lo May, 191 1.] Answers to Correspondents. 357 



GENERAL NOTES. 



The Trial Shipment of Pears. 



It is gratifying to record that the trial shipment of Williams' Bon 

 Chretien jx^ars, sent to London by the s.s. Somerset on the 14th February, 

 and referred t(j in the March Journal, has turned out an unqualified 

 success. 



The prices cabled by the Agent-General (from los. to 19s. per package) 

 are more than satisfactory, being equal to from 12s. 6d. to 23s. 9d. per 

 case. The.se results justify the methods recommended in this Journal, 

 and elsewhere, by the officers of the Department, viz., that pears, to carry 

 successfully, should be cool-stored immediately after picking, packed in 

 trays containing one layer only, and carried at a low temperature (Just 

 below freezing point). 



It is expected that the success of this shipment will have a marked 

 effect on the future trade with oversea ports. The export season, usually 

 covering only ten weeks, will be extended by another fortnight or three 

 weeks. The disposal of large quantities, by early export, will relieve 

 the pressure usually coming later on, and should prevent, to a great 

 extent, the gluts we have occasionally experienced in our local markets. 



Due recognition should be given to the action taken by the manager 

 of the Government Cool Stores, at Doncaster, who, last September, brought 

 this matter before the conference of fruit-growers at Ardmona. That 

 officer then strongly advised the growers to .ship this particular variety of 

 pear in large quantities, and detailed the methods that .should be adopted. 

 — /. G. Turner. 



ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



The Staff of the Department has been organized to a larj^e extent for the purpose of giving inforrnation 

 to" farmers. Question" in every branch of a^'ricuUiire are ;rladly answered. Write a short letter, giving as 

 full particulars as possible, of your local conditions, and state precisely what it is that .'ou want to know. 

 A.U inquiries forwarded to the Editor must be accompanied by the name and address 0I the toriter. This is 

 very necessary, as sometimes insufficient information is furnished by the inquirer. 



LiMi.VG OF Soils. — D.F.G. inquires as to best form of lime to apply to dii- 

 ferent soils. 



Answer. — The particulars forwarded are scarcely sufficient. However, the 

 use of freshly burned slaked lime for all soils of a stiff nature, such as clays 

 ;ind loams is advised ; for sandy ones the ground luiburnt deposit may be used. The 

 flifhcuUy exjjeriencefl in s|)reading slaked lime is well known, and the importation 

 of an up-to-date lime spreader is recommended. It would be a great help tu 

 farmers in the district, as such machines would enable one to overcome the diffi- 

 culties attending hand spreading. The advantage of caustic lime over other forms 

 of lime consists in its being most active, and in its most concentrated condition. 

 It is therefore the most economical to buy when carriage is taken into considera- 

 tion. Fiftv-six pounds of caustic lime are equal to 100 Ib.s. of ground limestone, 

 'i'he caustic lime jiossesses tl)e property of exliaiisting the organic content of tlie 

 soil, and this fact suggests the advisability of using the weaker acting ground 

 limestone on light sandy soils. On the other hand, this action is considerably 

 modified and weakened in heavy snils bv the presence iii such of moisture anfl 

 carbonic .icid. (See Journal for Sejitember, i()o8, for description of lime spreaden. 



RlPTiRK. — O.C. asks how to treat a nqjlurcd foal. 



Ans-ver. — It is not uncommon for ruptures of tids nature to disappear of 

 their own acconl as the animal grows older. Time shoubi l>e allowed imtil the 

 animal is two vears old. A veterinary surgeon should be consulted in cases 

 where the enlargement shows signs of increasing. O.C. is reminded that his full 

 name and acldrcss should have been supplied. 



Milk for C.VLVEs. — A.G.II. asks whether the milk from the separator should 

 be given whilst still warm to the calves. 



Answer. — Yes; but the froth should first be carefully removed. 



