October r, 1882.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



357 



BLUEGUM AND WATTLE SEED. 



TO THE EDITOR OP THE "AUSTRALASIAN." 



Sir,— AVhat is the usual quantity of Tasmanian bluegum 

 seed sown to the acre (broadcast) ? Also, should wattle 

 seeil be steeped in hot water previous to sowing; if so, 

 tor how long, and at what temperature should the water 

 be when the seed is put in ? Scpee Combing. 



Amuri, New Zealand. 



[Two ounces and a half good bluegum seed will be 

 enough for one acre ; plougli very shallow and harrow 

 fine before sowing. 2. Pour boiling water upon it, and 

 set it aside to cool. If the bulk be large, use shallow 

 pans; leave it to soak until it swells.— Ed. Australasian.] 



♦ 



HOUSEHOLD PEESCKIPTIONS BY "HAKBI." 

 The prescriptions 1 and 2 are said to be infallible. I 

 have not tried them but my friend has, with glorious 

 success in almost hopeless cases. A trial is requested, and 

 the result to be communicated to the Asian 



(1.) llANGE IN HOBSE.S.— Take a few pounds of the 

 reluse nihowa (JJassm loiii/ifolia) Howers (after distillation) 

 and grind into a paste ; then rub it well into the eruption, 

 lettiug the paste to remain on for about four hours, 

 after which wash it off with warm water and country 

 soap. One application a day .for a week will .suffice to 

 eradicate the disease. 



(2.) JIA.NGE IN Dogs.— Reduce a quantity of the blighted 

 stalks of the milkhedge {Saindli, Thv.r. Hindustani; KvUi, 

 Tamilj to powder, and mix with linseed oil to form a 

 paste, after which rub the diseased parts well with the 

 paste, and allow it to remain on for a couple of hours, 

 then wash off with soap and tepid water. Apply only 

 once a day. A teaspoonful of sulphur, mixed either with 

 milk, butter, or ghee, to be given every morning for three 

 days. Diet light. 



(3.) Ticks on Fowls.— Common salt, mixed with cocoa- 

 nut oil, is an effectual remedy. The B. fiats begin to get 

 stitt and fall off within a couple of hours; after which 

 time the fowl is to be sponged, with lukewarm water. 

 There is no use applying the above solution if the " moorghi- 

 khana " is a receptacle for these abominations. Exterminate 

 them liy filling up aU cracks in floor and walls with mortar 

 and then lime wash. This latter is to be done once a 

 week. The " bloodsuckers " not liking water prefer leaving 

 the geese and ducks alone. 

 The Deccan, August 1882.— ^sm/i. 



GUINEA GEASS. 



Enquiries having been made by several of our friends 

 respecting the merits of Guinea grass as feed for stock, 

 we gi^■e the following remarks from TIte Soutlieni CuHivator, 



which owes them to the Florida Ayricidturist : 



^ Guinea grass (Pauicum .jumentoriim) is first mentioned 



m connection with the Island of Jamaica, where it was 



accidentally introduced about one hundred and fifty years 



ago. A present of some beautiful birds had been sent to 



a lady in Jamaica by a friend on the Guinea Coast. 



After their arrival iu Jamaica the birds died, and the 



seed which had been sent with them was regarded as of 



no further use, and was thrown out into a hedge. Some 



time afterwards it was noticed that cattle kept Ungering 



about that particular spot, trying to get at something in 



the hedge. This attracted attention to the grass, and 



it was henceforward cared for. It has since spread over 



the whole island, and also the neighboring West India 



Islands. In Jamaica large tracts of counti-y are kept planted 



with it, and the finest horses and cattle are reared upon 



it. There is no need of planting it every year. Some 



fielils have beeu seeded over one hundred years to this 



grass without being renewed or manured. The fields are 



usually closed up twice a year to allow the grass to 



grow to Ihe proper height and ripeness before turning 



in the stock to teed it down. The droppings from the 



cattle and the quantity of grass trampled into the ground 



are sufficient manure. When the fields are kept for cutting 



purposes they are manureil once a year, the grass being 



previously fed down before the rainy season, and manure 



scattered over the roots, to be washed iu by the raiu. 



