576 Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [10 Sept., 1919. 



should be well fed to enable them to produce plenty of milk. Give young pigs 

 pollard and skim milk in separate trough as soon as they will take it, and keep 

 them fattening from the start to get them off as early as possible. Give a table- 

 spoonful of bone meal, or half that amount of mineral phosphate, per 100 lbs. 

 live weight in food daily. If pigs are lousy dress them with kerosene emulsion 

 or sulphur and lard, rubbing well into the crevices of skin, and disinfect styes. 

 Pig breeding and feeding should be very profitable for a long time to come, and 

 it should be safe to launch out now. 



Revised edition of Bulletin 16 is now available. 



Sheep. — Shear as early as the weather will permit, and avoid the usual exces 

 sive dust in travelling to, and yarding at sheds. Burr and seeds also collect 

 on the fleeces if shearing be left until late in the season, particularly with 

 lambs. Shear all lambs intended to be held over — they thrive better and make 

 more growth tliroiigh the ensuing summer and autumn. Fleeces "from well- 

 bred sheep should be skirted with care, the better the class of woo) 

 the greater the necessity. From fleeces that have become dry and earthy 

 on the backs, remove only the merest stains; there is little advantage in skirt- 

 ing these. It is better management to have ample tables and extra hands 

 skirtiiig closely than to hastily tear off unnecessary wool and then employ men at 

 other tables to sort "broken fleece," "first," and "second " pieces, &c. All 

 stains must be removed from ewes' fleeces, and pi/.zle stains from the bellies of 

 wethers. Keep separate all coarse fleeces from the finer sorts, and in merinos 

 the 3'ellow and mushy from the shafty and bright. Skirt all hairy thighs from 

 crossbred fleeces. Avoid sending wool to market in long, round-sided bales, 

 known as "sew-downs." Press in a box-press, forming square sides. Brand 

 bales neatly, on one side only, and not with sheep-branding oil, tar, or paint. 

 Stencil plates and branding ink can be obtained on application to the respec- 

 tive brokers. 



At first signs of scour drench with turpentine and oil. This preparation is 

 now procurable in emulsion form, and thus the fear of choking is removed. 

 If discharge be dark and accompanied witli mucus, ynrd over night, drench 

 on an empty stomach, repeat again in about fourteen days, and in some cases 

 a third dose will be necessary. Change to new pasture if possible, or give 

 a little grain, whole oats for preference. 



Poultry. — The bulk of incubation should cease this month — late chickens 

 are not profitable. Devote attention to the chickens already hatched; avoid 

 overcrowding. Feed with dry mash. Also add plenty of green food to ration, 

 ordinary feeding to be 2 parts pollard, 1 part bran, and a little animal food 

 after the first fortnight. Feed ground grain, such as wheat, hulled oats, maize, 

 and peas, which should be fed in hopper to avoid waste. Grit or coarse sand 

 should be available at all times. Variety of food is important to growing 

 chicks; insect life aids growth. Remove brooders to new ground as often as 

 possible; tainted ground will retard development. 



Cultivation. 



Farm. — Plant main crops of potatoes in early districts and prepare land for 

 main crop in late districts. Fallow and work early fallow. Sow maize and 

 millets where frosts are not late, also mangolds, beet, carrots, and turnips. Sow 

 tobacco beds and keep covered with straw oi hessian. 



Vineyard. — This is the best month for field grafting. If stocks bleed too 

 copiously, cut off a day or two before grafting. Make sure that scions are fresh. 

 Placing butts in clean water for a day before grafting is recommended. Field grafts 

 must be staked, to avoid nubsequent straining by wind and to insure straight stem ior 

 future vino. Stakes are also necessaiy for grafted rootlings for same reasons. Temporary 

 stakes 3 feet long will suffice. Disbud and tie up all vines, giving special care to young 

 plantations. Beware of spring frosts. Keep a sharp look out for cut worms. 

 (Bulletins on both subjects will be j osted on ap< lication.) 



Cmclude spring cultivation (second ploughing or scarifying and digging or hoeing 

 round vine,s). Weeds must be mastered and whole surface got into good tilth. Sulphur 

 vines when shoots 4 to 6 inches long. 



Varieties liable to black spot should be sprayed early (when shoots are a 

 couple of inches long) with Bordeaux or copper soda — repeated sprayings will 

 be necessary should the spring prove a wet one. (Bulletins on black spot will be 

 posted on application.) 



Cellar. — Taste all young wine ; beware of dangerous symptoms in unfortified fruity 

 wines, which may need treatment. Fill up regularly all unfortified wines. 



