed will resume growth after a period of dormancy. The advantage of seed viability test is that it prevents waste of resources and time. It can be carried out in three (3) ways; these are the common methods of testing viability of seeds. They are:

• Floating method:

     This is the simplest method of carrying out seed viability test. In this method, the seeds are poured into water and allowed to settle for about 30 minutes. After this period, some seeds sink while some float. The sinking ones are the viable once, that is, the good seeds, while the floating ones are the dead seeds. Hence, the floating ones are poured out while the ones that sank are fit for planting.

• Germination test:

     This is like normal planting. Parts of the seeds to be planted are selected at random and planted. After some days, the planted seeds are inspected to determine the growth rate of these seeds. At the end, the good seeds germinate and the bad ones do not germinate. This test takes about 10 days.

• Chemical test:

     The aforementioned methods are regarded as organic method of determining the viability of a seed. The chemical method is very effective and does not require much time like the germination test. It involves the use of a chemical known as Tetrazolium; this chemical is poured on the seeds and the change in color of the seeds is observed. If the seeds turn reddish, it means the seeds are viable and can germinate but if no reaction is observed, it means the seeds are dead and will not germinate. The seeds can be washed and planted immediately.

     These are simple ways to determine if a seed is viable or not. Farmers must ensure they determine the viability of their seed, irrespective of the source of the seed. It helps to secure the investment and assure the farmer of good return.

Former Barcelona and Spain striker Castro dies aged 68

Enrique Castro, a former Barcelona player and five-time top scorer in the Spanish league, died on Tuesday aged 68. Castro, nicknamed ‘Quini’, scored 54 league goals in 100 games for Barca and won two Copas del Rey (1981, 1983), as well as the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup (1982).

He died in Gijon after suffering a heart attack. A statement from Barcelona read: “Enrique Castro ‘Quini’ dies (1949-2018), player and legend of our Club. The Camp Nou will never forget your legacy, RIP.” Castro also spent two spells at Sporting Gijon, the first of which spanned 12 years. “Quini has left us, Rest In Peace our myth,” a statement from Sporting read. An international with Spain, Castro played at the World Cup in 1978 and 1982, as well as the European Championship in 1980. He scored eight goals in 35 appearances for the national side.

He’s vanished with my car and cash!

Dear Bunmi,

My boyfriend was evicted from his rented accommodation a few months back and I took him in. His things were still with the bailiffs, but he promised to offset the debts he said he owed, so that he could get his life back.

I recently bought a new car and he offered to help me sell the old one. He offered to take it to a dealer who was also a friend, but has disappeared with the car and a substantial amount of money from my wardrobe.

Some of his friends told me a girl has been urging him to move in with her and she lives in another town. He’s since changed his phone number and there is no way I could get an explanation off him. Anita, by e-mail. Dear Anita, What’s there to explain when it’s obvious what he’s done? You need to get some emotional support to get you through the shock and grief you feel. You also need to report your car stolen. This wouldn’t do you much good as you voluntarily handed it over to him, but it could help you recover the car. As for the money, that too is gone with the bad choice of a boyfriend you made. You have no way of knowing things would turn out this way. Count your losses and move on. Only remember that not all men are heartless opportunists.

That affair that helped your career can also ruin your life

By Bunmi Sofola 

Mention the word ‘bottom power’ and what comes to mind is the picture of a ruthless ambitious woman, ready to sleep her way to the top. And it doesn’t matter who with. Amanda, now in her 40s, was not born poor, so had no excuse all those years for falling for Sam, a man well above her reach. When the odd couple went out on their rare outings together, no one would have guessed what type of relationship they had “To the outside world as we walked hand-in- hand into a restaurant, we’d have looked the absolute picture of a couple in love”, Mandy said.

“Yet the tawdry truth was somewhat different. This man was not my boyfriend. He was very much married and sadly, much as I would have wanted it more than anything in the world, I wasn’t his wife. More than that, this man was my boss. Someone with contact and experience in the world of communications in which I was desperate to gain a foothold and climb. Memories of that relationship in my early 20s flooded back when a woman recently alleged that her own ‘part-time’ affair with a married man had allowed her to launch a successful career as the affair had allowed her to feel loved – but also gave her time to concentrate on her business without the demands of being a housewife. According to her, her lover, whom she married years later, would disappear home each evening which gave her time to pour all of her efforts into her work as she did not have to worry about cooking a meal each night or look after children. Well, my own six-year affair paid similar dividends for me.


“But as my colleagues concentrated on finding husbands and starting families, I was free to network or catch up on projects while my lover was with his wife. My career went from strength to strength. Within six years, I went from a junior executive to assistant manager in the telecommunications company I worked with. And yes, for a while, I was like the cat who got the cream. Here I was, an attractive ambitious young lady with a secret head start on my colleagues. This handsome, powerful man had chosen me over all of them. What’s more, the fact that he could only see me when family commitments allowed, meant I could focus any extra energies on work. Sadly, I was too young to understand one universal truth – success or money can never make a woman as happy as love.

“And while the woman in the interview said she went on to marry her lover, my own experience is far more common – my lover did not make an honest woman of me. Instead, he stole the best years of my life and, quite possibly, my chance to have children of my own. Yes, he enabled me to enjoy some significant career success. But at what price? Looking back at that time 20-odd years on, I feel ashamed that I ever begged a man to leave his wife. Of course it was to no avail, and, according to him, he never believed in having a second ‘wife’. This meant that, while my university friends were marrying and settling down with available and loving men, I was left with the scraps of an unsatisfying ‘relationship’ – if our irregular liaisons deserve that name. “I met the man I eventually married at 36, and while I love him, it is bitter sweet to consider that had I met and fallen in love with someone who was available during those years I was playing second fiddle, perhaps I might have married earlier and become a mother too. Now aged 45 with several rounds of failed IVF treatment here and abroad behind me, I accept I will never have a child of my own. But I often curse my ambitious younger self for the situation in which I now find myself. “And for any woman considering having an affair to get on in the workplace, I would tell her some home truths. When you’re having an affair with a married man, there are countless moments where you feel utterly worthless and ask yourself: ‘What the heck am I doing?’ The sleazy afternoon sex in hotel rooms, the lies you tell to your family about why your boyfriend can’t come to stay for the weekend. the frankly implausible – not to mention insulting – excuses he invents to explain who you are if he bumps into someone he knows when you’re out together. “Our affair started when I was a naive 24-year-old girl new to working life in Lagos. It finished when I was a 30-year-old. And instead of being left with a box full of romantic mementoes, all I took away was a deep distrust of men, which took me a decade to recover from. But who thinks such profound thoughts when they’ve just graduated from the university and are so eager to slam their stilettoed heel onto the first runny of their career ladder? I know I certainly didn’t. And far from having a reputation as philanderer, Sam treated me kindly, taking me under his wing. “After work while colleagues eagerly head to fun places, I always find an excuse to hang around the office, helping him out, chatting on our own together. A few times we’d had a couple of quickies in his office. I can’t really recall the moment I realised I had developed intense feelings for him. I was dazzled by his worldliness. He was ten years older and clearly a charmer. He knew what he was doing in life, where he was going and wasn’t immature like so many of my male friends. In the office, he kept our flirtations – because that’s what they were by now – in check. Yet it was at home I talked about him non-stop. My flatmate never guessed he was a married man.


“Did I think about his wife? Of course. But I was arguably too young and lacking in the wisdom and integrity that comes with putting yourself in someone else’s shoes.  I didn’t even ponder about the hurt it would cause her if she found out. My rationale was that if her husband was cheating on her, that had nothing to do with me. But as time went on, I knew what I was doing was wrong. During the third year of our relationship, I took stock. I was good at my job – I’d been promoted to assistant manager and thanks to my lover, I was damn good at my job. When it came to relationship however, I was stuck at the back of the class, utterly clueless how to move it forward.