In parts of Jamaica it grows much more readUv thaii in 



46 



others. In some parts the wood has only to be cut 

 dow I and burnt off when the field springs up in fine 

 Guinea grass In other parts the plant must be carefu'ly 

 cultivated. Although only one variety of this grass was 

 taken to Jamaica the climate has somewhat changed its 

 nature, so that I (Editor F. yi.) know of three varieties, 

 livery estate or coffee property keeps fields of the grass 

 tor cutting purposes, and stock are entirely fed upon it 

 1 have never known the estate mules to get grTiin of 

 any kmd, and if offered to them they would probably 

 not eat it, yet they are as hard worked as any animals 

 m the world. In Jamaica the Guinea grass is seldom 

 propagated from seed, but from the roots of old plants 

 which are taken up, separated, and re-planted in small 

 holes dug with the hoe. This practice may arise in part 

 trom the hilly nature of the island, which often renders 

 plouglung im-possiUe.—Queenslaiider. 



TREATMENT OF THE PEACH TREE. 



From the proceedings of the Agri-Horticultural Society 

 ot India, we quote hints for the treatment nf about the 

 most useful and .successful fruit cultivated in estate 

 bungalows in Ceylon .— ® 



Submitted the following account from Mr C Nickells 

 of Jaunpore, of the result of his treatment of the Peach 



"I have been very successful with peaches this year 

 both as regards size and quality, a tree upon which I 

 had been experimenting having yielded fruit 8+ inches iu 

 cu-cumference and 4i ounces each in weight, and of very 

 fine flavour. The following is my system of treatment — 

 At the close of the rains, or about the 15th of last 

 October, I laid the roots of the tree in question bare for 

 about 4 feet all round from the stem. By the 1st December 

 *°'^ *^f^ h'"' ripened its wood and the leaves had nearly 

 aU tallen. I immediately pruned it and pulled off the 

 few remaining leaves. The roots were then covered with 

 dry well-decayed cow-house manure, an<l over this a thin 

 layer of earth. About three weeks afterwards the tree 

 was m full bloom, and when the fruit had set I began 

 irrigating It My plan is always to give plenty of water. 

 Alter a little while I thinned out the fruit, allowm<^ 

 only one to remain upon each shoot. All the time that 

 the fruit was swelling I gave it /iqiiid manure prepared 

 as fol ows :-Two parts fresh goafs dung, two parts oil- 

 cake, half part soot, and half part lime. This mixtm-e I 

 put into earthen jars buried in the ground, about half 

 the jar being filled with the mLxture, and then filled up 

 with boihng water and kept closely covered. The liquid 

 manure was prepared two months before it was required 

 and the tree got aljout three gaUons of this mixture diluted 

 with a large quantity of water once a week. 



'Next year I hope to produce finer peaches, if tliat is 

 possible. I think rotten fish might be added with advant- 

 age to the hquid manure, and bone-dust to the roots 

 111 try the experiment at all events. 



'AVouId you like to have a few grafts from my tree 

 for the Society's Garden ? If so, I shall be happy to 

 prepare them for you, or I could send you cuttings during 

 the rains for budding, i.e., if this operation can be success- 

 fully performed in Calcutta. The fruit is of considerable 

 beauty and fine flavour, and tlie color of the flesh 

 is pale with a slight tinge of red next the stone. I need 

 not say there is not the least taste of bitter in it, as is 

 so common." 



HEDGES OR LIVE FENCES IN AUSTRALIA. 



Many species of plants have been pressed into the service 

 to do duty as apologies for hedge-rows in small, as well 

 as around large gardens in the colony, and not a few 

 attempts have resulted in utter failure, whilst numerous 

 instances of very partial success occasionally meet the 

 eye in suburban as well as in more remote districts. But 

 where can one see anj-thiug approaching to the luxuriant 

 and well-kept hedges of old England? Does not the 

 hawthorn thrive in this climate spl. ndidly, and grow ■ 

 luxuriantly, with its white pearly blo.'soms and fragrant 

 perfume. First and foremost, then, may be placed the 

 white thorn as a popular hedge-plant; it stands without 

 a rival for .sucli a purpose, and require s cutting only once 



