ANSWERS TO C0RRESP0NDENTS-co7^^/,^u , 



broadcast or through the manure box of an ordinary seed drill, shutting off eveo Uternate 



Thp i^Jrf ^''°'^f ^r''':~^-J/^- f^'^w^i'-d^ specimens of insects which are in his orchard 

 The insects are not on the trees but fly between them, and when capture is altempted thev 

 bury themselves in the loose soil. They smell like honey and hum like bees ^""'^P'"'^ ^'^'^ 



Answer.— The insects are known as Hairy Flower Wasos • the one with ^t^.l i.i„„ 

 wxngs IS Discoliasoror, and the brown specime"^. Scol/a /.XS. "bo ti Tre common L'/Tb' 

 sist on larvae, spiders and grubs of various kiids. As far as Mr. French Government FnS" 

 mologist, IS aware they are quite harmless to fruit, &c., so should be protected 



whether there is an instrument for this operation." testicle, (2). 



.4«j7£/fr.— (i) Yes, but there is a knack about it acquired with practice which i. l.nrrl tr. 

 explain on paper. It does away with pulling three to six inches of cord wi^l ^ 

 when drawn with the teeth-the c'ustom with iLbs intended for v^ol growhi^tn "pfo"! 

 cut wether lambs at four months old off rape or turnips ue thicl er ^rt^n^ h " 

 weight; under our present rough and readv treatment ewe lambs are readv fi5 ^T^ tT'^ 

 are instruments, but nothing beats the Ihuinb and forefinger fT smartnesrandeasi 'on , 'he 

 amb, but the incision must be small, and on the side of the pursJlow down near tLbodv 



wm bpst,;? iirti:?X.Jn is^of S%:- r^ ^-^- - --- ---- - ^^ 



o. th^iS;r•Tf•;l;^f^ ^'^'£^-:^^'s-^z^z:^ abir s"^^ 



IS about 2i inches wide and 2 inches deep, and perhaps i inch thick The Lrfp if • 1 

 right when out at grass, but gets lame with work^ Sk^etch fllmished ""■'-' 



Utf.r '^%'f;"'--^^'^ hard swelling indicated is either a side bone or' auittor most likelv th. 



ment ^ forwards two infected orange leaves, and inquiries re treat- 



3. fo/SirSro™ °' P"""-H.C.D. ,o™„ds specLen, o.^.^Ss/^llX^d .. ., a„. 

 ^«5w^r.— (i) Panicum Crusgalli, L., Barnyard or Cockshin Grass (Vntiv^.^ /o\ c y ■ 



mainralnfnTitrelfU'l'rby^Jed.'^' ' '^^^"^ "^"'^^ ^"■^^' ^^^ ^ ^^ suitable^or d'rier iituS; 

 ^^r. ^Y^ \^^^'^ (Bowman's Forest) forwards specimen of weed and states that it has litelv 

 ^nT'Ar^^ T'^l to be^P'-^^di^g f^^t. It grows about nine mches high and has a smaH 

 purphsh-blue star-shaped flower, succeeded by a large seed pod resembling tha of the noom 

 and containing hundreds of fine black seeds. & F -^ 'omi^ mac ot tne poppj 



nf thu'^^T'"'""'^.^^ ""^^u '' Isotoma axillaris, Lindl. One of the Lobeliaces; all the species 

 of this order contain a sharp burning or even narcotic milky sap, which taken internalW fn 

 excess causes inflammation of the alimentary canal, or even death. An allied Vces/Lp 

 Pora IS deadly to horses in South America,' large 'doses producing deatl ver? n ali Tof.l 

 merely acting as a tonic stimulant. /. axillarrs, which is a native plant, i less^deadly but is 



sZld b^ .^n'd^ '"' tT '^^"^'^"* f''^^'^'^^^ ^" P=^^t"^^ l^"d is a serious danger Yh'epla^ 

 should be_ hoed or pulled up after rain and before .seeding. Stock should be kept from land 



Tup'oresses'it '"*' "^-'"'"^ '' °''" '^^^ ^^ ''^'''- ^'ean cultivation, or flllow^g l^on 



C.T.C. forwards two specimens for identification. 



^«5«/^r.— Please note that imperfect specimens without flowers give great trouble in 

 Identification, and cannot always be referred to a definite species. Where more t^ian one 

 specimen is sent, numbers should be attached. The specimen with the indented leaf marS 

 is Veriascum Blattaria, l^ Ar. introduced weed of cultivation paddocks a"d is con" S^ 

 known as the Spurious Mullein. It is a biennial and should beguiled or hoed up before 



.sT2V^:M T "'" '''f'"^ ''?"'^ '^^ P''^^ ^"^ b-"*- The smooth leaved ^specimen 

 with the pinkish stem is an Amaranthus, probably Aniaranthus retroilexu^, L. Another 



Z\\,t^A ,T r^^^T ?<. L 'f^ T^ ^^T P^'''^^'' i-^troduced with impure seed, and should not be 

 allowed to spread. It should be cut down or pulled up before flowering. Neither specimen is 

 poisonous. 



White Ants.— F.G.S. asks some questions about building methods to avoid white ants. 

 He has sandstone and coarse sand at a depth of 25 feet 



sheet W^TZTT^'^^iA^^'t^ ^^^ ^".^ T'^ °' ''"'" effectively kept out of buildings by the use of 

 sheet iron ant stops (dish shaped), which should be placed on top of the stumps. Care must 

 be taken in spiking bearers and plates that the hole is exactly filled by the spike. No steps 

 shTZ/'^r' *%'^' ^r^'^'"? ^^""''^ ^' ^" ^''^^' ^°'^'-t- It i^. however! nLeSary to ha^e 

 even^whtn frff !^ "I ^ '' ^^ *'"'^" ^'^^ ^°""^ t^'-^t ^^ perfectly satisfactory in this respect, 

 W r^^ f r u^^''^™.'?' P^^P^'^'^'""' ^° ^"'"ly P'-'-^'^ed rn advertisements. Th^ 

 ^n.r^f >!' * ""^ •^•"'^ walls and pillars up to floor level; or, if bricks be too expensive, 

 the r^ / Concrete makmg is fairly exhaustively dealt with in the July, 1907, number of 