“With his muscle, he got me a better job at a rival company. He was still very much married and working with woman just like myself – young, attractive and very ambitious. Was I jealous? Of course. And silly enough to ask him to make our relationship public. He made it crystal clear he didn’t want to leave his wife. It was then I decided to end the affair. He was hardly devastated – just terrified at what I might reveal. I left the relationship older, wiser but very much alone ….


“ The Bitter Truth – (Humour)

This woman’s husband had been slipping in and out of a coma for several months, yet she had stayed by his bedside every single day. One day, when he came to, he motioned for her to come nearer. As she sat by him, he whispered to her, his eyes full of tears. “My dearest, you have always been with me. All through the bad times – when we lost the house, you stayed right here. When my health started failing, you were still by my side. You know what?” “What dear?” she asked gently, smiling, as her heart began to fill with warmth.  “ I think you’ve bad luck.”

https://toykam.blogspot.com.ng/2018/02/nows-time-to-give-your-love-life-make.html https://toykam.blogspot.com.ng/2018/02/nows-time-to-give-your-love-life-make.html 

Don’t Panic; Life could leave you sexually frustrated at 40!

LIFE may begin at 40 but it’s also that time of life when you start taking stock of your existence. When I turned 40 years ago, it was one of the most memorable events of my life. It was also when the imaginary clock started ticking sub-Iiminally. Was the best really to be? I was in very stable relationship after my divorce, but could a better man be hovering in the horizon? Would my wildest dreams come true? Well, time has given answers, some of which I never even envisaged. So when Clara, one of my favourite cousins started making plans for her 40th, I warned her not to be very optimistic about the best that was yet to be. For a start, she was fat – a far cry from the svelte lady that walked down the isles 12 years ago. Her husband was bald with a contented pouch.


It was as if she was reading my mind when she bragged that, “On my 40th birthday, I intend to wow all my guests with my new figure”. What a dreamer! Just how much could you achieve in four months? She surprised us all by not only slimming down to a size 16, but giving herself the most flattering make-over. I was happy for her. Lately, she’d been critical of her marriage. Maybe this new, confident Clara would put a spark back into her marriage. Unfortunately, her husband seemed contented with his middle age spread and was quite oblivious of his wife’s new look

“Kola is not really interested in change,” Clara said of her husband when I ran into her at a family get-together. She continued, “In spite of the fact that my friends praised me for looking lovely and fantastic, Kola didn’t appreciate my effort. Whenever I asked him how I looked, he’d just shrug and mutter ‘lovely’. The thing is, a group of my friends are having a party for me next week. No husbands! It would be fun if you could attend.”

I promised I would like to, knowing I was only being polite. Clara’s friends are really upper crust and spend money with style. They make me a bit uncomfortable about their outlook on life. Was I getting old maybe? I knew I would have fun at her party but I didn’t want to rub shoulders with her care-free friends who are lots younger than I am. When we met a few weeks later, I’d scarcely finished apologising for not attending her party when she confessed she was able to test her pulling power. Here we go again, I groaned. Apparently, her husband’s nonchalant attitude towards her new look made her desperate to prove to herself there was still some pulling-power left in her.


“I had one of the outfits I’d reserved for my birthday party which I hadn’t the time or the nerve to wear. It was a skinny jeans matched with the most flattering top. Kola nearly had a fit when he saw me. He actually turned his eyes off the Supersports he was glued to. ‘You’re not going out dressed like that,’ he roared. I reminded him it was an all-female party and he grudgingly agreed for me to go, after the friend who came for me backed me up. “My friends were surprised to see the new me. When I noticed that Sarah, the hostess had ‘chartered’ some men, I discreetly removed my wedding ring. It was party time! I later ended up in the arms of Idris on the dance floor and I showed the moves I’d learnt from my teenage daughter. When the music turned to a smoothy one, I clung to him – I even let my hand touch his bum! He pulled me closer to him and I was thrilled to feel how much 1 was turning him on.

“After three more dances and some drinks, he breathed in my ear we should go out for some fresh air. Clinging drunkenly to him, I let him lead me over to his jeep. It wasn’t the most glamorous setting for betrayal, but I was far too eager to worry. Sex with Kola was virtually non-existent – just a quickie every other week. “We hurriedly clambered into the front seat he’d conveniently collapsed and I felt really wicked! Kola was a bore in bed, I reasoned with myself. I deserved a bit of excitement after all these years. Moments later, I was panting with lust. The seats of the jeep were rough against my bare bum and Idris wasn’t the gentlest of lovers. He pawed at my boobs like a big clumsy gorilla. But I didn’t care. This was purely about grabbing a bit of illicit fun! It was also trying to convince myself that life could really begin at 40!

“When it was over, we returned to the party. We had very little to say to each other after that. We’d both got what we wanted and there was nothing more to say. As my friend and I headed home much later, she sort of guessed what happened.

“Apparently Idris has this reputation of being a fast worker. She wanted to know how I felt about being unfaithful, and I told her I felt bad for not feeling guilty! I’d just cheated on my husband, had a seedy romp with a complete stranger at the back of his jeep and I felt great! “I only experienced a slight pang of guilt as I had a quick rinse in the bathroom at home and crept into bed beside Kola. He was fast asleep and didn’t even turn. The next day, he didn’t bother to ask if I’d had an enjoyable time at the party. I’ve made up my mind that the next time any of my friends ask me out, I’ll say yes. Afterall, life’s supposed to begin at 40 and a girl’s got to find her own excitement somehow before life passes her by!”

Read more at: https://toykam.blogspot.com.ng/2018/02/nows-time-to-give-your-love-life-make.html 

Which is important, love or money?

By Yetunde Arebi

Many months back, I published a story about a couple who claimed they were forced to part ways because of their financial problems. I asked if money was more important than love and reasoned that where true love exists, lack of money cannot be a problem so serious enough to cause a separation. I met this lady a few weeks ago and she took me back in time for a bit. Fascinated by her position, I asked her to put it into writing for publication. Though, I have had to work on it, the thrust of her position remains intact. What is yours? You too can still have your say on this issue. Can love truly thrive when there is no money? Are all relationships about money?

Dear Yetunde, 

Right from the beginning of any relationship, there is an objective and the bottom line is money. When a relationship exists between two individuals, it is for a purpose. The two are benefitting one thing or another from each other. It could be friendship, trust, companionship, mentorship, emotional support, material support, e.t.c. I believe there must be some mutual benefits involved on both sides, a need. One must be demanding something and the other providing. The roles might change with time between them along the line, but the interests remain. Where this does not exist, the relationship soon loses its flavour and both parties either close shop partially, temporarily or permanently. This has nothing to do with the gender giving or taking, it applies both ways. To the main issue therefore, I will insist that money is more important than love. Already, we all know that it is near impossible to be in love with someone throughout your lifetime. Love fades.



