THE JOURA'^L 



OF 



THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



8 M ^^ Y , 1 9 O 8 . 



CON TENTS 



Irrigated Agriculture in the Goulljurn Valley 

 Elements of Animal Physiology — 



X. Digestion and Aljsoiption — {continued) 

 St. John's VVort 

 Clearing by i'raction Engine 

 A Portable Silo 



Proclaimed Plantsot Victoria — Treacle Mustard A. J. Ewi 

 Insect Pests in Foreign Lands — Fifth Progress Keport 

 Urowing Greenstuff — Three Crops a Year 

 Improvement of Cereals by Selection and Crossing 

 Kesults Oljtained from Imjiorted Varieties of Potatoes 

 Artificial Manures Acts — 



Supplementary List of Unit Values, 19(J8 

 Prize ^laize Col)S ... 

 Treatment of Lambing Ewes 

 <4arden Xotes — The Sunflower 

 Faim Reports — 



Jiutherglenr Viticultural College 



Mount Xavier E.xperimental Farm 

 Fourth Progress Report on Viticulture in Europe — 



Reconstitution in Spain 

 The Orchard 



Journal of Agriculture — Copyright Provision.s and Subscription Rates inside front cover 

 Answers to Corresf)ondents ... ... ... ... inside front cover 



COPYRIGHT PROVISIONS AND SUBSCRIPTION RATES. 



The Articles in the Journal of the Department of Agriculture of Victoria are 

 protected by the provisions of the Copyri(i-ht Act. Proprietors of newspapers wishing 

 to repul)lish any matter contained in the Journal are at liberty to do so, provided the 

 w^nul ackiioniedgment is made. 



The Journal is issued monthh'. The sul)Scriptioi;, which is payable in advance 

 and includes [wstage, is 3s. per annum for the (.'ommonwealth and New Zealand, and 

 5s. for the United ivingdom and Foreign Countries. Single copy Threepence. 



A limited number of the issues com|)rising Volumes II. (1903-4J, III. (190")) — 

 10 parts each — and Volumes IV. (1906 land V. (1907) — 12 parts each — is at present 

 in stock, and will be supplied at the foregoing rates. A few liound copies of Volume V. 

 (1907) are also available. Price, 5s. Postage, Is. 3d. 



Subscriptions should be forwarded to the Secretary for Ag'riculture, Melbourne. 



ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



Lining U.nderground Tank. — F.D. has an underground tank 12 feet diameter by 14 feet 

 deep. He wants to know if brick or concrete is most suitable for the lining? 



Ans7i>er. — Brick will be the sim])lest, and if well laid with 3 to i cement mortar fresh H" 

 mi.xed, should prove effective. Broken bricks will serve but they should be hard and well-burnt. 

 For concrete, see instructions for making and mixing in the Journal for July last year. The 

 thickness at the bottom should be 9 inches tapering to 4 or 6 inches at the top. Wooden 

 framin" for the moulds is jjreferable though curved corrugated iron may be used, if available. 



Effect of Mineral Oil on Boiler. — .T .'^. asks what effect good mineral oil has on the 

 inside of a boiler as in his engine the exhaust ])ipe enters the feed water before it is pumiied 

 to the boiler. 



Ansrver. — Make sure by examination that tlie oil is likely to be fed in to the boiler. If 

 so, some means of filtering should be adopted as the oil may cause corrosion especially under 

 high y)ressures. It acts in two ways, by decomposition by heat and formation of acids, and bv 

 mixing with sediment and preventing blowing off and other means of removing it being effec- 

 tive. Write to the agents for your engine re the matter. 



( Continued on inside back cover.) 



