TO Aug.. 1911.] Ans7ccrs to C orrcsfondents. 581 



White Ants. — H.G.H. is an.xioiis to knmv of an effective metho'l of keeping 

 white ants out of buildings. 



Answer. — Use ant stops made of tin dishes inverted on top of stumps; all 

 nails driven through them must fit tightly. Steps leading up to verandahs or doors 

 must not quite touch. White ants will not thrive without an earth connexion. 



Binding Sand. — H.CH. asks for ins ructions for binding sand about his 

 premises. Gravel and tar are available. 



Answer. — Boil tar until a portion allowed to cool is of the consistency of 

 pitch. A little oil may be added. Care must be taken in boiling. The sand should 

 be swept clean and the hot tar sprinkled on through perfora'.ecl tins or sprinklers 

 and then covered with dry sand. Do the work in warm dry weather. 



Identification ok Pl.xnts.— P.C, W.M., W.J. P., J. P., W.R.R., M.S., 

 S.W., C.E.B., J. I., and G.H.W. forward specimens of plants for identification. 

 W.M. states tliat, when the weed forwarded is in full flow-er, sheep can scarcely 

 bf. moved without several being lost. The lambs, particularly, are liable to die. 

 C.E.B. mentions that many sheep have died from eating the plant of which he 

 submits a specimen. In some cases immediate bleeding under the eye restored the 

 affected animals. 



Answer. — i. (P.C.). — Panicum Cms Galli, L. Barnyard or Cockshin Grass. 

 A cosmopolitan native grass. It is a fairly useful fodder grass, especially in 

 moist situations along sandy river banks, or around stagnant water, and will also 

 grow on somewhat saline soil, particularly on brackish water-courses and on 

 moorland. The grass seeds freely and germinates readily, and birds are fond 

 of the grain. The seed does not appear to be stocked by any Melbourne seedsmen, 

 but allied plants are the Japanese and Pearl Millets, which are stocked, and could 

 be recommended in preference to the above. 



2. (W.M.). — Isolonia fluviatilis, F.V.M. A native plant belonging to the 

 Lobeliacea. AH species of this order contain a sharp burning, or even narcotic 

 milky, sap, which taken internally in excess causes inflammation of the alimentary 

 canal and even death. An allied species, 7. longiflora, is deadly to horses in 

 South America, large doses producing death, small ones violent purging, very 

 small doses merely acting as a tonic stimulant. I. fluviaiilis is less poisonous, 

 but is not a plant to encourage on pasture land. The plant should be hoed up 

 or pulled up after rain, before seeding, and the stock should be kept from the 

 land where it is abundant, especially if other feed is scarce. If the ground is 

 properly cultivated and drained or limed if necessary, it tends to disappear. The 

 plant prefers moist badly drained soil, deficient in lime. The first consideration 

 should be the eradication of the plant. For those lambs that should obtain a 

 poisonous quantity of the weed, the best course to pursue would be the administra- 

 tion of castor oil as a purgative, followed by Blaud fluids as gruel or linseed tea 

 or lime water. 



3. (W.J. P.). — Heliotropium curoficum , L. Common Heliotrope. The plant 

 is a cosmopolitan weed, obnoxious on account of its impleasant odour. It is useless 

 for fodder but not poisonous, and is best kept down by cultivation, fallowing, and 

 root croi)s. A drilled and well cleaned croji of maize is also good to clean the 

 ground. 



4. (J. P.). — Panicum miliaceum, L. The True Millet. It is very eligible for 

 green fodder. Several varieties occur, one with black grains. They all need 

 a rich and friable soil, also humidity. It is one of the best grains for poultry, 

 but also furnishes a f)alatable and nutritious article of diet in many parts of the 

 tropics. 



5. (W.R.K.). — Medicago Inpulina, L. Black Medick. An introduced annual 

 or biennial leguminous plant, which seeds freely, and so maintains itself. It is 

 a useful pasture plant, especially on clay soils unsuitable for lucerne. On dry 

 soils it is somewhat stunted, but steadily improves and enriches them with nitro- 

 genous humus, if not too closely crojiped. It is more luxuriant on richer soils, 

 and then may become almost perennial when continuallv croppeil. It will also 

 grow on somewhat swampy, boggy or nioory ground if this is limed, and is a 

 common impurity in lucerne seetl. 



6. (M.S.). — Ccnchrus tribuloidrs. Hedgehog or Burr Grass. A native of 

 North America, but now naturalized anil widely spread in Victoria. Tiie idant 

 is useless for fodder, and obnoxious on accoimt of its burred fruits, wiiich are 

 unusual among true grasses. It can be kept down bv cultivation, or cutting 

 before seeding, or burning olT j)atches where it is thick. 



