762 



Journal of Agriciilf ure ^ Victoria. [11 Dec, 1916. 



September was remarkable for its heavy and continuous rains during 

 the latter part of the month, and as all rivers vi^ere in flood, much anxiety 

 was felt especially on the Murray tributaries, and much damage to 

 crops and loss of stock resulted. In the central district where in parts 

 crop prospects were far from bright the heavy rains caused a more 

 cheerful outlook, and here, as elsewhere, not including some places where 

 flooding had damaged growth, the expected results of the approaching 

 harvest seemed to be of at least as cheerful a character as they were 

 twelve months ago, and promised to outstrip even the record crops of 

 last year. Stock were excellent throughout the State. Balook, in 

 Gippsland, holds the record for the greatest monthly rainfall, viz., 

 22.25 inches, and Melbourne's total, 7.93 inches, established a record 

 for any month during the past sixty-one years. 



H. A. HUN'T, 



Commonwealth Meteorologist. 

 3rd N"ovember, 1916. 



To Bottle Peas. — The peas must be gathered while young. Choose those 

 of a good cooking variety, shell them, and immediately throw them into 

 boiling water to which some salt has been added. Allow the peas to boil 

 two minutes, then strain, and fill the bottles with the peas and the water 

 in which they were boiled. Place the glass stoppers loosely on the 

 bottles, then stand them in the sterilizer, the water in which should be 

 warm; gradually bring to the boil, and allow them to boil for five 

 minutes. Take out the bottles and screv/ down quickly. 



A LEGAL decision was recently given in an English court as to when a 

 lamb becomes a sheep. The question arose out of the killing of some 

 sheep on a railroad by a passing train, and it was denied that the com- 

 plaint was propei-ly made, the animals being lambs, and not shee,p. The 

 judge decided that the lambs ceased to be lambs and became sheep as 

 soon as they acquired their first pair of permanent teeth. Apparently 

 he did not consider the question of when a lamb became a hogget, 

 which, generally speaking, is between the time the lamb is weaned and 

 when it is shorn. 



The recent outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in the United States has 

 proved the most serious the country has ever experienced. Up to 

 1st January it had cost the Government over £400,000, and about 

 £5u0,000 of Federal Government funds were available a month or so ago 

 for use in the eradication of the disease. Up to the end of 1914 101,000 

 animals had been slaughtered, which had cost the Government about 

 £350,000 in reimbursements to the owners for their losses. The most 

 serious trouble has been in Illinois, her loss to 1st January being 37,000 

 animals altogether. Pennsylvania is next, with nearly 18,000 head, and 

 Ohio third, with a little over 10,000 head. 



