ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS— C(>«i!i7merf. 



Early Grapes and Apricots. — Mallee Farmer desires names of earliest kinds of grapes 

 and apricots. States that he has Golden Chasselas and Sweetwater. 



Answer. — (i) Early White Mal\iasia- is the earliest grape known, about fourteen days 

 earlier than Golden Chasselas, bunches small, berries small. Caracosa, white, ripens about- 

 a week earlier than Sweetwater, and is a much better grape ; bunches very large, be'rries large, 

 a good grape. Raisin des Dames, ^^'altham Gross, and Centennial are good grapes to ripen 

 after the Sweetwater. (2) Oullin's Early Peach is the best early apricot for general- purposes;- 

 Large Early, and Early Moorpark are also good. .... . 



Kerosene Emulsion. — W.B. asks how kerosene emulsion is prepared. 



Answer. — Boil 2 lb. soap in i gallon of water and when boiling add 2 gallons of kerosene. 

 Remove from fire and churn violently for 10 minutes. When the emulsion remains like milk, 

 cool and add from 10 to 15 gallons of water. When trees have just been pruned; i to 8 gallons 

 can be used with safety. 



Sowing Oats with Grass Seed. — J.E.B. asks whether sowing oats with grass seed is re- 

 commended; also asks how his lucerne paddock could be made thicker. 



Answer. — (i) No. (2) If the lucerne has become thin, it would be more satisfactory to 

 plough up and resow, than to sow additional seed. 



Grass Tree Analyses. — E.C. inquires whether any analyses of the grass tree have been 

 made. He would like to know whether the pith can be used for feeding stock. 



Ansiuer. — The general analysis is: — Water, 10 ;' fats, 0.8; protein, 2.8; carbo-hydrates, 

 50.0; crude fibre, 36.0. The pith or core referred to gives from 10 ■ to 2c per cent, sugars, 

 largely non-crystallisable. Mr. C. Harper, Guildford," W.A., has had, it is understood, some 

 success in making a meal from the pith for cattle fodder. It is not likely to be a- sufficient 

 fodder in itself, though, if used sparingly with better foods, it might be made of some use. 



Injured Hoof. — A.M. writes: — "Last February, .a five year old horse was cut with a 

 barbed wire half way between the heel and pastern, about an inch into the hoof -on- each side. 

 The wound has healed but the lameness continues. Will the horse be -of any, use again?" 



Answer. — The lameness will probably diminish in time, but it is doubtful if it will ever 

 disappear altogether. The horse may do useful work in the chains. 



Discharge from Nostrils. — J.D. writes : — " About 12 months ago, a young horse of 

 mine developed a cough. When idle on the grass it is free from it, but when in the stable on 

 hard feed it coughs badly, and there is a discharge of yellowish offensive matter from the nostrils. 

 The first time the cough was noticed was just after a slight attack of, strangles." 



Answer. — Chronic discharges from the nostrils n-ot infrequently follow an attack of 

 strangles, and the longer they are allowed to persist the more difficult they are to remedy. 

 As the horse is a valuable one you had better obtain professional aid at once. 



Death of Filly. — A.B.G. states that a filly was found rolling, on the ground, evidently 

 in great pain. The case was taken as one of gripes (spasmodic) and treatment for same was 

 given. The filly, however, died on the fourth day. 



Answer. — In the absence of -post mortem particulars and complete clinical evidence, it is 

 impossible to state definitely the cause of the filly's death. - It- is likely, however, to have been 

 either engorgement of the stomach, hernia of the diaphragm, or even impaction of the colon. 

 The discharge from the nostrils points to either overloading or "rupture of the stomach wall. 

 Your treatment would be quite useful in an ordinary case of. spasmodic colic, but if any of the 

 above mentioned conditions existed it would prove quite inadequate 



Identification ot Plant. — P.B. forwards specimen of a rush that is growing on a flat 

 between the sea shore and a swamp on his property. The soil is a black loam that becomes 

 more of a sandy nature near the hummocks. Although a portion of the flat has been ploughed, 

 and fallowed, and again ploughed, and sown with rape, prairie and English grasses, the rushes 

 a])pear to be on the increase. He asks whether the continued growth is due to any deficiency 

 in the soil and if so, what manures should be applied. 



Answer. — It is Scirfus nodosus, Rottboll, a common native member of the Cyperacece 

 found over the whole of Australia. It is useful for binding drift sand and will even stand 

 the presence of a certain amount of salt. On sandy coasts it should not be destroyed unless 

 it can be replaced by permanent herbage of value for grazing. Plants worth trying are — - 

 (i) Birds foot trefoil (the lesser varieties of Lotus corniculatus). (2) Couch grass (Cynodon 

 dactylon). (3) Rhodes grass [Chloris gayana) protected in front by Marram grass. The black 

 soil would probably be improved by liming, but whether the sandv p;irt needs liming would 

 depend upon whether the sand is siliceous or calcareous. Here an analysis would be useful. 

 If the sand is strongly saline it will not carry the best pasture .plants. Superphosphates may 

 improve it and give fodder plants a better chance, but they should not be a]i[jlied to the part 

 subject to floods. Here Thomas' phosphate would be more useful. 



Damming Crf.ek. — Pomona inquires whether he can put a small dam across a creek which 

 runs through his property. The creek' is dry in summer. 



Answer. — Application for permission should be made to the State Rivers and Water 

 Supply Commission, stating name of creek and locality of dam site. 



Feeding Chaff to Cows. — W.O.J, writes :—" What good docs the ordinary chaff do the 

 cow? Does it merely keep ' her in condition, or does it increase the flow of milk"? 



Answer. — The chaff supplies nutriment and bulk. Like all other true fodders it helps 

 to maintain the beast in condition or even to increase it, and it may also stimulate the milk 

 flow in a well nourished cow. 