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It is commitments and companionship that will remain. Sometimes, it is duty and responsibility that will make couples stick together and not love. If love were to be so important, then all relationships will end in marriage, all marriages will be successful, everywhere will be peaceful and the world will just be a love garden. But it is not so. If there is love at all, it comes up after a period of courtship. When a young man and woman start dating, both have something at the back of their minds. The man’s idea is usually to have a “nice time” as quickly as possible and at the cheapest cost. I mean, he only wants to have sex with the girl and go his own way. But he knows that under a normal, morally acceptable and decent circumstance, the girl will not agree to his wishes if he were to just inform her without prior “toasting”. So he coins all sorts of words to woo her. For the girl under this normal circumstance too, at the back of her mind, all she wants is a fruitful relationship which will lead into marriage. She does not want to have a “nice time” and move on to the next man unlike the man. In most cases, the two do not make these known to each other. It is only after dating for a while that the issue of commitment begins to come into the relationship. Thus, you can see that even between two young people, there is a defined goal and subtle deceit on both sides. Each is into protecting his/her interest. It is a business of sort. When people marry, they go in with the hope that it will be successful, they will have children and money to care for them and themselves too. Nobody wants to be poor or wretched. Money has been identified as a major cause of divorce, anywhere in the world. Why do you think most women married to rich and successful men never leave even when they are treated badly in the union? The sugar daddy phenomenon, take it or leave it, is not about love but business. The roles and expectations are defined and are already engraved in the hearts of those involved right from the onset. The Oxford Dictionary gives the meaning of sugar daddy as a rich, usually elderly man who is generous to a younger woman in return for sexual favours or friendship. The old man or rather, most likely married man, usually doesn’t want to marry you, he is just having his fun, cheating on his unsuspecting wife. In some cases, he might be married but living single. He knows that going by his status, you are not likely to agree to go out with him, so he entices you with material things. The young, single girl on the other hand is ready to play ball as long as the gifts keep rolling in. When they stop, she finds her way to the next daddy. After all, what is a daddy for, if not to provide the necessary comforts to his child. Some ladies even go for “sugar grandaddies” as long as the benefits are right. In some cases, the old man might have even lost his libido. He may not be able to have sexual intercourse anymore and knows that it would be difficult for a younger woman to be with him. So, he needs to spend money to win her favours and company. Yetunde, have you stopped to think for a moment why young ladies who have sugar daddies cannot discuss the relationship with older members of their families or people they know will tell them the truth about their actions? I am talking about ideal homes and people oh. Why do both (the sugar daddy and his sugar girl) do it secretly? I believe it is because they know that what they are doing is not acceptable in the society. The people are just condoning it because we do not know how to deal with the situation. Both are running a risky business, thus, they strive to gain as much from each other while it lasts. It is only in unhealthy setups that you will see a decent family rejoicing that their young daughter has brought home somebody else’s husband. Nobody wants a home breaker for a daughter. A respectable wedding ceremony is every parent’s prayer for their children, especially their daughters. I know that many may not want to agree with me. You are free to have your own views. Those who support this act are just hypocrites. They know the truth but are shying away from it to save their faces and justify their actions. For those who will not want to agree with me, I know that their arguments will be hinged on love. But if I may ask, have you ever seen a young single girl dating a poor, wretched sugar daddy? NO! In fact, the idea of sugar daddy will be lost, because there will be nothing sugary about a man who can hardly afford to feed his family, not to mention leftovers to maintain a young girl with a desire or compulsion to be a big girl. Girls who settle for second, third, or whatever positions in a man’s harem, do it purely for the material gains. Thus, you see them fight each other’s eyes out when they feel that the goodies are not being evenly distributed.



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They chase each other with native intelligence and African assurance (juju) and create a frightful nuisance of “our” marriage institution. What many men don’t realise is that most of the ladies are just waiting for them to die so that they can get their share of their inheritance and continue with their lives, which may now include men of their age group. There are a set of women who also parade themselves as senior girls or single parents. What many of them are trying to sell to the society is that they have no need of men in their lives or are committed to their careers or businesses. Whatever the reasons and arguments are, I believe it is a charade to cover up for their defeat due to lack of foresight and vision in the transaction called relationship. If they have no need of men, how come they made kids at all. I’ve never heard of such being possible without a lover or male donor. No sane person under normal circumstances would get pregnant for a man and then tell him go to hell. The truth is that she probably got pregnant for the man without his consent. On the other hand, she may have wanted to use the pregnancy to get the man to marry her which failed because she too failed to reason that it is not all the time that things work out this way. The man in question may even be married already and cannot afford the agony of keeping two women under the same roof or in his life. Since she may not be able to continue living with her parents, she has to look for her own apartment where she can carry on her activities. Then, the false life of single parenthood and career woman begins. Mind you, she still keeps this relationship, using the child where and when applicable, as a hold on the man. In the case of a sugar daddy, he continues to support her and the child. In the single guy’s case, he takes care of the child. For the woman involved in both cases, she dates other men on the sides to fill in her lonely hours. Whenever the chance to drop the charade opens, she quickly grabs it. We have seen numerous examples of these even among the so called society women. The bottom line is always money. However, one thing you will find in common with most senior girls or single parents is that they have had strings of boyfriends in their lives.



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In the process of their escapades, they have either rejected their God appointed husbands by snubbing them because of their poorly status, or used them as boyfriends. When they now realise that they are getting too old to remain decently single, they want to hook some man desperately by force. Mind you, I am not referring to women who were once married then divorced. That is a different case, but then, it is also about money. A divorced woman’s need for money may even be greater than a single mother’s need because she might be stranded with more children and responsibilities than she can manage on her own. She would be stupid to start looking for a man who can’t fulfill those needs. Same goes for a widow. Those who do otherwise often end up worse than if they were single. So, this love without money idea is not realistic to me. In fact, why do you see some women jump from one husband to another, leaving a trail of children everywhere they stop? Lots of women nowadays are just willing to have children for the highest bidders. One child for one comfortable husband is an investment for the rainy days. Can you call this love? It is all about money. The only difference is that the money is relative and how much is required varies among individuals. Even men look for comfortable women these days. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to state my own position. I love you and what you are doing. God bless.

The pain of losing a loved one through child-birth

By: Bunmi Sofola

IT is impossible to go through the loss of someone you love and not be deeply affected by it. I think I knew when my girlfriend died that I would never be the same again. That my views, attitudes, outlook and philosophy would be different

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Ten years on, I’m a different person to the one I would have been had she not died. And while deep in your soul you miss the person everyday, the intense pain gets less with time— either that or you understand it more and live with it—but that itself is very comforting. You have to accept and assimilate the effect of your loss into your life. Only then can you start to deal with it….”

Anayo, now in his late thirties met Flora in the bank they both worked for and got closer when they were paired together to source for funds and make contacts with important clients when the need arose. “She was a very beautiful and intelligent woman,” confessed Anayo; “and the day she agreed for us to have a relationship was the happiest day of my life.

After a few years of the most wonderful period of my life, we agreed to get married and we started looking for the ideal flat for us. By the time we found one, she was already pregnant.



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“I was really ecstatic as we made plans for the wedding and the coming baby. With the flat and the coming baby eating the chunk of our savings we decided to put the wedding plans in the cooler until after the baby arrived. Flora became even more beautiful with her advancing pregnancy.

She’d always been very self-conscious about her bum-calling it hideous. But to me, her curves were perfect. I remember vividly the night we made love and I wrote: ‘lovely wobbly great bum’ across her bum with a felt pen thinking it would wash away with her bath. She said she was hot with embarrassment when she visited her doctor the next day, and had to strip-and he could read the graffiti! Memories like that will forever be with me.



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When she went into labour, I was with her when our beautiful daughter was born. I’d scarcely left the hospital when I got a call from the office that I should come quickly. Flora had started haemorrhaging and was very weak. Within hours, she was dead— just like that.

Just when you think you couldn’t possibly be happier, fate has a way of dealing you a painful blow in the solar plexus! I just couldn’t believe what was happening to me as I looked at the peaceful face of Flora—it was as if she was sleeping.

