ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



Lamb-raising. — Longwool states he has a property of 800 acres, sound undulating country, 

 brown friable loam, carrying native grasses, principally kangaroo, and in the spring time, 

 trefoil. Rainfall about 26 inches. He intends going in for lamb-raising, but, while making 

 fat lambs the principal object, wishes to grow a class of wool that will be some compensation in 

 cases of bad seasons. He asks (i) The class of ewes it would be advisable to use? (2) The 

 breed of ram to mate with the ewes? (3) Roughly (he most judicious laonths for lambing in 

 normal years. 



Answer. — Roomy merino ewes, from a flock cutting useful rjuality wool, with a good 

 average return per head, not 2-tooths, nor 6-year-olds. (2) Breed of the ram is not sufficient. 

 Vou want level shouldered, thick rams, as well covered as possible, and not too coarse woolled. 

 These you could select in any of the Longwool breeds, but for the way you are situated Border 

 Leicesters for preference ; Longwool merino cross ewes to thick fleshed, good fleeced Shro];- 

 shire rams cut bulky, payable fleeces, and the lambs come to freezing weights in a short time. 

 No other cross will fatten up to 2-tooths and after as quickly or easily, all other things being equal 

 of course. As you contemplate growing fodder crops later on, this cross will more than make 

 up for better style of wool. Wool points as well as shape of sheep must be considered on both 

 sides in each case. The presence of trefoil will, on account of the burr, militate against the sale 

 of good wool. (3) Middle of July to middle of September. 



Gkubs in Crops. — A.B. writes : — During the past season the grubs were very destruc- 

 tive to the barley and oat crops in the Southern and Western Districts. Please furnish name 

 and state where the pest comes from; there do not appear to be any indications of its coming 

 prior to the crop being attacked. In a crop of oats at Murroou, part of which was fallowed 

 and part not, only the former was affected." 



Answer. — The grub is most likely one of the Nortuid Moths (see page 74, Part ITL, of 

 Destructive Insects of Victoria, (French) and comes out of the soil just below the surface. The 

 eggs are deposited on grass roots, rubbish, &c., and are in large (|uanlities. The best pre- 

 vention is to dig trenches with sides as near to perpendicular as possible aroimd and through the 

 land before the croji is sown, as the travelling grubs cannot crawl uji the sides of the trenches 

 and then may be killed wholesale. Top dressings before sowing of gypsum at the rate of 

 ^ cwt. to the acre will greatly help in keeping the pest in check if already in the cultivated pad- 

 docks. These pests are sometimes called "Army Worms '' as they travel mostly in a line, and in 

 vast numbers. If a specimen be forwarded a definite answer will be given. 



Tobacco Wash.— S.McD. inquires whether a stock of tobacco wash could be prepared, 

 say in the winter, and kept for use .as required. Asks for particulars relative to quantity of 

 tobacco rf quired and time it should be steeped. 



Answer. — (i) A tobacco wash can be prepared by either boiling or steeping tobacco 

 stems or refuse leaf in water. This gives a concentrated liquid which should be diluted at 

 the rate of 2 gallons of water to each lb. of tobacco used. A stronger formula is to steep 

 5 lbs. of tobacco stems in 3 gallons of water for 3 hours; then strain and add water to make 

 7 gallons altogether. It is then ready for use. (2) The decoction can be prepared in the 

 winter and used through the summer, care being taken to dilute if the stems or leaf are left 

 in the mixture. (3) The stems of heavy grade leaf have a larger proportion of nicotme (the 

 active principle in the wash) than the 'stripped leaf, especially when the latter is of the seed 

 leaf or aromatic type. Heavy grade dark tobaccoes contain the largest amount of nicotme 

 both in stem and leaf. (4) By stem is meant the midrib which is taken from the centre of the 

 leaf. The stalk of the plant also makes a good wash and is also beneficial when put on the 

 surface of the soil around fruit trees. Orchardists could, in the majority of cases, grow their 

 own tobacco for spraying purposes with little trouble. 



Phosphorus Poisoning.— G.W. asks what are the symptoms of phosphorus poisoning in 

 horses and other animals. 



Answer.— \.Q%s of appetite, swelling of tongue, inability to swallow, intense thirst, diar- 

 rhoea, jaundice, increased temperature, pulse and rate of breathing, weakness and sometimes 

 muscular tremors. On post-mortcnu the food canal shows inflammatory patches throughout its 

 length, the liver and kidneys are enlarged^ and fatty, and sometimes the granules of phosphorus 

 in the dung may be seen as luminous points after dark. 



Hydatid Cysts.— J.J. M. forwards specimens taken from the lungs of a cow that was 

 drowned in a creek. 



Answer.— The specimens forwarded for identification, were calcified hydatid cysts. The 

 "hydatid" parasite in its "bladder worm" stage forms little sacs of fluid and, as these mature, 

 lime particles deposit forming gritty lumps or concretions. 



Dislocated I-Cnf.e-cap.— A.B.G. writes relative to two of his cows that have developed 

 lameness, apparently through injured stifles. 



Answer.— \n both cases there would be a dislocation of the patella or knee-cap >" front 

 of the stifle. When newly formed it is possible to reduce the condition, but somewhat difhcult 

 to keep in position. If the cap can be gently forced bark into position a stiff blister oyer the 

 part immediately will induce sufficient swelling to probably keep it in position, but with old 

 standing cases nothing can be clone. 



