July 2, 1920.] Agricultural Gazette of N.S.W. 471 



Thew is another variety which makes into a good sort of hay. The straw 

 is thin and light-coloiired. and carries only a medium quantity of short and 

 erect foliage. It only grew 3 feet 9 inches in the early plot, and much less 

 in the mid-season and late plots. Being an eai'ly maturer, it seems that it 

 should be sown late in the season. 



Firhank is the earliest-maturing variety under trial. Its yields this 

 season do not compare with those of previous trials ; apparently it was not 

 suited to the diier conditions and repeated applications of water, for in 

 former years it yielded well above the 100 per cent. mark. Firbank is a 

 scanty grower and poor stooler. 



To Repair Corroded Tanks. 



Corrugated iron tanks that show signs .of rusting and corroding may have 

 their lives considerably lengthened if the inside of the tank is coated with 

 cement mortar. This may be done as follows : — First brush all rust from the 

 inside surface of the tank and tie around it on the inside wire netting of any 

 mesh (preferably 2 inches), passing the tying wire through small holes 

 in the tank and twitching it up on the outside. Then plaster the sides 

 through the netting with cement mortar made up of three parts clean sand 

 and one part cement. Continue until the netting is covered. In the same 

 way put on the bottom of the tank one inch thickness of the cement mortar. 



When this is sufficiently set, a |-inch coat of stronger mortar (equal parts 

 sand and cement) should be trowelled on and finished to a smooth face. 

 Finally, a coat of wash, made of 1 lb. washing soda to four gallons water, 

 should be applied. Holes punched from the outside of the tank with a 

 four inch nail are a help to the keying of the cement, and a convenience for 

 the tie wires. The outside of the tank should be painted when the repairs 

 are finished. As this treatment adds considerably to the weight of the 

 tank, it is necessary to make sure that the stand or supports are strong 

 enough for the purpose. — A. Brooks, Works Overseer. 



Methods or Extracting Wax from the Honeycomb. 



To extract wax from combs it is necessary to apply pressure, a wax press 

 being used for the purpose. Melt the combs in boiling water ; put in the 

 press a sack (say a sound chaff bag), and pour into this the boiling mass ; 

 then fold the top of the sack and apply the screw pressure. 



When a press is not available, another method can be used, but with this 

 only a fair percentage of the wax can be obtained. In the second method 

 the comb is put into a sack, the top of this tied, and the whole immersed 

 in boiling water with weights on it to keep it under. When the combs are 

 melted, the top of the sack is lifted, and pressure applied to its contents by 

 twisting. The sack is then immersed again, and pressure applied to it from 

 the top ; it is subsequently weighted and allowed to cool. 



The second method is obviously imperfect, and a wax press — especially 

 when used for extracting wax from old combs — soon earns the price of its 

 purchase. — W. A. Goodacre, Senior Apiary Inspector. 