When the shock of her death started to wear off, the pain crashed in. My whole body ached with grief and I hurt physically. And the fear! I was petrified of trying to go on without her. I didn’t know if I could—I’d never felt so alone in my life. Going back to our flat was just excruciating—everything was still there just as it always was. Her towel was still in the bathroom, and all her hair things were still strewn all over the place. Only Flora wasn’t there. And never would be again.

As we planned for her funeral, I had to make arrangements for our daughter whom I’d named after her mother. My parents died a long time ago but Flora’s mother, as grief-stricken as she was, happily agreed to look after little Flora. I was really grateful to her for that. “In the end, I had to let our flat go—it was too painful to stay in a flat that held so much happy memories in the midst of my pain. I never got rid of the feeling that Flora would walk through the door. Now, 10 years on, I still think of her every day. What with little Flora looking like her mother as she grows older. I have since remarried with two little boys. My wife agreed to have two children as three are all we prayed for in our family. Little Flora lives with us now and I’m secretly glad that there is no other daughter in the family to share the affection I have for her. I love my wife of course, but the love I feel for her is nothing like the one I shared with Flora.”

 Read more at https://toykam.blogspot.com.ng/2018/02/nows-time-to-give-your-love-life-make.html

Samsung launches new S9 phone with augmented reality features

Samsung unveiled its new flagship smartphone on Sunday with a focus on augmented reality features as it seeks to keep its title as the world’s biggest smartphone maker.

The South Korean firm showcased the Galaxy S9 on the eve of the official start of the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, which comes after a year of flat smartphone sales.

With no other major handset maker using the annual event, the world’s largest phone show, to launch a new flagship device this year, Samsung had the opportunity to grab the spotlight.

The S9 features essentially the same design as last year’s previous flagship, with the full screen and curved glass edge of the S8, which was followed by Apple’s iPhone X and others.

But it includes louder sound, a faster processor and software that turns selfies into animated emojis, which will appeal to consumers who are increasingly preferring to use their phones to send text messages rather than talking.

Samsung also included a dual lense camara on the Galaxy S line for the first time, which will improve low-light capture and enhance slow motion video, which is popular on social media.

A service powered by artificial intelligence (AI) allows users to point its camera to instantly translate a sign in a foreign language.

It is also one of the few flagship phones left that still comes with a standard headphone jack.

“Despite these incremental innovations, Samsung will have to smartly leverage its brand and marketing machine to correctly position the new smartphones to a target audience,” said Forrester analyst Thomas Husson.

Global smartphone sales fell by 6.3 percent in the fourth quarter due to slower than expected Christmas sales, according to research firm IDC.

Overall global smartphone sales for 2017 were virtually flat — down 0.1 percent at 1.47 billion units — as phone makers struggled to come up with innovations that encourage customers to upgrade their devices.

– Cost Concern–

Samsung suffered a humiliating recall of its Galaxy Note 7 device in 2016 after several devices exploded, but its Galaxy 8 smartphone was a consumer and critical success.

While it kept its lead over Apple as the world’s biggest seller of smartphones in 2017 with a 21.6 percent market share, up from 21.1 percent in the previous year, Samsung faces stiffer competition from Chinese rivals like Huawei and Xiaomi that offer cheaper handsets with many high-end features.

The S9 will sell for 859 euros ($1,055), a price which analysts warned could turn off many consumers.

While the S9’s camera is “markedly different” in quality from older smartphones that people already own “consumers may delay purchase because of rising flagship prices,” IHS Markit said in a research note.

“Samsung must work hard to market the benefits of these designs to counter negative pricing perception.”

Huawei unveiled a new laptop and tablet in Barcelona earlier on Sunday but will present its new flagship smartphone — the P20 — on March 27 in Paris.

Thomas said this will allow it to “fine tune its marketing message based on how the new Samsung S9 devices are perceived by consumers”.

Earlier on Sunday South Korea’s LG unveiled the V30S — an updated version of its flagship V30 smartphone launched six months ago — which features higher memory and artificial intelligence-based technologies that focus on photos and voice recognition.

More than 100,000 people are expected to descend on Barcelona for the annual show, which features driverless carmakers, social media giants and chip companies in addition to handset makers. 

How grief does excessive damage to your body

By: Bunmi Sofola 

From the moment my mother passed away at 76, in her own bed, after succumbing to a cruel disease that caused her years of suffering, I had been poleaxed with what I later came to understand were the lesser- known physical symptoms of grief,” said Ajoke, a 52-year old proprietress of a thriving primary and secondary school. She continued: “Heart palpitations, a constant burn inside my head began to present itself in a very real physical way.

“As the weeks went by, I watched the changes in my hair with a sense of detachment as grief crashed in. Not only did the grey strands double, then triple in number, but the hair itself seemed to be thinning and my scalp was beginning to show through. I am going grey and bald, I thought,. with disinterest, as I delved into the stash of snacks in the house – an increased appetite and unwillingness to curb it’s another side-effect, it seemed, of losing someone you love.


“Normally, I am a person who likes to take care of myself. I am not overly groomed, but I have been careful to disguise the ageing process. Yet I had no desire to correct the physical changes that were occurring after my mother’s death. My grey, thinning hair seemed a perfect metaphor for my loss of youth. It told me what I already knew; I was no longer a girl or even young. Having nursed my mother through the worst of times, I had at once become a grown-up, a wise woman. And it was only months later that I started to notice physical improvements. But there was still my greying hair. So I threw myself at the capable hands of my hairdresser – a small but significant nod to the urge to look after myself physically.

While my internal scars remain, my hair is a war wound, and wounds sometimes need a helping hand to heal”. What does grief really do to your body? According to experts, damages include:

• Hair changes: Grief is a severe emotional stress and can cause hair to thin or grey. “Grief can trigger an excessive release of hormones known as prolactin and melatonin in your hair that will disturb the normal growth cycle and cause more shedding than usual,” explains Dr. Bessam Forjo, medical director of Trichlogists. ‘’The same hormones can also affect the melanin, the pigment in your hair, and cause it to lose pigment so that it turns grey.” He likens the process to the excessive shedding after birth and says: “Again, in that instance, hormones cause a disruption of the normal growth cycle and a woman may lose over 1,000 hairs in a day compared to the usual 100. The good news is that once the sharp edge of the grief passes, the growth cycle resumes and the hair will grow back, usually about six to eight months after you first noticed the changes, although the loss of pigment will be permanent.” 

• Weight Loss/Gain: How grief affects appetite depends on the individual. “People deal with periods of sadness in different ways,” says nutritionist Charlotte Stirling-Reed. “I have worked with clients who aren’t interested in food or eating at all and those who turn to food for comfort and even use it as a punishment or distraction. If you are programmed from a young age that food is a way to help you feel better then this may get slightly out of control and lead to overeating and weight gain.” The key, says Charlotte, is to try to concentrate on eating nutrient – rich foods in smaller amounts. Fluids are also essential. Aim for six to eight glasses a day to maintain hydration. Water, tea and milk all count towards your fluid intake. Can’t Sleep: Sleep disturbances are one of the most common physical manifestations of grief. “We hear about it a lot,” says Helen Butlin, manager of the Cruse Bereavement Care Helpline. “Some people have nightmares or wake up and can’t get back to sleep again, raking over memories or feeling panicky about life without the person they’ve lost.” Helen believes it’s important to catch sleep when you can and take naps in the day if possible. “It’s essential to have as good sleep hygiene as possible – so keeping your bedroom quiet and dark, having a bath beforehand if that relaxes you and not looking at any screens before bed. There’s no time limit to grief and sometimes you’ll feel OK for a bit and be able to sleep and then you’ll feel worse again and that is totally normal. Reduced 
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• Immunity: It is common for people who are grieving to find themselves more susceptible to illness and colds. “Grief can cause an excessive production of the stress hormones adrenaline and coortising – which will impact on your white cell count reducing its efficiency in the fight against infections,” says Dr. Imran Raft, Chair Research at the Royal College of Practitioners. Doctors will take your grief into account when assessing any illness but should not ignore the possibility that anything else might be wrong too. 

