SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. 
are mostly small, flowery patterns, with short repeats, and in neat, 
as a rule, dark colours, all glaring colours being eschewed. These 
decorative stuffs can be bought to-day in the shops at 4 marks per metre, 
30 inches wide; or, at the present rate of exchange, at about 6d. per 
yard. Plain material, unprinted, as used for coarse aprons, &c., costs, 
the: same width, 2d. to 3d. per yard; and small finished aprons, with 
one pocket, can even be bought for from 2 to 3 marks, or 3d. to 4d. each. 
The main drawback as regards this kind of inaterial is its stiffness 
and liability to break when crumpled or creased. Naturally, also, it 
cannot be washed in the ordinary way, but must be cleaned with soap 
and cold water, and scrubbed with a not too hard brush. “Numbers of 
women of the working class wear skirts made of paper material, and 
~on the whole they appear to wear well, and they cannot, without close © 
examination, be distinguished from cotton material. 
SHEEP FEEDING EXPERIMENT. 
The practice of artificially feeding sheep during long periods of 
dry weather has not yet become general in Australia, because it is 
generally regarded as being too expensive. A series of experiments 
carried out by Mr. G. L. Sutton, Agricultural Commissioner for the 
Wheat Belt of Western Australia, disposes, however, of this objection. 
His object was to ascertain whether an animal could be maintained in 
a healthy condition for four or five months on chaffed hay alone, there 
being no intention of attempting to fatten the sheep or prevent it losing 
some condition. Summarized, the conclusions to be drawn from the 
three experiments are :— 
(1) That sheep, not in lamb, and averaging about 80 Ibs., can be 
kept in a thrifty condition Shen the summer on 1 Ib. of 
good chaffed hay per day. 
(2) That larger rations are not warranted when the object of hand 
feeding is to carry sheep over a limited period from a time 
of scarcity to one of plenty. 
(3) That a daily ration of 3 lb. whole oats is not of itself sufficiently 
bulky unless coarse feed is available. 
(4) That in-lamb ewes (80-90 Ibs.) can be carried over during the 
summer months in a thrifty condition on 2 Ib. whole oats 
provided they have access to stubble straw. 
(5) That. if the production demands, due to lamb bearing, are to 
to met by the food supply, a ration of 1 Ib. chaffed hay will 
_ require to be supplemented with oat grain. 
(6) That feeding oat grain influences the production of bigger and 
stronger lambs, 
(7) That when the sheep are entirely handfed, the ration should 
consist of a mixture of chaffed hay and grain, and if a ton 
of chaffed hay can be purchased or produced at half, or less 
than half, the cost of a ton of oat grain, it can peonomically 
form the bulk of the ration. 
(8) An ample supply of salt should always be provided for situ on 
stubbles or other bulky dry feed. 
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