January i, 1883.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



58' 



LIQUID GRAFTING-WAX. 



TO THE EDITOII OF THE " AUSTRALASIAN." 



Sir, — W^ill you be good enough to give a recipe for 

 grafting-wax, and say if tlie grafts require tyiug before 

 the wa.x is put on. Is strong white worsted a good thing 

 to tie with ? Is the composition better than clay for grafts 

 above ground? Pomona. 



[Wax is used chiefly for small work ; the tying must be 

 done as usual, and coarse worsted is a very good mate- 

 rial for the purpose. Liquid wax is a very useful appli- 

 cation, and is perhaps the most convenient for the pur- 

 pose of all the mastics used for covering wounds and 

 grafting. It is of the consistency of varnish, and is ap- 

 plied very thinly with a brush. Care must be taken not 

 to lay it on thickly, for the surface hardens so rapidly 

 that the .alcohol is prevented from evaporating. Eosin, 1 

 lb.; beef t:dlow, 1 oz. ; spirits of turpentine, 1 tablespoon- 

 ful; alcohol (95 per cent), 6 oz. Melt the rosin over a slow 

 fire ; wlieu melted take it off, and add the beef tallow, 

 stirring it coustuntly ; let it cool down somewhat ; mix 

 the spirits of turpentine little by little with it, and at 

 last the alcohol in the same way. Should the alcohol 

 be added while the mass is too hot, much will be lost by 

 rapid evaporation ; if, on the contrary, it is too cool, it 

 will form a v-i.scid lump, and must be slightly heated again. 

 Stirring briskly is indispensable to mix the ingredients 

 thoroughly. — Ed. " Australasian'."] 



OSTEICn FAEMING IN SOUTH AUSTEALIA. 



The following is a report given by Mr. W. Malcolm, 

 J.P., of Gawler, upon his ostrich-farm : — " I am glad to 

 say the ostriches are doing well. There are twelve fine 

 birds, nearly full-grown, hatched last year ; besides, there 

 are ten birds hatched this and last month. The hens are 

 laying again. I expect to have five laying by end of this 

 mouth; so that hii\'ing only one hen last year, we look 

 for at least 80 to 100 birds being reared this year, or say 

 before this time next year. The large new incubator-room, 

 thirtj' feet long, is finished and answers well, and being 

 fitted up with pipes and taps all round, is easily worked 

 from the two large boilers in .another room. If disposed 

 we could hatch 800 to 1,000 fowls' egg each week, as well 

 as accommodate 80 to 100 ostrich eggs. One of Douglas's 

 large incubators is now en route for the farm. This I 

 sent for as it is said to be something very superior, and 

 ought to be from the price paid, being thi'ee times the 

 cost of my present incubators. On the farm at present 

 there are five laying hens, four matured males, two pullets 

 over twelve months old, 12 chicks nine months old, 10 

 chicks 1 month, and some 10 or 12 eggs in incubator. 

 The poultry are doing well. This coming season we ought 

 to send to market some few thousand birds. If some of 

 you could come up you could form some idea of the work 

 done and the success achieved so far. I now feel confident 

 that my first impression was correct, and on this I acted, 

 viz., that our colony has every essential to success, and 

 an unlimited extension of ostrich-farming if you go about 

 it jiroperly. By this time next year I hope to make this 

 patent to the most sceptical, though what has been accom- 

 plished has not been ^vithout a trial to one's faith and 

 patience. However, a good fight with difficulties makes 

 success the sweeter when achieved." — Adelaide Observer. 



CULTIVATION OF THE WATTLE. 



With a view of encouraging the cultivation of the wattle, 

 and the exten.'ion of its contingent indistry, we publish 

 a letter on the subject which appeared in the Australasian 

 nearly five years ago : — 



" If you have no objection I will supplement your re- 

 m,^rks in answer to your correspondent signing himself 

 ' Wattle Bark.' I tliink that the time has now come that 

 the cultivation of wattle-bark will pay, and pay very hand- 

 somely, considering the small amount of labour attached 

 to it, and that it can be combined with grazing, notwith- 

 standing your remark anent stock-proof fences. Light 

 sandy soil, or soil that will turn out potatoes in payable 

 quantities, is the description that the wattle requires. 