• Itchy Skin: It’s not unusual to have skin flare-ups after suffering a loss. “There is correlations and stress,” says dermatologist, Dr. John Ashworth. If you get psoriasis for the first time which presents as flaky crusty patches of skin or utricaria – a raised itchy rash – within a month, say, of a stressful event, then causation would seem reasonable. Grief can also make a current skin condition worse. If you already have eczema or are prone to cold sores, then it’s very possible you could see an exacerbation of these at a time when you’re stressed or lacking sleep,” concludes Dr.. Ashworth, who reiterates the importance of being vigilant with taking skin medication when you’re recently bereaved. Palpitations! These are common in periods of stress. ‘’The increase of adrenaline and cortisol in your body will cause your blood pressure to rise and may lead to chest pain or your heart pumping irregularly,” explains Dr. Rafi. Occasionally, a doctor will prescribe beta blockers – which decrease activity of the heart by locking the actions of hormones such as adrenaline- on a short-term basis to help reduce blood pressure and palpitations. This is normally done as a last resort, after encouraging patients to try relaxation techniques first. Helen Butlin from Cruse recommends the following ‘grounding technique’ for anxiety and heart palpitations. “When your heart’s pumping irregularly or you’re feeling panicky, put your feet on the floor and practise deep breathing in and out to help feel in the moment and to connect you with your physical surroundings. This helps to reduce anxiety and calm you down.” 

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• Fatigue: Sometimes, after the loss of a loved one, there can be an overwhelming lethargy. “When you feel a loss of the meaning of life, it can feel difficult to rustle up any motivation says Helen Butlin. “We encourage people to take small, positive steps. Go for a short walk, text someone, make phone call. Any little thing is a step towards feeling like you have a sense of purpose again. Be sure to look after yourself too. Eat well, get outside for some fresh air and even watch a TV show that you always enjoyed. Doing the things you always liked to do before may slowly reconnect you with joy, re-ignite your motivation and give you more energy.”

https://toykam.blogspot.com.ng/2018/02/nows-time-to-give-your-love-life-make.html 

LIMING: HOW TO IMPROVE SOIL pH.

There are various factors that determine the success of any crop cultivation. Part of them is the soil pH. Soil pH is the degree or amount of acidity or alkalinity of a soil. It is important and highly recommended that farmers test the pH of their soil before planting. Different crops have individual pH preference; some crops are acid tolerant while others are not. In order to put the round peg in the round hole, that is, knowing the type of crop to plant on a particular land, testing of soil pH is highly recommended.

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Soil pH scale ranges from 0-14; having 7 as the neutral point. Any value below 7 means the soil is acidic while above 7 means the soil is alkaline in nature. Most crops thrive best at pH value 6.5-7.5. When a soil has a low pH, that is, acidic; it can be corrected. One of the methods of correcting low soil pH is liming.

So what is liming?
Liming is the act of applying some material, usually calcium and magnesium containing material, to neutralize or correct the soil pH to a favorable level for crop growth and development. In other words, liming is the process of adding liming materials to the soil to raise the soil pH, thus, enhancing crop growth. Liming is a traditional procedure in preparing soil for planting. Materials used in liming process are called liming materials; they are usually calcium and or magnesium rich compounds. What liming materials do is to reduce the acidity of the soil, thus, raising the soil pH to a more favorable level.


Examples of liming materials that can be used to correct your soil pH are:

• Calicitic Aglime: It is a ground Limestone containing mainly calcium carbonate.
• Dolomitic Aglime: It is a ground limestone containing a mixture of calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate. 
• Slaked lime: It is composed of calcium hydroxide or a mixture of calcium and magnesium hydroxide. 
• Quicklime: It comprises of calcium oxide or a mixture of calcium and magnesium oxide. 
• Marl: It is a deposit of calcium carbonate derived from mollusk shells, usually mixed with silt and clay. 
• Wood ashes

These are the commonly used liming materials. Another important aspect of liming is the effectiveness of the liming material. The fineness of the liming material determines the effectiveness of the liming material; the finer the liming material the more effective and greater the neutralizing activities of the liming material. Hence, fine liming material should be selected ahead of granulated ones.

How to apply liming material to soil
Getting a good and effective liming material is a lofty prerequisite to successful control of the soil pH. The mode of application also contributes greatly to the success of this practice. The best way to apply liming material to soil is through broadcasting. You must ensure you broadcast the liming material evenly on the soil such that the liming material surfaces on virtually all corners and spots on the plot. This can be done using a spreader on a large farm or manually using farm labor.

If this is properly done, the pH of your soil should be adjusted within 2 weeks. Alternatively, you can apply the liming material on strips or borders of the plot. What matters is getting the liming material on your farm and it does its job perfectly.

When all necessary pre-planting operations are carried out as required, farming will be very lucrative and profitable than we envisaged. Doing the necessary practices rightly is a prerequisite to the success of any business.

Now’s time to give your love-life a make-over!

By Bunmi Sofola

Now the year has fully taken off, I thought readers should revamp their sex life (if indeed it needs revamping!) by following these experts’ top tips on how to keep the spark in your relationship.

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Lead separate lives: Try to think of your partner as independent from you— you’re not joined at the hips. Imagine them at work, playing a sport or doing something well without you. See them as the vital and interesting individual they are when they’re not with you. This is far sexier than the claustrophobic familiarity that can kill attraction when all you see is the socks left on the floor and your partner slumped on the sofa. Learn to read secret signals: If your relationship is full of hostility, you won’t have a good love life. Your anger is a barrier to enjoying sex. You have to resolve conflict, don’t bottle things up. Ask him: “Can we talk about it?” Solve the problem, then you’ll be able to enjoy each other. Everyone has their favourite things in the bedroom—whether it’s having their ears nibbled or their feet tickled. But they’re almost always too embarrassed to tell. So how do you discover your partner’s fantasies? Look at what they’re doing to you! For example, someone who loves having their ears nibbled with nibble on their partner’s ears. Pay attention to your man’s moves and you’ll get an idea of what he wants you to do to him. – Kate Taylor, relationship expert Don’t worry, be happy: These days, sex is just another lifestyle product and another way for people to make money by selling us things we don’t want or need. But you don’t have to live up to anyone’s expectations. A good sex life is one that makes you feel happy and comfortable, whether you’re doing it ten times a week or ten times a year, it’s quality not quantity that counts. When you make love, focus on your partner’s pleasure, not on your own. The better you are as lovers, the more enjoyable they’ll get from sex and the more likely they open up and tell you what they require. Do they want more foreplay? Are you picking the wrong time for sex? Suggest that you bathe together or give them a massage first. Ask for feedback during sex and give them time to become aroused. – Tracy Cox, sex expert. Hit the spot: Strip naked together and take it in turns to run your hands slowly over your partner’s body, loving it for every wrinkle, fold and flaw. As you do so, tell them what makes them sexy. Remember a time when you had great sex and talk about it.

GUIDE ON BUILDING A MODERN POULTRY HOUSE

Housing is very important in poultry farming; its main function is protection, from adverse weather conditions and predators. These two factors are great threats to the productivity of the poultry birds. Building a modern poultry house has strategies and approaches for it to enhance the productivity of the birds.

