^4 Journal of Agriculture. [ii Jan., 1909, 



productive capacity of the better fodder plants. Among the more useful species 

 are : — Atriflcx halimoides, Dod., A. >iu»imiilarium, Lind., A. semibaccatutn, R. 

 Br., A. vcsicarium, Heward. Sow in drills when the soil is moist and still warm. 

 If too cold, wait till spring. 



Tanning Cotton Nets. — G.C.B. asks how lo tan cotton nets used for cover- 

 ing fruit trees. 



Answer. — Soak the nets first of all in a i per cent, solution of formalin 

 for an hour. In tanning them with wattle bark use the bark of the black wattle 

 that has been well dried. Make an infusion of the bark. Start tanning with 

 very weak solutions, gradually increasing the strength. Leave them in very weak 

 solution for two days, then put into a little stronger, and so on for a week. 

 Then for the second week put them in a strong solution. Do not overtan, or else 

 the nets will crack. The process will cover a fortnight altogether. 



Silver Wvandottes. — C.J. states that he has a strain of Silver Wyandottes. 

 The cock and two hens were imported by him from England, and their progeny 

 were mated with a cock from a prize-winning strain. In every clutch this year 

 there have been two or three white chicks. He wishes to know whether he could 

 show the latter as White Wyandottes. 



Answer. — It is not unusual to get 10 to 20 per cent, of white chicks from 

 Silver Wyandottes. Thej- are termed sports. Many breeds, Silver Wyandottes 

 and others made up rom other breeds much older, throw back. It is quite 

 a common practice to sell or exhibit the sports as White Wyandottes. Andal- 

 lusians are very troublesome in this respect, often as many as 60 per cent, hatch- 

 ing w-hite and sometimes with black spots. Breeding sports with silvers is not 

 advised, but mate up the whites together and the trouble will be gradually re- 

 duced. Dorkings and Old English Game are never troublesome in this connexion, 

 they being the oldest breeds extant. 



Er.^dicatiox of Rushes. — G.R.H. has a farm of fairly good land, but it is 

 covered with rushes. Most of the land has not been cultivated. He wishes to 

 know how to eradicate the rushes. 



Answer. — Drainagcand liming (1-2 tons per acre) to keep the soil sweet, open, 

 and pervious so that the rain goes into it instead of running off, making the top 

 alternately sodden and baked, are useful to keep down rushes, but cultivation with 

 the disc plough and the growth of fodder crops are the onlv profitable ways of sup- 

 pressing them. If not too abundant on pasture land the tussocks may be mat- 

 tocked out in summer, piled and burnt when dry, or if mixed with manure while 

 moist they form valuable compost in time. If allowed to dry they onlv rot 

 slowly. 



Spontaneous Generation. — D.W. asks (i) Whether it is necessary to have 

 seed to produce plant life? (2) Whether it is not a fact that different herbs are 

 propagated under atmospheric conditions? 



Answer. — No cases of spontaneous generation are known. When Acacias- 

 spring up after bush fires the seed have been dormant in the soil, where they may 

 retain the power of germination for 50 or more vears. When water plants suddenly 

 appear in a pond or lake the seed has usually been brought by birds. Every known 

 case can be explained without assuming ny spontaneous generation. 



Fodder for Pigs. — R.A.M. asks what is the best fodder to grow now for 

 pigs. 



Answer. — Maize is practically the onlv green fodder which can be planted 

 now. A regular succession of green foods, such as barley, rape, lucerne, or sugar 

 beet is strongly recommended for breeding sows. Mangolds, turnips, pumpkins, 

 &c., are also good fattening foods. As the young pigs come in, do not allow them 

 to lose their baby fat, but keep them in good condition right from the time they 

 are weaned. To produce fat pigs for market no food is better than crushed barley 

 or wheat soaked in milk or water, topping them up for the last week or two with 

 dry peas and plenty of clean water in a separate trough. Cooked potatoes mixed 

 with barley or wheat also makes an admirable fattening diet, though care should 

 be taken to see that the water in which the potatoes are boiled is drained off and' 

 thrown away. 



The following are a few useful hints to those interested in pig-rearing : — 



Do not make the food too sloppy. 



Keep plenty of charcoal in pen. 



Put a packet of Epsom salts in the food occasionally. 



Castrate pigs at three weeks, not later. 



Observe regularitv in feeding, and let them out for a run occasionally. 