 Supposing ' Wattle-Bark ' to have such a piece of ground, 

 74 



let him either clear it completely of all the trees, or take 

 out all the saplings and a few of the trees where thr-y 

 stand too thick, burning off all the rubbish and dead 

 timber. Then lay out his ground in squares of 12 feet 

 each. This done, let him take every third line, and at 

 the inter.sections of the cross lines drop two or three 

 seeds. That is all for the first season. The second season 

 he does the same with the next line. The third season 

 ho finishes. He can then strip the first season's sowing 

 and sow again. The seeds when planted to be lightly 

 covered, to save them from the birds. As soon as the 

 seedlings are well up, the weakest- to he pulled up and 

 thrown aw.ay, leaving one at each intersection. After the 

 stripping the stripped trees to be cut down, burnt, arid 

 the ashes strewn over the ground. The second year of 

 growth, or sooner if the plant is strong enough, clear off 

 all the superfluous branches, so that the stem will grow 

 up straight and clean, giving more bark, and greatly ex- 

 pediting the stripping. When the seedlings are, siiy, six 

 months old, stock can be turned in on the grass. As 

 long as there is a good bite of grass, stock will not in- 

 terfere with wattle, nor, for the matter of that, stock 

 will hardly at any time. The time for sowing should be 

 directly the seed is ripe, they will then catch the first 

 rains. The best kind is the wattle that has a smooth 

 leaden-coloured bark, the tanners liking it best, as it con- 

 tains the most tannin, gives the greatest weight per acre, 

 and commands the highest price in the market. A tree 

 three years old wiU give half a hundredweight at the least. 

 The ground laid out in squares of 12 feet will contain 

 something over 300 trees ; that allows for each year's 

 stripping 100 trees, giving two tons and a half, which, at 

 the moderate figure of £3 10s. per ton, gives the return 

 of £8 15s. per acre — a very handsome return, and a cert.ain 

 one, for the labour invested. There are immen.se areas of 

 groiuid about Melbourne that have become exhausted that 

 would suit the wattle very well, and I should think would 

 give payable returns." — Adelaide Observer. 



PEOGEESS OF BEE CULTUEE IN AMERICA. 

 In an address before the North American IJee Keepers' 

 Convention, held at Lexington, Ky., Mr. T. O. Newman, 

 of the Chicago Bee Journal, specified what he considered 

 the several steps in the progress achieved in recent years 

 in the management of bees. We quote them below, with 

 some condensation ; — 



1. The movable comb principle in the Langstroth hive, 

 revealing " mysteries " therein and revolutionising old 

 theories. 



2. The multiplication of bee books and bee papers, 

 scattering information like autumn leaves, awakening sci- 

 entific investigation, and inviting inventions to aid in the 

 .scientific management of the apiary. 



3. Bee lovers' conventions, developing the best thoughts 

 and the most advanced ideas of those devoted to this in- 

 dustry. 



4. The importation of Italian bees, placing the possi- 

 bilities of improvement within oiu- grasp. 



5. Learning how to It.aUanise our apiaries, rear and 

 ship the new bees, and thus spread them aU over the 

 continent. 



6. The increase of colonies by division instead of swarm- 

 ing- 



7. Making a staple article of honey, giving us the honey 

 extractor by which to obtain the honey by centrifugal 

 force. 



8. The means of uncapping the combs before extract- 

 ing the honey, and saving them for future use, by the 

 aid of an uncapping knife. 



f). The bellows-smoker, with which to control the bees 

 during our manipulation of them, without danger of being 

 stung. 



10. Sheets of wax, afterwards corrugated and called 

 " comb foundation," to aid the bees in multiplying their 

 numbers and obtaining large yields of honey by provid- 

 ing room to receive the sweet nectar in the shortest period, 

 of time, as well as to control the production of drones 



11. Thin comb foundation, to be used in comb honey, 

 giving it strength to endure temptation and aid in its 

 production. 



12. Single comb sections to facilitate the building of 