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Many poultry businesses fold up today as a result of the ignorance of the farmer. It is very possible you feed your birds with highly nutritious feed, serve fresh clean water and follow a strict medical program yet have a poor production. Productivity of birds does not only lie on the nutrition and health program alone; environmental factors also play a germane role on the productivity of poultry birds. Your poultry house is the interphase between your birds and the environment; hence, poultry house should be constructed such that it compensates the welfare of the birds.

There are different types of poultry house and several factors have to be considered in building a poultry house. A poultry house should be constructed bearing in mind the effects of some environmental factors, such as: heat, rainfall etc.; a good poultry house must abate the effects of these environmental factors. Here are some guides you should follow when constructing a modern poultry house.

• Orientation of the house:

Did you know there is a way you must position your poultry house to enhance their productivity and make the birds very comfortable? Yes, there is. The longest side of your pen, that is, the breadth, should face the direction of the prevailing wind. This has several advantages. The most cogent advantage that your birds receive is even ventilation. Also, moisture dries up easily in such poultry house. Ventilation is very important in poultry farm. It eliminates heat stress and makes the bird comfortable, thus, enhancing their productivity. One of the ways to ensure good ventilation in a poultry house is it orientates the poultry house in the direction of the prevailing wind. For you to know the direction of the wind, just throw up a kite and watch where it moves to up the sky, alternatively, set up a small fire watch the direction of the smoke or hold a strand of thread in the air and watch the direction it orientates to. This is one of the factors to consider before setting up a poultry house.

Materials used in poultry house:
The materials you use in the construction of your poultry house depend on your financial strength. Poultry house can be made with different materials but you have to bear the purpose of the house in mind. The most prominent purpose is protection, from harsh weather and predators. Ensure any material you will use serves this purpose duly.




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• Ventilation:

Ventilation is very important in a modern poultry house. There are several biological processes going on in a poultry house that tends to generate heat; ventilation serves two purposes: elimination of heat stress and drying up of moisture in the poultry house. Heat stress is very detrimental to poultry birds; it can reduce the productivity of birds greatly and also cause death in severe cases. Also, moisture in a poultry house is not good for the well-being of the birds. Moisture provides a favorable condition for disease pathogens to thrive, thus, causing disease outbreak in the farm. Ventilation is the principal solution to these threats; proper ventilation eliminates the heat in the farm and also dries up moisture. The poultry house must be designed in a way that is well ventilated.

• Planting of tree crops:

Trees are beneficial entities to humans, especially those that bear edible fruits. However, deforestation is one of the banes of environmental pollution the world today. Trees are not only good for man; they are as well beneficial to animals. Trees provide fresh air and also bring a cool sensation to animals. Planting a tree around your poultry house makes your birds healthy, eliminates heat stress, provides a cooling effect and shields your birds from harsh weather condition. You can plant tree crops like banana, plantain, orange, mango, etc.; although some of these trees may harbor some pest. This can be controlled with proper security measures, use of repellants etc.

• Protection from predators:

Predators can be micro, in form of bacteria, fungi and others, or macro, in form of snakes. All these can be controlled biologically; there are pest repellants crops you can plant to keep macro predators away from your farm. Also, use of biosecurity is very important, it eliminate the emergence of micro predators; these are very destructive.

• Litter material:

In our homes, we have carpets and rug to adore the floor, so also in a modern poultry house, litter material serves this purpose too. Litter materials are placed on the floor of the pen to absorb moisture from the birds’ droppings, facilitate easy cleaning and also make the birds comfortable. Wood shaving is the common litter material used, others are groundnut husk, newspaper for chicks etc. do not use saw-dust; its small particle size can enter the birds’ eyes and make them blind or cause a respiratory disease.
All the aforementioned guides must be implemented to achieve success in the poultry business. Feeding alone does not determine the success of a poultry farm; these are structural and environmental aids to poultry birds. 

POULTRY FEED ADDITIVES: 8 NATURAL MATERIALS THAT GIVE BRIGHT YELLOW EGG YOLK

Non-nutritional components of poultry diet are called poultry feed additives. They are added to poultry feeds to improve feed performance and animal well-being. Poultry feed majorly contains cereal and legumes; these two components take larger percentage, like 95%, of the feed formulation. Others are vitamins and minerals; they all play significant roles in poultry well-being.

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Feed additives in animal nutrition usually take very small percentage, less than 1%, of the feed composition. They are meant to improve the performance of the animal through boosting the immune system and protecting the animals from various infections. There are different examples of feed additives for poultry, they are: antibiotics, antioxidants, pigmenters etc.; in this article, we shall discuss pigmenters and their relevance in poultry nutrition.

Pigmenters are examples of feed additives for poultry that enhance the quality of the chicken’s egg yolk color. Egg yolk colors are almost completely dependent on the feed served; yolk color is one of the internal qualities of an egg, egg with bright yellow yolk is more preferred to egg with orange or pale color yolk.
The bright yellow color of the yolk is due to the presence of xanthophyll pigment in the diet. It can be sourced naturally or artificially, depending on the preference of the farmer. Yellow maize is a good source of xanthophyll pigment in poultry diet.


Take a look at this:

Yellow maize contains this pigment; when fed to poultry birds, it gives the yolk a bright yellow color. But wheat does not have this pigment. Hence, the use of wheat in poultry diet requires the inclusion of pigmenters as additives to ensure the bright yellow color is achieved.

Poultry feed additives are classified into two; namely:

• Natural or organic feed additives 
• Artificial or synthetic feed additives.

The natural poultry feed additives are those ones that are naturally present in feedstuff, like the presence of xanthophyll in yellow maize. If this maize is used as a whole source of energy in poultry diet, then, inclusion of pigmenter in the feed may not be necessary. However, if other energy feedstuff like wheat is used, then pigmenters can be added to the feed.

Synthetic feed additives are those materials developed to improve the performance of the diet and animal fed. They are the real feed additives. They are not sourced in the feedstuff but synthesized in the laboratory and certified for animal use. Example of synthetic pigmenter is canthaxanthin. This can be added to poultry diet to improve the egg yolk color.

However, people are becoming more conversant with what they consume. Everyone craves organic nutrition; as an organic poultry farmer, instead of adding the synthetic pigmenters to your poultry diet, you can add any of the below material as various researches have proven that they have pigmenting property in them. They are:

• Sunflower Petals 
• Marigold leaves 
• Alfalfa 
• Orange peels 
• Algae 
• Carrot 
• Annatto Seed 
• Chili pepper.

These are examples of feed additives for poultry with the ability of enhancing a bright yellow color in egg yolk. They are natural and have no side effects; unlike the synthetic ones that tend to have residual effects upon consumption. These materials are applied in dried form with no limitation since they are organic in nature. They give better yolk color compare to the synthetic ones. 

GESTATION PERIOD OF FARM ANIMALS

• Livestock production is indeed very lucrative. The business brings smile to the face of the farmer as the farm animals reproduce, thus, increasing the stock population and conversely increasing profitability of the business. This is the function of the gestation period of the farm animals.

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Gestation period is the time interval between the conception period and parturition, that is, the period between the formation of foetus in mature female farm animal and reproduction; we can also call it the period of pregnancy. Gestation period for farm animals varies greatly; some farm animals have short gestation period while others have long gestation period. The knowledge of the gestation period of farm animals is very crucial as it enables farmers plan adequately, aids productive decision making and allows expansion of the business.

