ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



The Staff of the Department has been organized to a larg-e extent for the 

 purpose of giving information to farmers. Questions in every branch of agriculture 

 are gladly answered. Write a short letter, giving as full particulars as possible, of 

 your local conditions, and state precisely what it is that you want to know. All 

 inquiries must be accompanied by the name and address of the writer. 



Identification of Plants. — M.J.T., J.M.M., R.G. aiul S.B. forward specimens of plants for 

 identification. 



Answer. — (i) A fairly common native shrub, Piitosforum 'phiilyraoides, smaller and more 

 slender than the hedge Fittosforum, which is a New Zealand plant. It is a decorative plant 

 with sweet smelling Uowers, does not stand severe frost, and has been called " Butter Bush." 

 It yields a gum like gum arabic. Stock will eat the foliage, though the leaves and especially 

 the fruits and seeds are rather bitter. It has been called Poison Berry Bush, but this name is 

 incorrect — the plant is not poisonous. 



(2) Modiola multifida, L., an introduced weed, useless as fodder, and should not be allowed 

 to spread. It should be pulled up before flowering, and plants near seeding piled and burnt. 

 It is not poisonous or actively injuriou , but takes the place of useful vegetation. On culti- 

 vated land it is easily kept down by clean cultivation. 



(3) (a) Atriflex semibaccatum, R. Brown, a native plant, widely spread and of some use as 

 a fodder plant especially on poor drv or saline soils ; more useful for sheep than for cattle 

 or horses, [b) Rhagodia nutans, R. Brown, a creeping native plant, practically useless for 

 fodder, but is not poisonous or actively injurious. It takes up the place of more useful vegeta- 

 tion and should not be allowed to spread on good moist soil. Both plants are members of the. Salt 

 Bush family. The latter is usually eaten only when other food is scarce, and is of poor feeding 

 quality. Even the first plant is far below lucerne in nutritive qualities. 



(4) Cucttmis myriocarfus, Naud., " Gooseberry Cucumber." A native of South Africa, but 

 now abundant in many parts of this State. It has occasionally been sent in as a supposed 

 poisonous plant, but we have no authentic record of the plant being actually poisonous. Plants 

 of this character when eaten in excess are, however, apt to cause digestive derangement. It 

 should be pulled up before flowering, piled, and burnt with the aid of brush-wood. 



Discharge from Mare.^ — A.G.L. writes : — " My mare, which was covered during the past 

 season, has for six weeks been discharging a brown, bad-smelling fluid. It is most notice- 

 able after she has been in the collar for some time." 



Answer. — Have the mare examined to see if any cause exists in the female passage. It 

 is a well known trouble and may be due to tumours, cold, influenza, &c. Give tonic medi- 

 cines internally, say 5 ounce sulphate of iron in feed daily, and also wash out the mare with 

 warm water and inject the following mixture two or three times a day : — carbolic acid 2 tea- 

 spoonsful, tannin 5 dram, water i quart. 



Rheumatism. — C.B. wishes to know what his pigs are suffering from. He states that they 

 have no power in their hind quarters and seem to drag them along. Any that can walk lift 

 their hind legs like horses affected with stringhalt. They are also constipated, but eat well 

 and otherwise appear healthy. 



Answer. — Your pigs are apparently suffering from acute rheumatism. Provide dry beds 



and clean styes. Open the bowels with one or two ounces of sulphate of magnesia, and in 



obstinate cases give three times a day in the feed 20 grains of a mixture of equal parts of 

 iodide of potash and potassium bicarbonate. 



Wart on Horse. — H.T. asks how to treat a large wart on a horse's head. 



Answer. — Large warts should be removed surgically. Professional aid should be obtained. 



Red Mange on Dog. — H.T. inquires re the best treatment for red mange on dog. 



Answer. — Isolate the animal, clip away the hair, wash thoroughly with soap and hot 

 water, dry the parts and rub in daily a mixture of creolin i part, oil of tar i part, sublimed 

 sulphur I part, vaseline 8 parts. After four or five days repeat this treatment. The kennel, 

 &c., should be disinfected and whitewashed. 



Swollen Glands of Rams. — Shrop. states that some of his rams have got hard lumps, 

 about the size of a pigeon's egg, under the jaw; otherwise they are healthy. 



Answer. — The glands under the throat not infrequently swell and harden as a sequel to 

 catarrh or sore throat. No treatment is usually required, but, if necessary, a smart blister 

 applied over the swelling will generally suffice. 



