MAGAZINE OF SCIENCE AND ART, 
109 
or two ounces from two lbs. of fresh leaves. These can 
be transplanted, but l am not aware if the salt bush can 
be propagated by seeds As a tonic is recommended, the 
spartum scoparium, or Scottish broom, on elevations of 
extra tropical Australia it would grow freely. As a shrub 
which requires no culture, as a tonic which needs no ad¬ 
ministration, few plants will rate superior. As antidotes 
to liver i .t, flukes and hydropsy* the trial Is pressed on 
floekowners* particular attention. What p eserves the 
health of sheep on the moi&t soil and weeping climate of 
North Britain ? Why, the astringent heath and Scotia’s 
bonnie yellow broom. Whence also obtained the sweetest 
and soundest mutton for King Lud’s town markets? Even 
from the heath covered hills of the North, Cattle also 
would benefit by the introduction, as In many districts 
they, as well as sheep, are far from being free of tubercu¬ 
lous formations in livers and lungs, occasionally in the 
kidneys also. 
To ascertain its comparative growth in Scotland and in 
this colony a friend obtained for me ten pounds of broom 
seeds, now come to hand. Mr. Patrick Leslie and Mr. 
Deuehar go shares with me. They will sow on the hills 
and ridges of the Darling Downs and 1 scatter its seeds 
on the elevated table land of New England and on the 
dividing ranges of the Clarence district. 
With diffidence is any opinion expressed differing from 
the Rev. Mr. Walker, of Liverpool. He has stated that 
the indigofera is poisonous The indigofera of Mr. 
Walker must be widely different from the specimen for¬ 
warded to the Improvement Society by Mr. Weston some 
time ago, for cattle and sheep both eat it greedily as a 
bitter, and seem better from the act. Besides finding it 
growing on his own run, Mr. M. saw it also on the Downs 
towards Canal Creek, on the Rosenthal stations- An old 
bushman, however, whom he has consulted, says that 
another variety grows about forty miles distant, having 
much broader leaves than the Rocky River specimens, is 
much taller, and is held to be poisonous : so that both 
may be right and neither wrong - a mi*st satisfactory con 
elusion it nvyst be allowed. 
Mr. Sinclair found sixteen different varieties of grasses 
on a square foot, at Woburn Abbey. In Australia it is a 
good instance of pasture land to find six of any kind on an 
equal area. Hence, large superficial extents are necessary 
to feed well a given number of sheep or cattle; and 
lienee, when stationsare overstocked, the grasses are never 
allowed to form their seeds, and so in many par.s, during 
dry seasons, “ red ruin rides triumphant,” 
Mr. “ want-of experience” says these seeds will not grow. 
1 have tried them, says he, in vain. Aye, but how ? 
Where ? Experience oucc knew a young brother who 
sowed white clover In a swampy soil, and, as might be an¬ 
ticipated, he never aiw more of his expected trefoil. 
Another scattered red c over on a stony ridge and sandy 
soil; of course the seeds died. And nothing better could 
come of it, says *• knowing-experience.” 
Indeed the success which attends all such experiments 
mainly depends on good seeds sown in a suitable soil, at a 
proper time, and at a given depth. Sound practical ex¬ 
perience is not picked up in a day. nor obtained without 
much painstaking observation. That ambiguous fellow 
colonial experience must sometimes be instructed by un¬ 
learning portions of his previous prejudices. Many Euro 
pean practiques will not work well in the young south and 
east, however excellent north of the equator. Let Aus¬ 
tralians adopt systems of their own, applicable for the 
latitudes of their own colony. 
