382 



instance,! visited a pony with an enlarged 

 jaw, and after first carefully examining 

 the mouth, expecting dental trouble 

 (though th;p, from the history of the case, 

 I hardly expected to find, as the pony ate 

 soft or hard food, and showed no pain). 

 From a very badly smelling nostril I 

 suspected a diseased sinus. 



The pony was ca?r, and trephined, a 

 middle-sized treph'ne ;or bone saw; being 

 used, which removed a circular piece of 



bone about th? giy.e of a two shilling piece, 

 from the face immediately over the air 

 cavity. I then found the latter contained 

 puss. This I scraped out thoroughly, 

 washing out the sinus with disinfectants. 

 The usual after treatment was orderel, 

 and the pony is doing well. 



I also had a case of a gelding at Botha's 

 Hill, suffering from fractured pelvis. I 

 placed him in slings, but am afraid he 

 will not recover. 



Corresponiiencem 



To the Editor Agricultural Journal. 



S 



EARLY GREEN MANURING. 

 —Regarding Mr. T. L Fyvie's letter 

 in the last issue of the Jonrnal, I 

 M'ould not advise the use of ".Johnson" 

 grass for the pur])Ose mentioned. It is a 

 perennial plant, and said to be a si)lendid 

 fodder grass, rapid growing with creeping 

 rootstocks, but the decided objection to 

 its use for turning in previous to growing 

 another crop is the difficulty found in 

 eradicating it and checking its spread. 

 It is likely to become a serious weed in 

 such a case as the present, and it is there- 

 fore more advisable to select a crop that 

 can be kept under control. 



Rye, rape, and vetches are all fast 

 growing crops and likely to suit the 

 soil mentioned ; the first two ai e not 

 leguminous plants and do not possess the 

 unique power of that order to increase 

 the nitrogen in the soil, but they will 

 naturally benefit it by increasing the 

 humus matter, making it more retentive 

 of moisture, and facilitating the operations 

 of releasing the i)lant food. The vetch is 

 one of the leguminous order, and is a 

 fairly fast growing plant. 



Those plants of the latter order are the 

 most suitable for green manuring, and 

 were alluded to in a recent number of 

 the Joui naJ. 



The amount of seed required per acre 

 broadcasted would be for rye, 100 to 

 1501bs. ; rape, 5 to filbs. ; and vttches, 200 

 to 2501bs. 



A mixture can be made of these, say of 

 vetches and rye or rape and rye. 



Johnson grass is not the same thing as 

 millet ; ,the former belongs to the tribe 



and the latter to the 



andropogoneae 

 nanicese. 



Yes ; basic slag will help to induce a 

 good growth, it will supply lime as well 

 as phosphoric acid, and I expect the 

 former is deficient m the soil ; broadcast 

 the slag as soon as possible, and plough it 

 in at the rate of 3 to 4 cwts. per acre. 

 The sooner it is put in the ground before 

 planting the better, but do not be content 

 with applying a phosphate only, give the 

 catch crop an all-round manure, and the 

 benefit of it will be had in the succeeding 

 crop. 



Nitrate of soda will be the most forcmg 

 manui'e to apply, but should be suppli- 

 mented by a little potash, say loOlbs. 

 sulphate or chloride of potash, or 250 to 

 3001bs. kainit. Apply the nitrate of soda 

 as a top dressing at the rate of IGOlbs. 

 per acre. 



Alex. Pakdy, F.O.S., &c., 



Agricultural Chemist. 



THOROUGHBREDS V. HACKNEYS. 



Sir,— In answer to Mr. Hutchinson's 

 (V.S.) letter re Horsebreeding in ^.^r/c?/?- 

 turril Journal of August 2n^, 1901, 1 beg 

 to express my views. 



He condemns thoroughbreds as useless 

 for work. I cannot agree with him ; for 

 stamina there is no breed to equal him. 

 The Free State horses which he condemns 

 have proved him wrong— De Wet and 

 others have been mounted on them all 

 through the war. So far, they have not 

 been caught by the breeds ho so strongly 

 recommends. 



