64 Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [10 Jan., 1917. 



PouLTliY. — Clikkens should now be tnuned to jicrcli: tliey will be more healthy. 



Provide plenty of green feed and give less grain and meat. Avoid condiments. 

 Keep water in cool shady spot and renew tliree times eacli day. Keep dust bath 

 damp. 



Birds showing symptoms of leg weakness should be given 1 grain of quinine per 

 day (three months old chickens, -I grain) and plenty of milk. 



CULTIVATION. 



Farm. — See that haystacks are weatherproof. Cultivate stubble and fallow, 

 and prepare land for winter fodder crops. Get tobacco sheds ready for crop. In 

 districts where February rains are good, sow rye, barley, vetches, and oats for 

 early winter feed. 



Orchard. — Spray for codlin moth. Search out and destroy all larvae. Cultivate 

 the surface where necessary and irrigate where necessary, paying particular atten- 

 tion to young trees. Fumigate evergreen trees for scale. Continue budding. 



Flower Garden. — Cultivate the surface and water thoroughly during hot 

 weather. Summer-prune roses by thinning out the weak wood and cutting back 

 lightly the strong shoots. Thin out and disbud dahlias and chrysanthemums. 

 Laj-er carnations. Plant a few bulbs for early blooms. Sow seeds of perennial 

 and hardy annual plants. 



Vegetable Garden. — Continue to plant out seedlings from the seed-beds. Sow 

 seeds of cabbage, lettuce, cauliflower, peas, turnip, and French beans. Keep all 

 vacant plots well dug. 



Vineyard. — February is the best month for the " Yema " or Summer bud graft 

 (see article in current issiie). Select scion-bearing vines; mark with oil paint 

 those conspicuous for quality and quantity of fruit, regular setting and even 

 maturity. 



Sulphur again, if oidium is prevalent, but avoid applying sulphur to wine 

 grapes too short a time before gathering. 



Cellara. — Prepare all plant and casks for the coming vintage. An ounce of 

 bisulphite of potash, or a couple of fluid ounces of bisulphite of soda solution, to 

 each bucket of water used to swell press platforms, tubs. &c., will help to keep 

 it sweet. Keep cellars as cool as possible. Complete all manipulations so as to 

 avoid handling older wines during vintage. 



SELECTING EWES. 



Selecting and keeping the best ewe lambs is tlie essential factor in 

 success. The reasons for this course are obvious, because no one requires 

 telling that if he sells his best ewes the man who buys them will have 

 better sheep than he. Supposing a farmer having fifty ewes should sell 

 the best ten of them, it will take him some time to breed another ten 

 like them. It is at times rather difficult to resist what seems a temipting 

 bid for a good ewe, but when thinking the offer over it is well to re- 

 member that not only do we sell the ewe, but also her possible valuable 

 increase. It is all right to sell some first-class ewes when, as a whole, 

 the flock has been brought up to such a standard of excellence that their 

 removal is not so much noticed, but meanwhile, the safe rule is to keep 

 the best of the best for one's own breeding. 



All ewes failing in essential maternal qualities can be profitably dis- 

 pensed with, for though a ewe may look well and hearty, if she is a bad 

 breeder and poor mother she is no more valuable than a wether, and 

 makes a better showing as mutton than as a member of the breeding 

 flock. Sometimes ewes are kept because they look good and fat, but 

 often their plumpness and good condition are gained at the expense of 

 their lambs — when they have any — and the loss in keeping them is 

 double, because they are keeping better sheep off the farm, and them- 

 selves producing starveling lambs, which, if they reach maturity, only 

 serve to perpetuate the faults of their dams. — Canterhiiry Times. 