In conclusion for the present occasion. The great ques¬ 
tion of food begins to draw deep attention from crowned 
heads, sage economists, plotting politicians, and the 
shrewdest members of either agricultural, monied, or mer¬ 
cantile interests, It is doubtful If British soils will long 
maintain their fertility, notwithstanding all the skill of 
scientific chemiitry. In France agriculture Is on the de¬ 
cline, as admitted by M. Lconce Lavergne. It is time, 
then, that Australian farming should ascend in the produc¬ 
tive scale. But the momentous problem not only involves 
the necessary demonstration of food supplies to man. but 
also of food to beast. Already the three sister colonies 
depend on New South Wales for their extra rations of beef 
and mutton; meat required beyond their own resources. 
How are we to keep up the supply? By increasing the 
gTamlniferous pabulum, and making nurseries for raising 
grass seeds, which are to be spread at fitting times orer the 
area of every run. “ If the man deserves well of his 
country, who makes two cars of corn or two blades of grass 
to grow where only one grew before." how much better 
will he merit who causes three to spring up where none 
were ever seen, or introduces new varieties having double 
the productive powers and treble the nutritive qualities of 
any which had ever previously been observed. They are 
the best friends of this colony who aid in expanding its 
productive capabilities. 
ROBERT MESTON. 
TREATISE ON THE BEST MEANS OF ERA¬ 
DICATING THE NOXIOUS BURS AND 
THISTLES GROWING IN THE COLONY. 
The eradication of the burs growing in the colony will 
be an undertaking of no mean magnitude. And in order 
to accomplish this most desirable end, it will be necessary 
that not only the people of New South Wales should act 
with promptitude, but that the stock and grain producing 
population of the whole of the Australian colonies should 
unite and act simultaneously. And in order to effect this,, 
it would be desirable that the Legislature of each colony 
should bring into operation an act to make it compulsory 
upon all land and stockholders to provide means for the 
destruction of the noxious weeds growing on their lands, 
and duly qualified Inspectors should be appointed in the 
various localities for the purpose of seeing the work pro¬ 
perly carried out. 
It now remains for me to say how the burs can be most 
cheaply and effectually got rid of, and with a view to this, 
object, 1 shall divide them into three classes, and treat 
each class separately The tools which would be required, 
and with whieh every establishment In districts where any 
of the burs are known to grow, should be supplied, are 
scythes, Dutch and other hoes, and long handled hedging 
bills. 
1st. The Bathurst Bur Xanthium Spinosum, This 
plant grows most luxuriantly on the banks of rivers and 
creeks, and on rich moist plats. The hoe should be freely 
used from the time this plant makes its appearance above 
ground, which will most probably be during the months 
of August and September, according to locality. If the 
bur bo growing in great abundance over a level country 
the scythe should be used, care being taken to cut the plant 
below the seed leaf, or as close to the ground as possible. 
In rough places, among rocks or on the banks of rivers, 
the hedging bill will be found most effectual. It will not 
be necessary to go to any further trouble after having cut 
up the plants, unless they have been allowed to grow » 
sufficient time to mature their seeds, when it would be of 
no use cutting them down without also collecting them in 
heaps and burning them on a good solid, hard piece of 
ground. If burned on loose, uneven ground, numbers of 
the seeds would escape the flames and flourish the follow¬ 
ing year. Little, if any, of this bur will germinate after 
the month of December. 
2nd, The next weed under my classification is generally 
known by the name of Trefoil, or on the Hunter as yellow 
clover, or medioago nigra of botanists. This is undoubt 
cdly the most destructive of all our burs to the interests 
of the wool grower, and (in my opinion) by far the most 
difficult to eradicate, in consequence of its creeping nature 
protecting it from the scythe, or other similar instruments. 
The common Dutch hoe. of a large size, would therefore 
be the most efficient tool to use in rooting out this pest, 
which should be cut, if possible, below the surface of the 
ground, which can be effected in most cases, as this par¬ 
ticular weed luxuriates on the richest and best portions of 
our inland plains In the case of this plant I would also 
Tecommend burning in heaps after drying. The spots 
where this weed* is known to grow should be carefully 
watched, as it often ripens its seed without raising its 
bead more than two inches from the surface. Hoeing 
should commence immediately after the plants shew them- 