After successful copulation, fertilization occurs and the foetus develops. The foetus develops gradually and transforms fully into a replica or kin of the animal within a stipulated period. This period is called gestation period. Parturition, the act of giving birth in farm animal, marks the end of the gestation period. Within this period, farmers are expected to carry out some practices to aid parturition. One of these is the preparation of the pen so as to make the new animal confortable and aid growth.

Aside from the pre-parturition practices the knowledge of gestation period aids, it also helps farmers decide, know when to expand and the expected yield or stock per year. Some animals can reproduce more than 3 times in a year, while others are just once; knowledge of the gestation period helps greatly for planning and decision making to improve the productivity of the farm.

For this sake, I have compiled a list of gestation period of common farm animals. They are:

• Cow

The gestation period for cows is 274 days. Cows have a long gestation period; this means that it takes 274 days for a cow to reproduce after pregnancy has been detected. Also, a cow can only reproduce once in a year, not like other farm animals that can reproduce twice or three times and above in a year.

• Ewe

The average gestation period for ewes is approximately 147 days, ranging from 144 to 152 days. This implies that ewes can reproduce twice in a year.

• Goat

The gestation period for goats and sheep is almost the same. The gestation period for goats ranges from 148 to 152 days with an average gestation period of 150 days. This implies that a goat can also reproduce twice in a year.

• Rabbit

The gestation period for a rabbit is only about 31 days! Rabbit has the shortest gestation period of only one month or less. Rabbits are prolific animals. They can reproduce up to ten times in a year.

As a farmer, gestation period of your flock should always be at your fingertips. Part of the practices you are to carry out during this period is the preparation of your pen; ensure you clean up and disinfect the pen, provide nutritious meal to serve the mother and the young animals. 

Guys, consider status in picking ladies!

By Yetunde Arebi

Hi,


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After last week’s publication, I received a call from Tolu, a dear friend. She said she had a similar gist for me. It was unfolding right inside her compound and involved her landlady’s 14 year old daughter and one of the male tenants. The guy in his early 30’s had impregnated the little primary school girl and absconded.

What was most baffling was that the guy is a medical doctor and had a girl friend that could have passed for a fiancée considering how often she visited the apartment. Love gone sour My friend said Ada should consider herself lucky that Sunny was nabbed in the act on time, before he could cause much damage to her family. Had Sunny impregnated Ndidi, Ada would not have been able to end the matter by simply sending the poor girl back to the village. They would have become sisters-in-law, married into the same family, she added jokingly. So, Tolu informed me that when Adedayo, the young girl in her compound turned up pregnant about two years ago, almost everyone in the compound refused to believe that Doc was responsible.

Everyone called the little girl a wayward liar, insisting that the guy was a good, upright young man and promising doctor. Many in fact, hinged their argument on the fact that as a doctor, he could not have indulged in such an act knowing the full implications of what could happen. And others easily vouched for his sophisticated preference of female company and could therefore not stoop as low as to sleep with a 14 year old primary school girl. At the end, they were all proved wrong, she said. Akproko will not kee me o. I quickly asked if she could arrange for me to talk to the girl and she said yes.

The girl comes to her flat often to relax with her daughter. She advised me to bring along something the girl could snack on and perhaps a little token as gift when leaving. I jumped at it. The girl I saw was a tiny, naive girl, now struggling with her identity .One minute a teenager and the next a caring mother. Adedayo couldn’t speak much English, so we spoke mainly in Yoruba. At the end of the day, I discovered that her case could have been handled better but for ignorance and lack of good counselling. I walked away with only one desire, if only I could set my eyes on doc, whose real name incidentally is also Dayo. All I wanted to know was why. Perhaps his answer could help me in figuring out why such men prey on young, hapless, naive girls, ruining their lives and destiny at the altar of a few moments of ecstasy. And while still pondering on this, I remembered those who cross all limits of decency and humanity, picking on infants, toddlers and young children. The devil must be really busy. When compared with Adedayo’s story, Ndidi must be very lucky to have been courted with biscuits, ice-cream, lipstick and nail polish. This poor girl got nothing but the emotional hype of sharing a name with her predator.

I was filled with pity as I watched her little girl crawling around happily inmy friend’s living room, oblivious of her circumstance and what the future holds for her and her mother. This is Adedayo’s story: “I didn’t have a boyfriend. He was a tenant in our house. I live with my grandmother. (Her father is dead and her mother, remarried. She lives with her paternal grandmother). I can’t really tell how old he is, but I think he is quite old. Maybe between 32 or more. I’m not sure. Everyone calls him doctor but I called him brother Dayo because he said we have the same name and God had already planned that we should be friends. He was very nice to me. I visited him sometimes when he is at home to watch some video films or TV and sometimes when he sends me on errands. He had a girlfriend, Aunty Shade who used to visit him. They both worked at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH). Brother Dayo is a doctor, while aunty Shade is a Nurse. I don’t know where aunty Shade is now. He was not my boyfriend. We only “did it” once, I didn’t know just doing it once could lead to pregnancy. It was my first time and I was a virgin. He was really surprised when he knew too. I guessed he must have thought that I’d done it before. It was painful but he told me not to worry that the pains will go. I don’t know how long we spent in his flat, but it wasn’t a long time. He gave me some medicine to use. I don’t know what they were meant for and didn’t ask because he is a doctor. We never did it again after that. I don’t know why. He was not usually around. He would come home late in the night when it would be impossible for me to go out. In the morning, I can’t see him because I will be preparing to go to school. Nobody guessed in our house that anything like that happened between us, so they were really shocked when I told them he was responsible. Brother Dayo packed out of our house a few months after the incident for an unknown destination. He found a new flat closer to his place of work, he told me. But he did not tell me the place. In fact, there was more or less nothing left between us. Over the months, I didn’t feel anything. I knew my period had stopped coming, but I didn’t link it with pregnancy. I thought there must be some other reasons responsible for it. I was however having stomach pains and movements in my body. I did not change much. I am a small person by physique and I am told that the first pregnancy is not always so conspicuous in the early stages. It was about seven months before my grandmother knew. It was my older sister who told her that she suspected something was wrong with me. Then, that night, I think they called a meeting. My aunty and her daughter were summoned by my grandmother, along with my older sister, and I was interrogated. After some time, I told them the truth. They were surprised. They traced him to somewhere in Idi- Araba area. That was when my problems began. Initially, brother Dayo told them that he was not responsible. He denied having anything to do with me. He kept on shouting at us and practically walked us out. My sister suggested we call the police but my aunt and her daughter refused. They said it would only cause more trouble because his older sister was a family friend of theirs. He later confessed to his older sister that he did it to me once but said he was sure that he was not the owner of the pregnancy as he was not the only one. My family was very annoyed. After that, they started maltreating me. My aunty, whenever she came around would rain abuses on me about how I have disgraced them and worse still, how my baby will not have a father. I had to stop school immediately and was taken to live with a doctor friend of my aunty for the rest of the duration of the pregnancy. Their fear was that I was too tiny to carry a pregnancy and would probably not be able to have the baby on my own. At the end, they had to perform a Caesarean Section on me because they said I was not strong enough to have the baby on my own and that my birth canal was too small. After the child was born, things eased up a bit because there were no more doubts about the paternity of the child. It was a girl, but it looked so much like brother Dayo. When his mother and older sister came to see us at the hospital, they all confirmed that the baby was his. They wanted to take the baby from me after we left the hospital, but my family refused. They insisted that he should marry me which he also refused. Hospital expenses were borne by both families, although the bulk came from our side. Even up till today, my family bears most of the finances. Sometimes, I feel so sad that I can’t do anything for my baby by myself. If she is ill, I have to wait for my sister, or cousins who live nearby to buy something for her. Aunty (my friend) also buy things for her. Brother Dayo has now travelled to the USA. I was not informed when he was going. The family used to come once in a while to see us, but the tension is too much. So, they hardly ever come around any more these days. I would have preferred that they take the baby away, but my grandmother doesn’t want to hear anything like that”. I often wonder how some people manage to close their eyes and sleep at night. Brother Dayo is somewhere now, enjoying himself in other relationships. Perhaps married and telling some awful lies to some woman out there about himself. He must be thinking of going further with his studies. Hoping to fall in love, marry and raise good children he would feel proud to call his own. Yet, he has taken advantage of a poor, young girl and changed the course of her destiny for his selfish uncontrollable libido. It is most unlikely he will ever come back for either mother or child. But I am resolved to help her track him down. And soon too. Guys, please pick on ladies your own status.

