ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



The Staff of the Department has been organized to a large extent for the 

 purpose of giving information to farmers. Questions in every branch of agriculture 

 are gladly answered. Write a short letter, giving as full particulars as possible, of 

 your local conditions, and state precisely what it is that you want to know. All 

 inquiries must be accompanied by the name and address of the writer. 



Potatoes for PoULrRV. — F.D. inquires whether potatoes mixed with pollard for mornin>j 

 ieed is advisable ? 



Answer. — No, not alone. You should give 2 parts pollard and x part bran with 20 per 

 ■cent, of green food such as lucerne, lettuce, cat)bage, 6i;c., and at least f of an oz. of animal 

 food to each hen daily. If given occasionally, a small quantity of boiled potato is good. Pro- 

 vide plenty of grit and broken oyster shell and see that the water receptacles are daily refilled 

 with fresh water and kept in the shade. 



Identification of Plants. — K.N. submits specimen, and states that a crop of rape sown 

 by him has turned out a failure, but instead of the rape the weed forwarded has covered 

 the paddock. The rape seed was obtained from a seedsman. 



Answer. — It is the Common Fumitory, Fumaria officinalis, L., a. cosmopolitan weed some- 

 times grown in gardens. It is non-poisonous, but becomes troublesome if allowed to spread. 

 It contains Fumaric acid and a bitter tonic principle, which gives an unpleasant flavour to 

 the milk and butter of cows eating it, but it has no present medicinal value. It can be sup- 

 jjressed by cultivation and frecjuent stirring. The seed are a little like those of rajie, and 

 last some time in the soil. 



W.P. forwards specimen of a plant which is spreading over his land, and requests 

 information concerning it. 



Answer. — It is the South African Wood Sorrel, Oxalis ccrnua, Thunb., and is a trouble- 

 some weed, especially in sour land fairly rich in humus. Aeration, drainage, liming, good 

 cultivation and rotation farming all aid in suppressing it. Direct eradication by poisons and 

 hand methods is impossible. It would be advisable to at once plough the land and keep it 

 fallowed and well stirred for a year, particularly during the dry, hot portion, as by that 

 tiuic the seeds and perennial parts will be largely exhausted. After that the great thing is 

 to keep the ground well covered with a leafy crop and the soil open and well stirred. 



Water from Arabic covered Roof. — R.G. inquires whether terra cotta Arabic applied 

 to iron for cooling purposes will injuriously alTect the rain water used for drinking pur- 

 poses. 



Answer. — The rain water caught off^ such a roof cannot be recommended owing to 

 the liability of the Arabic acting as a collector of both germ and vegetable debris. This 

 being washed off the roof by the rain and collected affects the water injuriously. Apart 

 from this, the composition of Arabic is an objection to its use for covering roofs intended 

 to catch water for domestic use. 



Selection of Ram. — H.C.F. writes, "I have a small number of two-tooth evvts by 

 fiure Shropshire rams out of comeback and crossbred ewes. I would like to keep and 

 iareed suitable breeding ewes from them, and, therefore, ask your advice regarding a ram." 



Answer. — This cross is a good one for the small breeder, especially so, if good round- 

 shouldered crossbred ewes and good wool-cutters as well are selected and mated with good 

 fleeced and shaped Shropshires. There is no way to maintain and improve it, only by using 

 good shaped and fleeced Shropshire rams again, and as Shropshires are at low water mark it is 

 possible now to get this class of ram at a reasonable price. To maintain the breed any ewes 

 of ill shape, such as narrow forequarters and high shoulders, no matter how good the fleece, 

 muh,t go; also any ewes not profitable wool-cutters, no matter how good the shape. The 

 others, to Shropshire rams as mentioned, will throw specially good thrivers and good profitable 

 wool-cutters, with a grade of wool always in demand. In practice none of the other breeds 

 are so easily worked into a dual purpose sheep. A fair knowledge of selecting the ewe-lambs, 

 and of buying the right shape of rams is indispensable to success. H.C.F.'s aim in keeping 

 best ewes and improving each generation is what should be done far more than it is. 



I.EMON AND Orange Seeds. — F.D. asks what is the proper time and method of sowing 

 lemon and orange seeds? 



Answer. — They are sown in late winter (in boxes or frames in cool regions) so that they 

 burst into growth in early spring. Next, they are petted and grown under glass or in bush 

 houses, or set out in nursery rows till grown large enough for either budding or grafting. 

 One or the other of these processes has to be carried out if a fruitful tree of a specific type 

 is desired since the seedling is not a transcript of its parent but distinct and usually 

 inferior. Victoria is too cold for the successful raising of citrus trees — all our commercial 

 stock coming from the more northern and warmer States. F.D. may raise plants from seed 

 for purely decorative purposes, but should not attempt to raise fruit-bearing kinds in com- 

 mercial quantities. ! 



Fattening Pigs. — W.T. inquires what fojd will give the best results in fattening pigs? 



Answer. — If potatoes are used, cook first and drain off the water; then mix with barley 

 meal or pea meal. Give this to young pigs for, say, three months; then top up with dry peas, 

 with [)lenty of clean water, in separate trough. If separated milk is used, be sure and fer- 

 ment it first. When wheat or barley is available, crush and soak in milk or water ])rior to 

 using. Pollard is not recommended when barley or pea meal can be obtained. 



Feeding Draught Horses. — F.J.W. asks the following questions : — (x) What is a fair 

 quantity of oats per day for a draught horse doing constant work on a farm? {2) Will too 

 much oats cause sore shoulders? (3) Does it improve the feed when the oats are damped or 

 steeped ? 



Ansrver. — (i) From 8 to 10 lbs. per dav, but the amount depends largely upon the 

 •fjuartv of the stufi^. (2) No. (3) Damped improves digestion; steeped does not. 



{Coiitimicd on back pa'^e.) 



