256 Jounur. of Agriculture, Vicforin. [10 April, 1916. 



be given crushed oats. Grass-fed working horses should be given hay or strave, 

 if there is no old grass, to counteract the purging effects of the young growth. 

 Attend to teeth and feet of horses to be turned out for the winter. 



Cattle. — Cows, if not housed, should be rugged. Rugs should be removed in 

 the daytime when the shade temperature reach 3s 60 degrees. Give a ration of 

 hay or straw, whole or chaffed, to counteract the purging effects of young grass. 

 Cows about to calve, if over fat, should be put into a paddock in which the feed 

 is not too abundant. Calves should be kept in warm dry shed. Observe strict 

 cleanliness in feeding to avoid losses and sickness incidental to calf-rearing. 



Pigs. — As recommended in Reminders for April. 



Sheep. — Keep in-laml) ewes in strong store condition. Best results are 

 obtfiined when ewes are neither very poor, nor excessively fat. Once the lambs 

 arrive, the most liberal treatment possible is in the main the most profitable. 

 Ill-fed ewes are bad mothers at all times — at the time, or after lambing. Select 

 fine weather for lamb marking. Yard lambs over night. Never castrate or 

 tail high-conditioned or very weak lambs immediately on being run in and over- 

 heated. The risk with large ram lambs will be lessened if they are allowed 

 to stay in the yards an hour or two after castration. Draw the coagulated blood 

 which in many cases will be found retained in the groin nnd purse, no matter 

 what method of openin<j the purse is used. Never draw tails tight. Projecting 

 bone delays healing, especially when cutting off with hot blades. Even with the 

 knife leave enongli loose skin to come over and check the usual strong rush of 

 blood from lambs on well-fed mothers. 



Poultry. — Feed animal food to forward pullets, about ^ oz. daily, and equal 

 parts heavy oats and broken maize at night. Add lucerne chaff to mash daily. 

 See that fowl houses are free from draughts to avoid colds, also that they are 

 free from red mites. Use Epsom salts freely to avoid Roup and Chicken 

 Pox. 



CULTIVATION. 



Farm. — Dig main crop potatoes. Push on with ploughing and sowing of 

 cereal crops, including peas and beans. Green fodder (as for April) may still be 

 sown. Land for maize, potatoes, and other root crops should be prepared and 

 manured. Flax may be sown. Transplant Chou Moellier and Giant Drumhead 

 cabbage plants in rows 3 feet apart. Complete sowing permanent pastures with 

 grasses and clovers. 



Orchard. — Plough, manure; apply lima to orchard lands at rate or 5 or 10 

 cwt. per acre where soil is sour. Spraj' trees infested with scale insects. Woolly 

 Aphis, and Bryobia Mite with red oil or crude petroleum. Clean all rough bark 

 from trees. Commence pruning early varieties at end of month. 



Flower Garden. — Digging, manuring, and pruning; trench and drain where 

 necessary. Dress the surface with lime. Continue to sow hardy annuals. Bury 

 all leaves, soft-wood cuttings, and weeds. Continue to plant spring blooming 

 perennials and other plants. Plant cuttings of carnations and roses. 



Vegetable Garden. — Cut down and clean out asparagus beds. Apply manure 

 and lime dressings. Cultivate deeply. Plant out seedlings and early potatoes ; 

 sow peas, broad beans, carrots, and parsnips. 



Vineyard. — Subsoil land for new plantations if not already done. This work 

 should be carried out as long before planting as is practicable. Vine-growers 

 are warned against the too common practice of feeding off foliage after vintage. 

 Any small advantage in the form of stock feed is only gained at the cost of a 

 reduction in the following season's crop, owing to interference with accumulation 

 of reserves, which contiimes so long as the leaves remain green. Sheep should 

 not be allowed into the vineyard until all leaves have changed colour. Early and 

 deep ploughing is strongly recommended. Manures should be applied as early as 

 possible. Peas, &c., for green manuring, should be sown without delay, in order 

 to take advantage of earlv rains. Applications for grafted resistant rootlings 

 for 1916 must be made before end of May. 



Cellars. — Rack or fill up (preferably the former) dry wines as soon as a lighted 

 match, introduced at bung hole, is no longer extinguished. Sweet wines should 

 also be racked and fortified to full strength. 



