520 Journal of Agriculture , Victoria. [lo Aug., 1912. 



REMINDERS FOR SEPTEjVlBEH. 



LIVE STOCK. 



Horses.— Still continue to feed stabled horses well; feed green-stuff if available. 

 Continue rugging to encourage the shedding of the coat; good grooming will also 

 be beneficial. Continue giving hay or straw to grass-fed working horses. Feed 

 old and badly-conditioned horses liberally 



Cattle. — Cows should still be rugged, but coverings should be removed frequently^ 

 in order to enable the animal to get rid of the old coat ; or, better still, a good 

 curry-combing may be given. Continue hay or straw. Give calves a good warm 

 dry shed. Give the milk to young calves at blood heat. 



Pigs. — Supply plenty of bedding in warm well-ventilated styes. Keep styes- 

 clean and dry, and feeding troughs clean and wholesome. Sows may now be 

 turned into grass run. 



Sheep. ^Prepare for shearing. Clean yards to minimize dust : also remove all 

 straw, chaff, etc., from sheds and wool bins. For superior wools, procure special- 

 packs; for ordinary wools, the usual kind will do. Clean all excessively " daggy "^ 

 sheep before bringing them on to the shearing board. 



Poultry. — September is one of the best for hatching. Incubators should 

 be kept going, and broody hens set. Care must be taken to keep down vermin, 

 as they now breed quickly ; use sprays in houses and Insectibane or Pestend in 

 nests — nothing stunts chickens quicker than vermin. The food for young chicks 

 should be fine oatmeal, stale bread crumbs, a little calcined (dry) bone, and a pinch, 

 of powdered charcoal. Slightly moisten with skim milk, and add very finely 

 pulped raw onion. Make the whole friable, and feed frequently ("little tind often")' 

 just as much as they will readily eat, as an excess of food only sours and disturbs 

 their digestive organs. Do not feed animal food yet. Skim milk is safer, and 

 answers same purpose. Keep chicken's feet dry — wet grass causes a chill ; and" 

 once the birds are chilled, trouble may be expected. 



CULTIVATION. 



Farm. — Plant early potatoes, and work up fallow for the main crop. Keep' 

 fallow for summer forage crops well worked up with the disc and harrows. Make 

 early sowings of mangolds, beet, field carrots, and turnips. Push on with the 

 fallowing in the Northern Districts. Prepare land for tobacco seed beds by burning 

 rubbish on the site ; afterwards work up to depth of three or four inches. 



ORCHARD. — Commence spring ploughing ; plough in leguminous crops for green 

 manure as soon as the plants are in full flower. Finish grafting early in the; 

 month. Spray peach and apricot trees with Bordeaux mixture as the blossom bu^s 

 are opening, as a preventive against " leaf curl " and " shot hole " fungi ; watch. 

 for peach aphis, and spray when present with tobacco solution. 



Flower Garden. — Cultivate and work up the surface to a fine tilth — clear out 

 all weeds. Water newly planted shrubs, iSic, if the weather is dry. Plant put 

 cannas, early dahlias, chrysanthemums, gladioli, and other herbaceous plants. 



Vegetable Garden. — Plant out seedlings. Sow seeds for summer use, such as- 

 tomatoes, cucumbers, marrows, pumpkins, melons, &c. Plant out tomatoes, and 

 shelter till frosts are over. Hoe and work up the soil surface. 



ViNEYARiD. — -Plantation of young" vines(grafted or ungrafted) should be concluded 

 before the commencement of Sejjtember; pruning of old vines likewise. Prune- 

 vines recently planted just before buds commence to swell (if not pruned when 

 planted), cutting strongest cane back to two buds. Do not delay this work untiT 

 buds have shot, as" this seriously 'weakens the young vine. Towards erfd of month,. 

 field grafting may be commenced, if weather be fine and warm. If cold and wet, 

 postpone until October. Swab with acid iron sulphate vines which showed signs 

 of Black Spot last season. To avoid burning, this must be completed before the 

 buds commence to swell. 



Cellar. — Conclude spring racking early in month, if not already done. Fill up. 

 regularly, all unfortified wines. 



