768 Journal of Ai/iiculf II i;\ Victoria. [10 Dec, 1917. 



oats and bran should be given. Foals may with advantage be given oats to the 

 extent of 1 lb. for each month of age daily. Provision should be made for shade 

 shelter for paddocked horses. 



Cattle. — Provide succulent fodder and plentj' of clean water and shade. 

 Provide "lick" in trough, consisting of salt 20 lbs., bone meal 20 lbs., and 

 sulphate of iron i lb. Limewasli the cow bails, it helps to keep down flies. 

 Provide calves, if possible, with good grass run, or lucerne hay or oats in a 

 trough. 



Pigs. — Supply short bedding in warm, well-veiitilated styes. Keep styes 

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

 turned into grass run. Sows suckling youni^ should be well fed to enable them 

 to produce plenty of milk. Give young pigs pollard and skim milk in separate 

 trough as soon as they will take it, and keep them fattening from the start to 

 get them off as early as possible. Give a tablespoonful of bone meal per 100 

 lbs. live weight in food daily. If pigs are lousy, dress with kerosene emulsion 

 or sulphur and lard, rubbing well into crevices of skin, and disinfect styes. Pig 

 breeding and feeding should be very profitable for a long time to come, and it 

 should be safe to launch out now. Plenty of water should be available for 

 them to wallow in in hot weather. 



Sheep. — Ewes, after a season such as this, will come in season well to time. 

 Merino and fine comebacks, November and December; erossbreds, January and 

 February; pure British breeds, February and March. Be sure of ample rams 

 running with them. Breed from every good ewe possible. Keep in view wool 

 production as well as lamb and mutton. Meat and wool will be amongst the 

 foremo.-t com.m'odities in demand for several years. Two-tooth ewe's, if well 

 grown, can be bred from, but tliey should be well treated throughout. Use rams 

 with width and substance, and never inferior-fleeced ones. Rams work best at 

 night and early morning. With large paddocks it may be necessary to yard 

 occasionally in a season like this. Purgative drenches, worm pills, &c., should 

 be given to all lambs, weaners, or grown sheep showing unhealthy discharge, for 

 this is the chief attraction to the fly. 



Poultry. — Separate the sexes; the cockerels should now be fattened and 

 marketed. Grade the young stock according to age and size, otherwise the younger 

 birds will not thrive. " Avoid overcrowding. Do not force pullets too much with 

 animal food; build them up with a good variety of food, but 'avoid maize, and 

 give but little meat. In-crease the green food; thoroughly spray houses and 

 perches with an emulsion of kerosene and sonpsuds, or a solution of carbolic acid 

 1 in 60. Keep water vessels in shady spot, and renew water twice daily. 

 Moisten dust Ijath. 



CULTIVATION. 



F.4RM. — Get all crops harvested and stacked as soon as possible. Horse-hoe 

 maize, potatoes and other summer crops. See to insurance of stacks of grain 

 and hay. 



Orchard. — Keep the soil well scaMed and weed free. Cultivate after 

 irrigation or rain. Do not allow the surface to become caked. Spray against 

 codlin moth, p^ar slug, vine caterpillar, and woolly aphis. Summer prune 

 strong growing slioots and laterals. 



Vegetarle Garden. — Plant out all seedlings, when ready, from former sowings. 

 Stir -mid mulch the surface. Dig each plot as it becomes vacant. Sow seeds of 

 cauliflower, cabbage, peas, French beans. Kohl Rabbi. &c. 



Flower Garden. — Keep the soil moist and cool by watering, hoeing, and 

 nuilching. Stake tender and lengthy plants. Water and shade young plants. 

 Sow pansy, Iceland poppy, cosmos, aster, &c. 



Vineyard. — Summer bud or Yeiiia grafting may be practised in January, 

 though February is the usual month. (Sec ./otirnals, January and February, 

 1916.) This is the slackest month in un-irrigated vineyards — all ordinary work 

 should be completed before Christmas. It is only exceptional operations, such 

 as scarifying after rain, sulphuring in case of odium, or spraying for downy 

 mildew (see Jovrnal for November, 1917), that must bo carried out. In irrigated 

 vineyards the application of water, and the cultivation it necessitates, require 

 attention. 



Cellar. — Fill up regularly and keep cellar as cool as possible. Towards end 

 of montli commence to make preparations for the coming vintage. 



