Journal of Agriculture , Victoria. [lo Sept., 1912. 



REIVIINDERS FOR OCTOBER. 



LIVE STOCK. 



Horses. — Continue to feed stabled horses well ; add a ration of greenstuff. Rug 

 at night. Continue hay or straw, chaffed or whole, to grass-fed horses. Feed old' 

 and badly-conditioned horses liberally. If too fat, mares in foal should be put 

 on poorer pasture. 



Cattle. — Except on rare occasions, rugs may now be used on cows at night only. 

 Continue giving hay or straw Give calves a warm dry shed and a good grass run. 

 Continue giving milk at blood heat to calves. 



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. — When shearing is in progress, well-bred fleeces should be skirted care- 

 fully — the better the class of wool the greater the need. Where the wool is burry, 

 take the heaviest off, keeping bellies and pieces, &c., separate. In country free 

 from burr, only the heavy fribs from arm and flank need be removed. It is better 

 management' to have ample table room, and extra men skirting carefully, than to 

 hurriedly tear off unnecessary wool and then employ men at the piece table to sort 

 what is known as " broken fleece " or " first pieces." All stains must come off 

 fleeces, and weather stains from bellies. With crossbreds, separate all coarse 

 fleeces from the finer sorts ; and, with merinoes, the yellow and mushy ones from 

 the shafty and bright. Skirt off any rough thighs from crossbred fleeces. Press- 

 in neat bales; avoid " sewdowns." Brand neatly. If any likelihood of lambs not 

 going for export before dry feed comes, shear at once. 



Poultry. — Incubation should cease this month — late chickens are not profitable. 

 Devote attention to the chickens already hatched ; do not overcrowd. Feed a little 

 lightly-boiled liver, chopped finely and mixed with mash. Also add plenty of 

 green food to ration, ordinary feeding to be 2 parts pollard, i part bran, a little- 

 dry bonemeal, and plenty of finely-cut raw onion. Mix with the gravy from liver. 

 Give a little three or four times a day, according to the weather. Feed crushed 

 wheat or hulled oats at night tor a few days; whole wheat may then be given. 

 Avoid whole oats. Grit (broken crockery) 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; tamted ground will retard development. 



CULTIVATION. 



Farm. — Plant main crop 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 or he^sian. 



Orchard. — Ploughing and cultivating to be continued, bringing surface to a good' 

 tilth, and suppressing all weeds. Spray with nicotine solution for peach aphis,, 

 with Bordeaux mixture for black spot of apple and pear, and with arsenate of lead? 

 for codlin moth in early districts. 



VEGEfABLE GARDEN. — Sow seeds of Carrot, turnip, parsnip, cabbage, peas, F"rench 

 beans, tomato, celery, radish, marrow, and pumpkins. Plant out seedlings from 

 former sowings. Keep the surface well pulverized. 



Flower Garden. — ^Keep the weeds down and tlie soil open by continued hoeing. 

 Plant out flel])hinium5, chrysanthemums, salvia, early dahlias, &c. Prepare ground 

 by digging and manuring for autumn dahlias. Plant gladioli tubers and seeds of 

 tender annuals. Spray roses for aphis and mildew. 



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

 copiously, cut off 24 hours before grafting. Field grafts must be staked, to avoid 

 subsequent straining by wind and to insure straight stem for future vine. Stakes- 

 are also necessary for grafted rootlings for same reasons. Temporary stakes 3 feet 

 long will suffice. Keep a sharp look-out for cut worms. (See Journal for July,. 

 1911.) Disbud and tie up all vines, giving special care to young plantations. 

 Beware of spring frosts. (See Journal for September, 1910.) 



Conclude spring cultivation (second ploughing or scarifying and digging or 

 hoeing round vines). Weeds must be mastered and whole surface got into good 

 tilth. Sulphur vines when shoots 4 to 6 inches long. 



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

 fruity wines, which may need treatment. Fill up regula' 'y all unfortified wines. 



