640 Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [15 Oct., 1919. 



CULTIVATION. 



Farm. — Plant main crop of potatoes. Cut hay and silage. Weed earlj' 

 potatoes. Sow maize and millets. "Weed tobacco beds, and water, if dry. 



Orchard. — Plougliing, liarrowing, and cultivating to be continued. Weeds 

 to be kept down. Secup, pinch, and spray grafts with water. Spray frequently 

 for codlin moth, pear and cherry slug, and peach aphis. Plant out citrus trees. 



VEfiETABT.E GARDEN. — Hoe and mulch surface. Suppress weeds. Water where 

 dry and hoe afterwards. Disbud and pinch back tomato plants. Sow French 

 beans, peas, lettuce, cucumber, melon, &c., seeds. 



Flower Garden. — Water and mulch. Cultivate and keep down weeds. Thin 

 out weak wood from roses. Prune early all flowering slirubs that have finished 

 flowering. Lift and store bulbs. Plant out chrysanthemums. Liquid-manure 

 herbaceous perennials. 



Vineyard. — Field grafts require careful attention in the way of removal of 

 suckers and scion roots. (See Journals for September and October, 1918.) Keep a 

 sharp look out for DoAvny Mildew, and commence spraying on the appearance 

 of the very first symptoms of the fungus. Though mildew only showed up in one 

 or two localities last season, the fungus is not dead, but dormant; heavy rain in 

 late October or early November is certain to lead to its reappearance." In the 

 absence of spraying a visitation as disastrous as that of 1917-18 is by no means 

 impossible. Even if the fungus is not visible, spraying should be concluded by 

 the beginning of November in the north, and a week later in the cooler districts. 

 Reprints of articles on this fungus obtainable on application. Cultural work, 

 such as scarifying and hoeing, should be actively pushed forward, so as to provide 

 as good a " mulch " as possible during summer. Proceed with tying up, stopping 

 and topping. Avoid excessive topping, summer pruning being usually more in- 

 jurious than useful in warm, dry climates. Cincture Zante currant vines after 

 flower caps have fallen. Apply second sulphuring just before blossoming, wher- 

 ever Oidium was prevalent last year. 



Cellar. — Same as last month. 



. The Food Investigation Board appointed by the British Department 

 of Scientific and Industrial Research has established an expert committee 

 to investigate the question of the methods in use for preserving meat for 

 human consumption, and especially to consider what improvements are 

 possible in the preservation of beef during its transit from Australia and 

 New Zealand to Great Britain. It has long been known that, whereas 

 mutton can be frozen without impairing its qualities, beef needs much 

 more careful treatment. Freezing in the ordinary way by cold air causes 

 a separation of fluid in the substance of the muscle fibres, with the i-esult 

 that on thawing, unless somewhat elaborate precautions are taken, there 

 is a loss of water and soluble constituents, and the texture of meat is 

 impaired. The committee, therefore, decided to set up an inquiry into 

 the cause of the peculiar sensitiveness of beef to freezing. The work as a 

 whole is under the general supervision of Professor W. M. Bayliss, 

 F.R.S., the laboratory work being conducted in his laboratory at Univer- 

 sity College, London, where a special experiment plant for investigations 

 at low temperatures has becn^ installed. For largo scale experiiaients a 

 cold store has been acquired in the north of London. 



