April, lUU 



THE GAKDBN AND FIELD. 



605 



Drained soils, both on this ac- 

 count and from other causes al- 

 luded to in the forc<joing, and be- 

 cause water eoudensinj'" from its 

 j^aseous condition in the atmos- 

 phere to that of rain evolves the 

 heat which was i)roviously latent 

 in its particles, much of this Inul- 

 inir its way into the soil when there 

 is a free passajje for nioWng water. 

 The warming-up of the atmosphere 

 after a shower of ram is often no- 

 ticed, and is due to the heat being 

 discharged which was previously 

 employed in keeping the water in 

 its vapourised or gaseous condi- 

 tion. On account, therefore, of the 

 ^varmth of drained soils and the 

 greater freedom with which the 

 roots of crops pass down into the 

 subsoil in the more favourable cir- 

 cumstances thus afforded them, the 

 harvest is generally earlier upon 

 such soils, and the quality of the 

 grain superior, as well as greater 

 in quantity. Moreover, drained 

 soils are easier to work, manures 

 are more effective when employed 

 upon them, and the health of stock 

 tends to be better. It must not 

 be overlooked, too, that tillage 

 operations can be imdertaken much 

 earlier in the spring upon drained 

 soijs, and this is another reason 

 whv crops tend to mature earlier 

 upon them. 



Kerosene Emulsion. 



Take 2 gallons of best kerosene, 

 I gallon of boiling water, and 8 oz. 

 of soft soap. Dissolve the soap in 

 the boiling water ; when dissolved 

 add the kerosene and churn the 

 mixture with a spray-pump or sy- 

 ringe for fxilly 10 minutes, so as 

 to get the oil and water thorough- 

 ly emulsified, when the mixture be- 

 comes stable and the oil will not 

 separate from the water, even 

 when kept for a considerable time. 

 If the oil is not thoroughly emul- 

 sified, and there is free oil pre- 

 sent, it is apt to injure the foliage 

 when applied, and if free oil gets 

 on to the roots of the tree in any 

 quantity it will probably kill the 

 tree ; therefore it is always best to 

 be on the safe side, and be sure 

 that you churn the mixture till it 

 is properly emulsified. The strength 

 at which kerosene emulsion is ap- 

 plied varies with the trees to which 

 it has to be applied, and with the 

 insects that are to be destroyed. 

 For scale insects on citrus trees, 

 olives, and hard-wood trees gener- 

 ally, 1 gallon of emulsion added 

 to 7 gallons of water will not in. 

 jure the tree, except perhaps a few 

 very tender shoots ; but when 



used on peaches, .lapanese plums 

 (not persimmons), it must l>e 

 used much weaker ; in fact, it is 

 not recommended for these trees 

 when they are in leaf, though it is 

 valuable as a winter wash for des- 

 tro\ ing scale insects. Where peach 

 trees are attacked with black 

 aphis, then the resin and soda 

 wash is best. Kerosene emul- 

 sion is one of the best remedies 

 for all insects that live by suction, 

 especially scale insects of all kinds. 

 It can be used by itself, or if the 

 trees to be sprayed are covered 

 With fumagine — the sooty fungus 

 which always accompanies certain 

 scale and other insects — it can be 

 used in conjunction with as thick 

 a solution of starch as can be got 

 through the nozzle of the puunp. 

 The starch solution is made by 

 makiny a paste of flour the same 

 as that used by biUstickers, and 

 straining it carefully from all 

 lumps. The combined mixture 

 forms a thin coating over the 

 scales, leaves, branches, fruit, etc., 

 which peels off when dry, taking 

 the dead scales and fumagine with 

 it, and leaving the trees clean. In 

 addition to using kerosene in the 

 form of an emulsion, it is now fre- 

 quently used mixed with water, 

 specially constructed spray-pumps 

 being required to mechanically mix 

 the oil and water. When used in 

 this manner, the proportion of 

 kerosene in the mixture varies from; 

 I to 10 to I to 20, or even more, 

 according to the condition of the 

 plant treated and the nature of the 

 pest to be destroyed. Instead of 

 using pure kerosene, there are se- 

 veral other preparations on the 

 market, such as the well known red 

 oils, that can be used in place 



thereof. These preparations form 

 a stable emulsion with soap, and 

 arc largely tised as a winter spray 

 for destroying scale insects on de- 

 ciduou.<? trees. 



Unprofitable Cows in the 

 Dairy. 



An examination made by the di- 

 rection of Hoard's Dairyman of 

 one hundred herds kept for dairy 

 productive in the State of Iowa 

 affords a basis of illustration of 

 the unprofitable cow that gets 

 into the dairy and is permitted to 

 stay there through a lack of 

 knowledge of her actual butter 

 capacity. In the hundred herds 

 the total number of cows was 982. 



In four of the herds the average 

 production ranged in value from 

 8/ to 9/ for each 4/ worth of feed 

 fed to the herd. This, of course, 

 would be clearly profitable dairy- 

 ing. There were 61 herds out of 

 the hundred that averaged upwards 

 of 4/-, but less than 8/- as the re- 

 turn for each 4/ worth of feed 

 used. Twelve of these ranged from 

 6/3 to 7/9. Twenty-three other 

 herds of the 61 returned from 4/ 

 !to 5/ for every 4/ expended in 

 feed. A good many of these cows 

 of low producing power were, of 

 course, unprofitable when the cost 

 of care, milking, etc., is taken into 

 consideration ; for a cow that bare- 

 ly returns the cost of feed is not a 

 very promising investment. But 

 there is a worse side to the in- 

 vestigation than this. 



BAGOT, SHAKES, & LEWIS, Ltd. 



Stock and Station Ag-ents, Wool Brokers, Live Stock Salesmen 

 and Licensed Land Brokers. 



Mana^g Director*— G«org<B W. Bagot, John Lewia, 

 Wool Managers — G«org» Bowling. G«orgw Jeff«ry. 



Land Manager— Alfred C. Catt. 

 Inipector of Branches— James Wilkinson. 



Salee of fat and store stock, land, and farm clearing sale* conducted in 

 any p£irt of the State. 



All station and farm requisitet supplied ; large eetatea di»po»ed of for 

 Closer Settlement ; advice given ae to bert meana of realisation ; plans pre- 

 pared. Valuation* made in all parte of South Australia. An efficient 

 *taff dealing with city and suburban properiiee. 



Sellers of house and land property in city, suburbs, and country ars 

 requested to send us particulars. Our large ooniMction (over 20 country 

 markets in beet centxee h*ld monihly) plaoas us in the very beet position 

 to dispose of tham. 



Splendid estates in Ne>w Sooth Wales and Queensland for Sels. 



Head Office: 18 King William Street, Adelaide. 



