99° 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
[Mav i, 1882. 
instance, analysed by the Strathearn Association, showed 
a deficiency in value of 3s. 6d. on the average per ton ; 
while the special manures — turnip, potato, barley manure, 
and dissolved guano — indicated on the average a defi- 
ciency of £2 13s. 5d. per ton. The oldest analytical 
association in Scotland (that at Kelso) seems to have 
banished the unscrupulous dealer from its domains. 
The manures analysed for it last year yielded results 
on the average 12s. per ton over the buying price in 
value. 
Dr. Aitken remarks : " One is apt to conclude, from 
a consideration of these analyses, that if manure is 
made to contain a little of - everything, you may call it 
what you like. If it is called dissolved bones, you may 
get it for £7 per ton ; if it is called turnip manure, 
you may pay £8 per ton for it ; while, if it is called 
potato manure, you will probably require to pay £9 per 
ton for it, or perhaps a little more. The chief differ- 
ence seems to lie in the name, and the name commands 
the price." 
It is to be hoped that the farmers, not only of Scot- 
land, but of the United Kingdom, will profit by Dr. 
Aitken's investigations and reports, of which, for 1881, 
the above is a summary. 
Briefly stated, his advice to fanners is to buy arti- 
ficial manures only by guaranteed analysis, to purchase 
the standard articles and mix for themselves, to avoid 
so-called "special manures," and not display such an 
attachment to the word bone. 
A CHEAP APPLIANCE FOR SULPHURING 
VINES. 
The following letter has been addressed to the Editor 
of The (Melbourne) Argus : — 
Sir, — Allow me through your columns to make 
known to my fellow vignerons a very simple and 
effectual contrivance for applying sulphur to vines. 
Anyone who has sulphured on a large scale with 
bellows knows how unsatisfactory they are. Expensive 
to begin with, they always get out of order. The 
thin wire gauze which covers the narrow outlet be- 
comes constantly choked with sulphur, and besides, 
on account of the force of air wanted to get it out, 
most of the sulphur is sent beyond the vine it is 
intended for. 
Some Italians in my employment suggested to me 
last year small bags of cheese cloth, filled with sulphur 
and shaken over the vines, something of the kind 
being used in their country. This, however, did not 
answer for any length of time, the cloth becoming 
soon closed up by sulphur. 
The idea struck me to take four pieces of deal, 
each Sin. long and 6in. broad, and to nail them 
together into a box, top and bottom open, 8in. high, 
and 4in. or 5in, inside. I closed the bottom part 
with a square piece of very strong wire gauze, 144 
squares to the square inch, and nailed across the 
open top a round piece of wood to be used as handle. 
This answered admirably. The sulphur only comes 
out when shaken." The man who applies it holds the 
b6x with one hand over the vine, or alongside, if 
theYd is any breeze, and a tap on the side of the 
bdx with a etick in the other hand, just causes an 
even spray of sulphur to fall through the wire gauze, 
I havo just sulphured 20 acres with this simple 
machine, using about half the quautity of sulphur 
which the same amount of ground required in former 
years, and yet this time the vines were more thoroughly 
and more evenly suliihured.-— I aim, &c., 
Vigneeon. 
OSTRICH FARMING 
The subject of ostrich farming has been engaging 
a pood deal of attention in South Australia. Mr. W. 
Jones, who has lately returned from a visit to the 
Cape of Good Hope, has contributed in the form of 
a letter to the Agricultural Society particulars of 
an interesting character in relation to the conduct 
of the industry. The Observer quotes Mr. Jones as 
follows : — "Good breeding birds may now be obtained 
at an average of £150 a pair. So-called ' breeding 
birds' may be bought tor less, but birds of six) ears 
old and upwards are not easily obt lined. For export 
birds should be not under five years old, and should 
have bred at least two seasons, as these birds are 
much stronger and are not so easily impaired as 
younger birds. The latter are vary apt on being re- 
moved to cease to breed. This pairiug of birds is 
a matter involving much care, as the ostrich is very 
fastidious in choosing its mate, and sometimes it is 
necessary to change the bird three or four times before 
pairing takes place. A pair of ostriches landed in 
Adelaide by Orient line would cost at least £200, 
unless a reduction of freight could be obtained by 
exporting a considerable number ; but of course if a 
sailing .ship were chartered the cost would be less. 
Assuming the larger price, say 50 pairs at £200 each, 
£10,0U0 ; a farm of 100 acres at £25 per acre, and 
necessary buildings, £4,000. The buildings required 
would be of a cheap character if constructed under 
the superintendence of a practical ostrich farmer. 
About 20 incubatois would be required. A pair of 
good birds would produce, stating a low estimate, GO 
eggs per annum, of which at least 75 per cent would 
be hatched, giving 45 chicks per annum per pair, equal 
to 2,250 for 50 pairs. Fiom this 2,250 take off 20 
per cent for loss during the first three months, leaving 
1,600 young birds, worth from £7 to £7 10s. each. 
This mortality may be greatly reduced by properly 
constructed buildings to guard against sudden changes 
of temperature or rain, which latter is most injurious 
to young birds. The returns would thus show 1,600 
birds at £7 each, equal to £11,200. The food necessary 
for a full-grown pair of breeding birds is 71b. of oats 
or barley per diem, and about a bushel basket full 
of cut green food, cabbage leaves, lucerne, clover, green 
barley, or anything of this description. The best 
place for keeping ostriches is on a light soil, sandy 
in patches, sloping down to a river, so that green 
food— an absolute necessity— cau be depended on all 
the year round. During the late long-continued drought 
in the Cape Colony birds have died in large numbers 
where no water was to be had, but on farms near 
jvater they have not suffered at all. Young birds 
should be kept for feathers, as it is not advisable 
to pluck breeding birds. A few long feathers may 
be taken from the cocks, but they are not of much value 
owing to the habit breeding birds have of moving 
in a peculiar manner, which spoils the feathers; The 
.value of feathers is about as follows : — About eight 
months old the feathers cut are worth about 13s. to 
16s. per bird; at 16 months, about £4 per bird; at 
24, about from £5 to £7 per bird, and thereafter 
about from £5 to £8 per bird every eight months, 
according to quality." 
The Bamisdale Advertiser mentions, as showing the 
confidence evinced in the hop industry, that the area 
hitherto planted has been about doubled this year, 
making a total of close on 200 acres under cultivation 
at the present time. All the growers are now busy 
poling, and if the yearlings yield as expected there 
will be plenty of employment for a large additional 
number of pickers at the beginning of next year. 
— Australasian. 
RASPBERRIES IN TRENCHES. 
In the following, from the Journal of Horticulture 
we think many of our readers may find a method 
of growing raspberries successfully in the metropolitan 
and other ratlnr warm and dry districts : — 
fcome years ago an account appeared in your columns 
