ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



Water Gripes.— H.M. S. asks how to relieve water gripes in horses, &q. 



.4?iSi<;er.— So-called water gripes is of extremely rare occurrence— that is, colic is seldom due 

 to any trouble in the kidneys, bladder, or urinary apparatus. Colic is essentially a bowel trouble, 

 caused, in the majority of instances, by indigestion. A (bench usually eti'eciive is as follows :— 

 Sweet spirits of nitre, IJ oz. ; tincture of opium, 1 oz. ; raw linseed oil, ^ pint. Repeat in an 

 hour if necessary. 



Motor Engines.— H.W. asks if oil engines of the motor type are suitable for small farm 

 work where the user has some mechanical skill. 



Answei'. — The motor type engine is essentially one of small weight and higli speed. It uses 

 " light " oils, and from its construction takes as much oil running light as at fnlT load. It is also 

 -entirely dependent upon spark ignition either by a battery or a " magneto." They will, speaking 

 generally, develop their listed horse-power at big number of revoUitions onl\', and the gearing 

 down to the usually slow motion of farm macliinery is not easy. Unless the farmer has a very con- 

 siderable experience in nieclianical work, or lives near an expert in this class of engine, it cannot 

 at present be recommended for adoption. 



Clover, etc.— J.M.M. writes :—" Under separate cover I forward two botanical specimens 

 for identiiication. The clover-like plant is a free grower, and does well almost anywhere it is 

 planted. The other umbelliferous plant has established itself on several flats, and has spread with 

 great rapidity, putting farmers to great expense in coping with it. Please suggest some means of 

 keeping it in check. " 



AnMver.— The clover is Medicago scutdlata, Bauhin. It is an annual, but is a good fodder 

 plant, and the seeds, not being prickly, do not adhere to wool, and are eaten by the sheep in time 

 of drought. A valualile plant for new dry unmanured pastures, and for bare exposed ground. 

 Seeds freely. Sometimes called " Snail Clover." Introduced. 



The "umbelliferous" plant is a composite, Achillea miUefolium, L., a common weed of the 

 temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. This is one of the plants recommended by Baron 

 von Mueller for naturalization. It is of no value for fodder, its astringent taste and bitter flavour 

 making it unpalatable. It is perennial, with creeping underground shoots, seeds freely, and holds 

 firmly to ground where it is once established. Altogether a troublesome weed, likely to become a 

 great nuisance if unchecked. The only remedy is to keep infested land ploughed and under crop 

 (not grain) until clear. Keep roadsides and waste places clean. The taller grasses and clovers 

 will keep it down on good moist soil, but not on drier pastures. 



Destroying Docks. — Inquirer asks for information re. destroying docks on rich river flats 

 subject to floods. 



Answer. — Dock roots are able to produce adventitious buds, so that any portion left in the 

 ground will start a fresh plant. On a small scale, the plants can be suppressed by digging up and 

 destroying the roots, and by preventing all formation of seeds. Land of the character mentioned 

 should, if drained and deeply ploughed, yield very rich crops. After ploughing, rake off and pick 

 off all pieces of roots. A close leafy crop like potatoes, maize, or a root crop, would give the 

 remaining pieces little chance of forming strong plants. Bare fallow has less effect with docks 

 than most weeds, unless coupled with the removal of the roots. 



If the land is needed for pastui'c or fodder, and the above will entail too high a labour charge 

 the best plan would be to grow strong moisture-loving pasture plants. These would keep down the 

 docks if the thicker patches of the latter were cut down occasionally and kept from seeding. 

 Plants to be recommended for this purpose are :— Italian Rye fxi'ass [Loliuin italicum), the Marsh 

 Bird's-foot Trefoil {Lotus cornicnlatus var uliginosa), any of the moistui'e-loving Millet Grasses 

 {Panicum Crus Galli, P. miliacenm, P. jirolifermn, P. spectabile, P. striatum, P. Texanum). The 

 larger grasses are best cut and fed as green food or silage to stock, but the Bird's-foot Trefoil is a 

 good plant for direct pasturage by stock. 



Lucerne-growing. — Alfalfa writes: — "Last spring I sowed lucerne (a small patch) in drills 

 1 ft. 6 in. to 2 feet apart, and have cut some of it twice. Please advise whether I should plant a 

 row between existing rows this autumn. Also, what is the best time to apply manure. The 

 labour of keeping the plot free of Meeds has been great." 



Answer.— With, regard to your lucerne plot, 2 feet apart is rather wide and 9 inches is a 

 little too close — probably 15 inches is about the best for the drills. The stable manure should be 

 applied in autumn, and the ground thoroughly hoed between the rows towards the end of winter. 

 The first cutting usually contains a lot of weeds, but the subsequent ones are nearly pure lucerne. 

 When once lucerne becomes established it is not easy to get a satisfactory growth in between the 

 existing plants, but on your small plot there will be no harm in trying the experiment. When 

 extending the area make the distance between the rows 15 inches. A top-dressing of manure after 

 the first cut serves the double purpose of enriching the land and preventing evaporation by acting 

 as a soil mulch. 



Apple Pest. — J.T. writes: — " Unden separate cover, lam forwarding specimens of insects 

 which are very prevalent on some of the young apple trees, destroying the leaves of the latter. 

 Please furnish method of treatment." 



Amwer. — The trouble is caused by the larvae of a moth {Ttia anartoides), an insect which 

 Js described in Vol. 11. of French's Destructive In.<iects of Victoria. Spray with the following :— 1 lb. 

 Paris green (paste form), 4 lbs. lime, diluted with 180 gallons of water. Two or more sprayings 

 may be required. 



