484, QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Dec., 1897. 
an even coat of lard about + of an inch thick. This is completely covered with 
the blossoms, and the plate slid to the bottom of the box. When all the plates 
are treated and placed one upon another till none remain, the fourth side of 
the box is reinserted and the top covered, the whole being put away ina cool 
place till evening, when the flowers, having yielded their perfume to the grease, 
must be removed. The operation is repeated daily till such time as the grease 
is saturated with perfume, when it may receive one of two treatments. The 
lard may be removed and packed in wide-mouthed glass jars, in which state it 
is of a saleable value in London or Paris of from 25s. to 80s. per 1b. Or the 
lard may be treated with rectified spirits of wine; and the perfume being 
absorbed, the lard becomes again ready for treatment as before, and the spirit 
is saleable when saturated with perfume at about 3s. 6d. per fluid ounce, or 
£3 10s. per pint. : 
There is, doubtless, much trouble in treating flowers thus, but then, if there 
were not, the high price obtainable would not exist. However, there is the 
description of the process as carried out on the flower farms in the south of 
Europe, and it remains for some enterprising citizen to say whether the profits 
will pay him for the labour of his boys and gurls, for, after all, the labour is 
only that of children. 
RAIN-DISPERSING 
We have heard very often of rain being produced by the explosion of 
gunpowder and dynamite, and there are many persons in Brisbane who 
will remember the experiments in rain-making by Professor Pepper, by 
means of gun discharges and by the elevation of an enormous kite. Now 
comes a report from Mr. Germain, United States Consul at Ziirich (Switzer- 
land), on the prevention of hailstorms by the same means that have been used 
to encourage a downfall of rain. 
It appears that Mr. Albert Stiger, burgomaster of Windisch Freistritz 
(Lower Steiermark, Austria), owns extensive vineyards situated on the southern 
slopes of the Bacher Mountains, a locality often visited by destructive hail- 
storms. ‘To protect his vines from hail, he decided to try the shooting or 
explosion system to scatter the clouds and drive away approaching hail or heavy 
rainstorms. Six stations were therefore erected on the six most prominent 
summits surrounding the locality, and commanding the territory about two 
miles in extent. These stations sheltered ten heavy mortars each. On the 
slightest indication of astorm, the guns were immediately manned and loaded 
with 120 grammes (nearly 4 0z.) of powder, and shooting commenced simul- 
taneously and continued regularly out of the sixty mortars until the clouds 
were scattered and the storm had blown over. These experiments were 
anxiously watched by the citizens of Windisch Freistritz last summer. 
Threatening black clouds made their appearance over the summits of the 
Bacher Mountains, and at a given signal all the mortars were fired off. The 
continuous detonations in a few moments caused a sudden reaction in the 
movements of the clouds. It is said that the cloud opened up funnel-like, the 
mouth of the funnel began to rise in the form of consecutive rings, expanding 
. gradually until all the clouds scattered and disappeared. There was no hail 
nor even a sudden downpour of rain. The same experience was gone through 
six times during the summer, and proved a successful preventive in each case. 
We await the views of Austrian meteorologists on these experiments. Rain- 
makers who have put their trust in explosions must hide their diminished 
heads before the rain-dispersers. 
EXPORTING CREAM. 
In New Zealand it is said that frozen cream has been exported from that 
colony to England. It arrived in good condition, and the resulting butter was 
sold at 1s. id. per lb. That cream in a frozen state can be successfully 
exported has been proved long ago by exports from Denmark. Whether the 
longer distance will militate against a successful export trade from New 
Zealand and Australia is another matter, 
