472 JOUKXAI, OF JllK DkI'AKTMKNT or AciRlClLTURE. iSOV., 1922. 



Coal Ash for Lands. 



Johanneshurn . — What is 1lu' value of coal ash lor soil y My 

 iu'i*>'hbouT lells me to use it on my black vlei soil, which is rather 

 sticky. 



/'(itchcf-'<ffoom School of A griciilfii re replies: — Coal ash is of 

 little or no A^alue as a fertilizer. It does hel}) g'reatly, lioAvevei'. in 

 loosening" uj) sticky clay land. It can he ai»])1ie<l at the rate of tour 

 to eight tons per acre. 



Grading of Cream. 



Bedford. ('.P. — What is tlie manner in which cream is graded 

 by the factory, that is, what is a first grade creams 



Grootfoiitein School of Agriculture replies: Cream is graded by 

 the aid of the senses of taste and smell. Cream graders have to 

 undergo a course of training and to pass a severe examination before 

 being empowered to grade cream. Cream is usually graded into 

 three grades as follows : — 



First Grade. — Should not have the slightest trace of bad odours 

 or off flavours. It should have a clean, nutty flavour without food 

 taints, and contain no particles of churned butter. Acidity of not 

 more than 5 per cent, is permissible so long as it is not accompanied 

 by g'as. 



Sec(jiid (rrode. — Cream of slight staleness, overacid t'ream, slight 

 taints such as weedy, cowy, tinny, etc. Slightly churned cream. 



Third Grade. — Very stale cream, very acid cream, and dirty 

 (K^ani. Cream having very pronounced off flavour. (lassy cream. 

 Any crcain that is in the grader's opinion unfit for human consump- 

 tion may be destroyed, the producer being notified in writing. 



The grading of creajn is i)ciforme(l by ({ualihed graders, under 

 the Dairy Indusliy Act, No. 1(1 of IDLS, and is very closely checked 

 by Ins])ectors ajjjjointcd by the (lovcrnnient . 



I would suggest that _\(>u apply to the l.ibraiian, l)e])art nient of 

 Agi icult uie, Pretoria, foi' literature on the subject. 



Value of Bone-meal. 



Mdchdr. — Is there any dilference between the feeding value of 

 hones derived from animals in clean districts and those of animals 

 from laniziekte districts? 



Grootfoiitein School of Agriculture replies: The value of bone- 

 meal lies in its content of calcium phosphate. What little difference 

 there may exist between the phosphate content of bones from different 

 areas would be quite negligible. As long as the bones are sufficiently 

 sterilized the same results should ensure from the use of all bone-meal. 



