446 THE AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 



the former contains only about half its 

 quantity of potash, viz., 54 per cent., so 

 that the 25 per cent, of sulphate of potash 

 is equivalent to 12"5 of potash. 



Referring to the percentage formulae of 

 nitrogen, phosphoric acid, and potash, 

 supplied for mixing manures to suit 

 wheat, oats, &c., the composition does not 

 deal with the amount of the mixture to 

 be applied per acre, but merely states 

 what proportion of each ingredient should 

 be present ; any quantity may be spread 

 per acre, so long as the formulated com- 

 position is observed, the quantity is not 

 stated here, merely its composition ; just 

 previous to the formulae, quantities are 

 given per acre, and this is followed by 

 the prescribed recommendation as a guide 

 by which the farmer is enabled to make up 

 and mix manuies from any material he 

 chooses, so that they will resemble in 

 composition that proposed for wheat, &c. 



Mr. Thorrold is somewhat astray in his 

 interpretation of the formula. The fol- 

 lowing I have worked out to show the 

 percentages in the manure he has 

 deduced : — 

 27 lbs. nitrate of soda contains, say, 15-25 



per cent, of nitrogen, equals 4'11 



lbs. 



56 lbs. dissolved bone contains 2 per 

 cent, of nitrogen, equals 1-12 lbs. 



IG per cent, phosphoric acid 

 equals 8-9G lbs. 



20 lbs. muriate of potash contains, say, GO 

 per cent, potash, equals 12 lbs, 



103 lbs. 



103 lbs. of the mixture contains 5*23 lbs. 

 of nitrogen, or 5-07 per cent., 8-9G lbs. of 

 phosphoric acid, or 8 70 per cent., and 

 12 lbs. of potash, or 11*65 per cent. 



The quantity of 103 lbs., of course, is 

 too small for a good manuring, probably 

 four or five times that amount is necessary. 



That 150 lbs. of muriate of potash is 

 equal to 120 lbs. of the ]mre salt, means 

 that in the commercial article there are 

 impurities which reduce the perc* ntage ; 

 if the muriate were quite pure then it 

 would contain the equivalent of 63 per 

 cent, of potash ; 150 lbs. muriate contains 

 about 90 lbs. of potash. 



Yours truly, 

 Alex. Pardy, F.C.S. etc. 

 Agricultural Chemist. 

 Durban, 3rd September, 1901. 



REDWATER. 



Sir —Can anyone tell me if the disease 

 known as redwater in Queensland is the 

 same disease known as redwater in Natal ? 

 We have redwater in England, and Texas 

 fever in Texas, another form of redwater, 

 and I do .lot think they are the same. I 

 am askmg this question, as I have heard 

 that a lot of cattle are likely to be im- 

 ported from Queensland, and we have 

 quite enough diseases to contend against, 

 without introducing another form of red- 

 water. — I am, &c., 



C. L. 



The P.V.S., Mr. H. Watkins-Pitchford, 

 replies to the above :— "The redwater of 

 Natal is the same disease as the redwater 

 of Queensland, and the Texas fever of 

 America. The redwater of England is 

 quite different. The danger of introduc- 

 ing bovine disease by the importation of 

 cattle from Australia I think is remote. 

 The cattle of Australia are enviably free 

 from disease." 



The value of salt for sheep Is shown by an 

 experiment in France, where of three lots of 

 animals fed alike on hay, straw, potatoes, and 

 beans foi' 124 days, one lot had no salt, one had 

 loz. of salt each every day, and the other had 

 three-fourtihs of an ounce. Those that had 4oz. 

 o-ained 4^8. each more than those that had 

 no salt, and l\rb. more than those which had 

 more than a ioz. So it seems that too much 

 salt can be given as well as loo little. The 

 salted sheep had Iflb. more of wool and a bet- 

 ter lleece than those that had no salt, showing 

 better results in the wool; tnat is, larger pro- 

 fit than in the flesh. 



What is regarded as a greut advance in the 

 sterilised milk trade is recorded by the "Jour- 

 nal d'Agriculture Pratique." The French Na- 

 tional Society of Agriculture received recently 

 a bottle of milk which had been sterdised for 

 some months, and it was observed that there 

 uas no rise of cream to the higher part of the 

 bottle, whicih was one of the chief objections 

 to ordinary methods for sterilisation of milk. 

 When milic is sterilised by being heated to 

 boiling point or above, this treatment does not 

 incvent the cream from rising, and later, \vnen 

 it is to be employed, the cream must be mixed 

 with the rest of 'the li<iuid, though, as a rule, 

 the said cream is transformeil into butter by 

 sha'king. The happy idea of re-emulsionismg 

 the stei-ilised milk by subjecting it to a pres- 

 sure of 250 atmospheres, whici\ pulverises the 

 fatty globules, was hit upon. It has been ob- 

 served that their diameter became less than 

 thirtv-nine-millionths of an inch, and that, 

 finally, t!ie globules cease to collect in the fornj 

 of cream on the surface. 



