II Dec, 1911-] AtL\7iers to Correspondents. 845 



Thousand Headed Kale. — H.H.S. writes : — '• I have a field of thousand 

 headed kale that I have fed off, leaving the stalks still in the ground. If I leave 

 them until next season, will they grow again and be as good as new plants?" 



Answer. — If they have not been allowed to seed, the plants will grow again, 

 but will not yield as heavily as freshly grown plants from new seed. 



Harrows for Working Lucerne. — A.J.B. asks what kind of disc harrows i« 

 most suitable for cultivating lucerne in sandy soil. 



Answer. — A tooth disc harrows with diamond pointed teeth. 



Insects on W.attles. — H.C. forwards specimens of insects that are on the 

 trees in his wattle plantation. 



Answer. — The wattles are attacked by two kinds of insects, viz., the Wattle 

 Thrips and the Wattle Pinara. A good spraying with Benzole emulsion will soon 

 rid the trees of these pests. 



Onion Eki.-worm. — A.F.B. asks whether onion seed from a district where 

 eel-worm is prevalent is likelv to h^ infected. He also makes inquiry regarding 

 the habits of the onion eel-worm. 



Answer. — Onion seeds obtained from a district badly infested with the onion 

 eel-worm (TylencJius devastatrix) have been extensively grown in sterilized soil by 

 this Department, and in no case was there any infection of the plants. If the 

 seed from an infected district is dusty, it is possible there may be eggs in the 

 ■dust, and clean ground become infected in this way. In purchasing seed, see that 

 it is free from dust. The life history and habits of the onion eel-worm were 

 •dealt with in the March, 1910, Journal. 



Plants for Identification. — E.B. and M.W.W. forward specimens for iden- 

 tification. E.B. asks whether the plant forwarded has any medicinal properties. 

 It has been recommended as a cure for rheumatism. 



Answer. — (i) E.B. — Plantago coronofus, L., Buckshorn Plantain. Though 

 allied to the Ribwort Plantain, it has practically no fodder value. It is native 

 to Euro{)e, Asia, and Australia, is very variable in size, seeding freely and usually 

 growing on drv sandy or stony situations, especially near the sea. It is an in- 

 dicator of poor soil. Manuring by encouraging taller and useful vegetation does 

 much to suppress it. Irrigation has the sanr.e effect, and, to a certain extent, also 

 merely scarifying the surface. It was formerly regarded as a remedy for hydro- 

 phobia. The young leaves have a diuretic action, and this by aiding in the re- 

 moval of uric acid from the blood might help to remove some symptoms, generally 

 considered to be rheumatic in character. It would not, however, be advisable 

 to use the plant for rheumatism without previously seeking the advice of a medical 

 man. The young leaves are sometimes used in salads, for which purpose the plant 

 is often grown in European gardens, especially in Greece; but, under ordinary 

 •circumstances, it is nothing but a weed. 



(2) M.W.W. — The specimen was somewhat damaged, but is Oxalis cernua, 

 Thunb., South African Wood-sorrel. It is a troublesome weed, particularly in sour 

 land rich in humus. Aeration, drainage, liming, good cultivation an<i rotation farm- 

 ing all aid in sujjpressing it. Direct eradication by poisons and hand methods is 

 inipossible on a large scale. The land is best cleaned by ploughing, fallowing, and 

 stirring for a year, especially during the early portion of the season, when the 

 plant is growing and flowering most actively. By that time, 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 ojien and well stirred. The hind 

 should not be seeded down in grass again until quite clean, and care should be 

 taken to use pure seed. In gardens, lime heavily (2 to s tons per acre) and keep 

 the ground well stirred and frequently hoed, raking out the larger bulbs. 



lERMENTiNG Vat. — G.H.H. asks whether there is any preparation with which 

 he could j)aint the inside of a galvanized iron tank, or a plain iron tank, so that 

 it couliJ be used as fermenting vat. 



Answer. — Several [iroprietary compositions are on the market for coating the 

 inside of casks, &c. It is, however, considered very undesirable to ferment in 

 an iron vessel so treated, the coating being liable to be easily removed and the 

 metal, where exposed, is attacked by the acids of the wine. Gal'vani/cd iron, owing 

 to its coating of zinc, is particularly undesirable. 



AiAfOND Stocks.— A.J. asks wliy the almond grafted on plum stocks is not 

 recommended. 



.4//.fj<;^r.— Generally speaking, fruits do better when worked on their own 

 wood, owing to closeness of affinity. Eor that reason the almond in some dis- 

 tricts does even better on the peach stock than on its own, the almond an<l the 

 peach being very closely related. Owing to the very distant relationship between 

 the plum and the almond, the latter is not generally recommended as a slock. 

 At the same time, in some r|i>tricts and situations, this combination nivcs very cood 

 results. b .7 fa 