When first wife decides she’s had enough!

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By Bunmi Sofola When Anuolu decided she’d had enough of a marriage that lasted all of 26 years, her decision wasn’t triggered by rows or infidelity—though the couple had a share of that. Instead, it was the corrosive resentment that ate away at her feelings for her husband as she re-invented herself. When she got married, she was a secondary school teacher and her husband, a senior lecturer at the university. But as her self-confidence grew, she took on fresh challenges. As she grew out of her old subservient role, her husband’s resentment festered.



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When I went back to the university for a masters’ degree in human resources, my husband felt it was a waste of time and money,” said Anuolu now in her early 50s. “He also seemed threatened when I got a good job in human resources and met new people. He tried to undermine my confidence, my opinion seemed irrelevant to him. He didn’t listen to whatever I had to say. We began leading parallel lives as he spent more and more time with one of his old students who had two kids by him. “In the meantime, my three children were doing well in school and the company I worked with promoted me to head of human resources. I had the option of taking the furnished apartment that went with the job, or settle for a generous rent allowance. When out of curiosity, I went to look at the apartment, I fell in love with it. It was a very compact three bedroom flat in a block of flats owned by the company. It was now or never. Though I liked my husband, I was no longer in love with him,. I remembered all the meals I had to pack away because he’d eaten at his second home. Whenever I told him I was unhappy, he said I was being ridiculous, what else did I want? The kids went to good schools and in spite of his other ‘wife’ he seldom slept away from home and I had a good home most women would give their right arm to have. “I knew my husband would never have initiated a separation as our lives together suited him to the ground. But, like do many professional women today, I wanted more out of a relationship than boring routine. It was as if all the fun had seeped out of my marriage. As I took up the offer of free accommodation, I thought of a way of breaking the news to him. But I told the kids first. My last daughter was in the university and her two brothers had already left the house to do their own thing. When I eventually told my husband, he thought I was out of my mind. What sane seemingly happily married woman leaves a stable home to live the life of a single woman? “He put his foot down. This nonsense should stop or I forget I was ever married. But I was determined to spread my wings.

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It took me a while to get the flat to the standard I wanted before I moved in. When my husband sort the support of the children, they told him they knew what was going on. I told him he didn’t have to shuttle between two homes, now he could move his ‘wife’ in to take over where I left off…. “ According to relationship expert, Francine Kaye, a lot of men these days reach retirement age and find themselves propelled unwillingly into separation because they have failed to heed the warning signals as their once deferential, stay-at-home wives seek new autonomy and fulfilment. “These men have bought one kind of wife off the shelf—the school teacher and home-maker—and the deal was that she wasn’t supposed to change,” she says. “But people do change and couples are not recognising the signs and implications until it’s too late. “The husband has often been working really hard to provide for his family and he feels unappreciated when he reaches the end of his career to discover his wife has found a fresh sense of fulfilment and an identity separate from her old one as a wife and mum. There is a phrase for it: ‘Women who walk and men who don’t see it coming.” Even wives who don’t have challenging jobs to boast of, stick with their married children and happily look after their grandchildren. Anuolu said it took all her will-power to tell her husband she was moving out. “He is basically a good man,” she said. “There was nothing inherently wrong with him. We had just reached the point where we were merely co-existing. I probably wouldn’t have left if I didn’t have a better alternative. Now, I have a fulfilling job, a busy social life and the freedom to meet friends and go out at will—in short I’m not lonely and I’m not looking for a relationship. For now, I’m happy being me … “

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SEED TREATMENT: LEARN 5 SEED TREATMENT METHODS

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Seed treatment is one of the pre-planting operations in crop production. This practice is obscure to most farmers, especially those procuring seeds from agro-allied companies; they feel treating the seed is irrelevant. What most farmers are familiar with is crop protection, through the use of herbicides and pesticides.

Seed treatment is a pre-planting operation; hence, it must be carried out before planting the seeds. The question that comes to your lips is how can seed be treated before planting? It is very simple and easy but depends on your purpose and types of seed treatment you are willing to implement. You need to determine what you want to achieve with the seed treatment operation.

Seed treatment is carried out for several reasons. It could be to hasten germination, to protect seeds from destructive pests under the soil, to enhance uniform growth in crops etc.; you need to know what you want to achieve with this operation for you to know how to treat seed. In this article, the type of seed treatment we shall discuss is known as seed scarification.

Seed scarification is one of the seed treatment methods aimed at facilitating quick germination in sown seeds. This type of seed treatment softens the seed coat of the seeds such that it allows imbibition of growth enhancing parameters (water and gases) in seeds, thus, facilitating rapid growth in seeds. Seed germination takes series of processes before the shoot emerges; however, seed scarification has been proven to be very effective in increasing the chance of seed germination.

There are various methods of scarification and these are;

1. Chemical or acid scarification:  

      The purpose of this method is to soften hard or impermeable seed coats through the action of an acid. This is done by soaking the seeds in concentrated sulphuric acid for a period of 2-4 hours according species. After treatment, seeds are thoroughly washed with clean water to make them free of acid and then sown immediately.


   2. Mechanical scarification: 
      In this method, seeds with impermeable or impervious seed coat are rendered permeable to water and gases through rubbing or abrading the seed coat on a hard surface. This can be achieved by:

Placing the seeds between two sand papers, one stationed and the other revolving and rubbing aggressively on the seed coat of the seed.
Rubbing seeds with sharp-sand.
Passing seeds through a machine that scratches the surface.
Filing and notching the seeds to make the seed coats permeable to water.

   3. Boiled water scarification: 
      This is another method of seed treatment. It involves boiling of water to boiling point (100oc); the seeds are then poured in a cloth that is less porous. Then the cloth will be suspended or inserted into the water. The seeds will be there until the water cools. The seeds are then removed from the cloths are sun-dried. When the seeds are properly dried, they can be planted. The method is good for small-sized seeds like: jute (ewedu) seeds, celosia seeds, pepper seeds etc.



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   4. Soaking in water:  
      This is the simplest method of seed scarification. The purpose of soaking seeds in water is to soften hard seed coats, to remove growth inhibitors and to reduce time of germination. The time of soaking seeds in water depends on the hardness of the seed coats. Examples are peas, beans etc.

    5. Stratification or moist chilling: 
      This is another effective method of seed scarification. It involves exposing seeds to low temperature; this brings about prompt and uniform germination. The seeds are arranged in layers of sand in shallow boxes for pits and trenches. This condition helps in rapid germination. It is commonly used for crops like: peach, cherry, oat, grapes.
 


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     Seed treatment is important to prevent seed borne, soil borne and air borne diseases. Scarification, being one of the types of seed treatment, softens the seed coats of a seed to aid imbibition of water into the protoplasm of the seed. Seed treatment is very important as it hastens germination of the seed and enhances the overall productivity of the cultivation. Identify the seed scarification method that can be used on the rice seeds above.