September, 191.'? 



Soilj in Relation to Geology 

 and Climate. 



The result of investigations in;ule 

 in Xew South Wales by Dr. Jensen, 

 under the direction of Mr. F. B. Gutli- 

 ric. clearly indicates the relation ho- 

 twcen geological structure and che- 

 mical composition of soils niodifud 

 hy climate. 



Granite soils contain a sood per- 

 centage of potash, particularly where 

 there is a minimum of leaching and 

 an active evaporation of soil mois- 

 ture.^ In. wet districts the surface 

 soil is much lower in potash than the 

 subsoil. 



Basalt soils are particularly rich 

 chemically. Within coastal areas with 

 rugged topography they are richest in 

 organic nitrogen and poorest (as the 

 result of leaching) in mineral plant 

 food. 



While the granite soils are of the 

 character of light loama under all cli- 

 matic conditions, basalt soils vary 

 from friable loam to heavy clay. 



•Sandstone soils are mechanicallv, 

 more or less, uniform, and though 

 slightby better as regards miner:.! 

 plant food in some parts, are of a 

 very poor description and are only 

 workable under special treatment, 

 such as dry-farming, irrigation, and 

 manuring. 



Limestone soils, though they ex- 

 hibit mineral differences due to cli- 

 mate, are rich in humus though con- 

 taining less valuable matter than is to 

 be expected. 



In the case of alluvial soils though 

 the effects of geology are somewhat 

 obscured, they are not wholly cloud- 

 ed. The character of the soil is 

 governed by the nature of the rock 

 which contributes the detritus 



THK GARDEN AND FIELD. 



179 



The effect of climate is more 

 marked, inasmuch as the soils increase 

 in mineral plant' food as their dis- 

 tance from the coast increases— this 

 being due to decreased leaching by 

 rainfall. At the same time their mois- 

 ture content and percentage of or.ga- 

 nic matter and nitrogen diminish. 



— Experiments. — 

 It is recommended that experimen- 

 tal stations should be established on 

 each important soil-type (e.g., granite 

 soils, sandstone soils, &c.), and the 

 strength and quality of the soil test- 

 ed by growing crops demanding a 

 large proportion of the chief mineral 

 • ingredients of plant food. 



The bulletin referred to is replete 

 with valuable information regarding 

 many points of interest to the culti'^ 

 vator of the soil, e.g.. colour, acidity, 

 alkalinity, and nitrification; and ac- 

 centuates the fact that fertility does 

 not depend primarily upon the pro- 

 portions of plant food present in the 

 soil, but on a variety of contributing 

 causes which have to be taken into 

 account. 



Variety in Feeding. 



After lonsr continued experimcnt.s 

 in the feedinfj of dary cattle a 

 European dairy expert concludes 

 that experience ha.s .shown that 

 practically all fodders may be ,u.sed 

 with advantag-c if they are whole- 

 some and the cow.s eat them wit.h 

 relish. The freer the choice given 

 to the farmer the better, a.s the 

 exclusive I'ise of particular fodders 

 is undesirable, and the practice of 

 feeding cows with a mixture of 

 foods is to be preferred. The main 

 points, in his opinion, are that the 

 cows should be kept in good health 

 and sudden changes in feeding 

 avoided ; and also that great caie 

 should be paid to cleanliness and 

 the prevention of contamination of 

 the milk. Given these conditions, 

 the best advice as to feeding is to 

 see that the drinking water is pure 

 and the straw and fodder of good 

 and wholesome composition. 



Abortion. 



Milking Three Times a Day. 



KxT>eri€nce has .shown that cows 

 which trive very large qnantities of 

 milk win vield , more milk if milked 

 three times in the twentv-four 

 hours instead of twice. If a cow 

 IS a large maker or milk, her udder 

 becomes full long before milking 

 time arrives unless she has great 

 capacity in her mammarv gfands 

 and hence the animal suffers a cer- 

 tain amount of pain if allowed to 

 go too long without being m.ilked. 

 Under such circumstances a cow 

 will g'ive larger vield s if "milked, 

 three, timee a dav and the butter 

 fat test will not suffer. In all the 

 American records the cows that 

 produce such high yields are milk- 

 ed three times a" dav. Mr. A. 

 O'Callaghan, Dairy Expert, N.S.W. 



ALBERT O. PIKE, 



(Late GAMEAU BROTHERS. 



Clairville INursery, Hectorville. 



All kinds of fruit trees for sale, Citrus trees, Lemons and Oranges a 



speciality. Send for illustrated Catalogue. 

 Telegraphic Address-Pike, HectorvHle, Payneham. Telephone-Cen- 

 tral 3768. 



The New Zealand Division of 

 Veterinary Science recommend the 

 following treatment :— 



1. Burn the aborted foetus im- 

 mediately, search being made for it 

 if necessary so soon as the cow 

 is known to have aborted. 



2. Thoroughly dig up the eround 

 around the foetus, and disinfect 

 with a liberal quantity of a non- 

 poisonous sheep-dig. 



3- Isolate the cow and keep her 

 isolated for two months, using a 

 temporary bail, if necessary, for 

 milking purposes. 



4. Thoroughly disinfect the cow 

 by the following means : — 



First, into an ordinary whisky 

 bottle put two tablespoonfuls of a 

 I per cent, solution of mercuric 

 chloride, and fill up with ran water 

 that has been boiled and allowed 

 to cool to blood hiaat. The mer- 

 curic chloride can be easily pro- 

 cured from any chemist or di'rect 

 from this labatory in tabloid 

 form, with full instructions. 



Secondl procure about 3ft. of or- 

 dinary indiarubber piping of %in. 

 diameter, and, in one end place an 

 ordinary tin funnel, or, better, one 

 made of glass if procurable. If 

 neither i^ handy, break off the bot- 

 tom' end of a large bottle and in- 



