ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS— coM<;;ua(/. 



Identification <jk I^lant.— }*1. O'B. forwards specin.en lor idenmicatioii, and asks 

 •whether the plant is injurious to the pasture. 



Ansiuer. — It is one of the numerous varieties of Asfcrttla oliganlha, 1-" 

 straggling herb, native to Australia. It is not poisonous or aci.velv injurious, 

 become a troublesome pest if allowed to spread. 



TfRNiPS FOR Dairy Cows. — D. E. C. wishes to know (i) Do turnips fed 

 a.Tett or taint the milk? (2) What are the best kinds to grow? 15) The 

 ])lant. 



Answer. — (i) Not if they are fed immediately after milking; otherwise, ves. (2) Swetles 

 suit most districts best. (3) End of summer; have seed in land wailing for rain. rrejiare 

 land to fine tilth. Broadcast or by drill. 



Fluke. — -W.K. writes — "What is the best cure for tiukc? There are a great many 

 springs on my property, making the ground very wet and cold. I frequently change the 

 sheep from paddock to paddock, and give them salt and sulphate of iron. I'lease recommend 

 the best lick." 



Ansiucr. — The lick you are giving is as good as any. Your land lias cvidentlv become 

 infested with the snail which harbors the fluke embryo, and it is likely that until belter drain- 

 age is jjrovided you will alwavs have fluke during wet seasons. 



White Ant's. — J. J. I>. would like to know how to prevent white ants doing damage to 

 buildings. 



Anszucr. — Tainting with Creosote is almost a specific against white ants. All slumps 

 used for foundations should be tarred (two coats) to about 6 inches above the soil, and the 

 joists, &c., should be painted with either Creosote or the "White Ant Specific" (Brooks, llobin- 

 son, and Company, Melbourne). Wooden buildings in districts infested with white ants should 

 be closel)' watched, especially at the swarming time, about end of Januarv. 



Fi.Ol'R Moths. — C. F. inquires as to the best method of getting rid of moths which infest 

 bin containing fowTs' feed. Forwards specimens. 



Ansrarr. — The specimens sent are the larvae of the well-known Flour Moth [EpJicstia] which 

 also attacks grain, bran, jnepared cereal foods, &c. The best method of dealing with this 

 pest is by the use of Bisulphide of Carbon evaporated in vessels containing j lb. or 5 lb. each, 

 and it is applied in air-tight bins at the rate of i lb. or I5 lbs. to i ton of grain. For 

 small ((uantities of grain, &c., 1 oz. to each 100 bs. of infected matter should be evaporated. 

 As the vapour of Bisulphide of Carbon is inflammable, every care should be taken. The 

 crevices should be sprayed with Benzole. 



Ch\rcoai. Drains. — .4. E. S. wishes to know how to i-onvert timber into iliarcoal for 

 making drains. 



Answer. — When used for draining, timber is not converted into true charcoal, but charred 

 in order to keep off insects and decay. Labour is usually dearer than material, and as pipes 

 are onl\- about £2 per 1,000, such a slow and expensive system as charcoal drains should not 

 le thou'jjlit of. 



Crafting. — A. E. S. asks whether it is advisable to graft (i) plums on cherry trees; (2) 

 apricots on peaches. W. C. inquires re grafting cherries on plum stocks. 



Answer. — (i) No; the grafting of cherry trees must be confined to their own species. 

 (2) Apricots are sometimes worked on peaches, but thev thrive best on their own seedling stock, 

 ■excepting in cold and wet regions, where the cherry plum is best. 



Red Water. — B. D. states that red water has been prevalent in his herd for several 

 rears. Inquires as to cause and treatment. W. B. makes similar inquiry. 



Answer. — Occurs in drv stock and dairy cows. The form that occurs in connexion with 

 calving is due to an impoverished condition of the blood brought about by injudicious dieting. 

 The non-parturient form w-hich occurs in either dry stock or dairy cows is "enerallv due to a 

 blood parasite. Give raw linseed oil until the bowels loosen, and supplement this with a 

 ('rench containing ammon. carb., 2 oz., nux vomica, \ oz., sodium bicarb., i oz. This should 

 be given twice daily in a quart of warm beer. 



Sow with Re'tained Membranes. — T. S. writes — " A sow of mine littered, and the fol- 

 lowing morning I found that she had not cleaned. I tried to help her, but found it im- 

 liossible to remove everything. The sow died about an hour later. What should be done 

 in a case like this"? 



Ansiver. — Give from 3 to 6 oz. of a mixture of equal ])arts of raw linseed oil arid 

 •castor oil. Rejieat, if necessary, in twelve hours' time. If there is a foul smell about the dis- 

 charges, the genital passages ought to be flushed out by injection of Lysol solution (i part in 

 100 of water), or other antiseptic. Gentle inilling on ' the extended membranes will assist In 

 ■their exjuilsion. 



FUKE.— Shepherd asks whether there is any cure for fluke in sheep when the stage of 

 swelling under the throat and around the head is reached. 



Ansicer.So medicine can remove the flukes from the liver, but the general health may be 

 Improved, and convalescence hastened by giving a tonic mixture in troughs, say, i part of sul- 

 phate of iron to 3 parts of common salt. The same lick— given in a dry upland paddock 

 by preference — will form a good preventitive medicine. 



Rape for Summer Feed. — Sheep Farmer (Tallangatta) would like to know (i) the best 

 time to sow rape seed for early summer feed. (2) Whether there is a cure for sheep badly 

 affected with fluke. 



Answer.— (i) Try about ist September. This .vill succeed south of the Divifle,_ but it 

 may not come off every season in your district. Still it is worth the risk. See article on 

 ""Experimental Farms" in this issue. (2) See answer to "Shepherd." 



Whe\t Cultivation. — W. C. asks wdiat is the best depth to_drill wheat. 



Answer. — Depth varies according to soil, about 3 inches is the best average. 



BoRi" Acin.— Diamond Creek wants to know how much boric arid may be added to 

 1 lb. of butter. 



.Answer. — T'n.ler the Pure Foods Act the amount of boric acid or saltpetre allowed must 

 mot exceed one-fourth (0.2:^) per cent, (by weight). 



[Continued on lack cover). 



