1 Mar., 1899.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 238 
Tt is equally efficacious in the treatment of dumb beasts. A neighbour of 
mine had a cow bitten, which when found was unable to stand. I supplied the 
owner with iodine, and advised him to go back and drop 10 drops upon her 
tongue every ten minutes for an hour, then every hour fora time. He did so, 
but came back in an hour or so and reported that it was too late, as the cow 
was nearly dead. Inthe morning he went back to see what had become of 
his EON, and to his surprise found her up and feeding. Her recovery was 
rapid. 
To your readers this may seem quite incredible, but they have only to try 
it in case of an accident of this kind to verify the facts stated. ; i 
LIME FOR TURNIPS. 
Tr fresh slacked lime is worked into land to be sown in turnips, at the rate of 
between 40 and 50 bushels per acre, a month before sowing the seed, the trouble. 
known as finger-and-toe will be completely overcome. The effect of the lime 
will be felt for some years afterwards. 
PURIFYING LOW-GRADE BUTTER. 
Froa one of our exchanges comes a rather startling piece of information, having 
reference to an entirely new process of purifying butter. A party of London 
gentlemen interested in the butter trade, and also a few analytical experts, jour- 
neyed to Dublin recently to examine at the invitation of the patentces, the Globe 
Trading Company, a new method of treating butter of low-grade qualities, by 
which it is claimed the article will be cleaned of all impurities, and made of 
first-class quality. The demonstration was given at the Irish Aerated Butter 
Company’s Works at Blanchardstown. The process is started by all the butter 
being melted down into an oil in a large hot-water jacket tank, and when in 
this condition spray at 120 degrees Fahr. is turned on the oil. Afterwards the 
butter is drawn off, and put in circular tanks and mixed with buttermilk by 
being violently agitated. It is passed through other vats and aerated. By a 
power-exhausting apparatus air is drawn up through the oil, so that it bubbles 
as if boiling. When this operation is completed, the butter is claimed to be of 
fine texture and grain, and quite equal to the best. The demonstration given 
before the London gentlemen interested them very much, and several noted 
analysts gave it as their opinion that the process would revolutionise the trade. 
Not only were the grain and texture improved, but objectionable impurities, 
odours, taints, &c., are removed. 
POISONING BY KAFIR CORN. 
Ty October last we made mention of a case of reputed poisoning of stock, 
owing to the animals eating Kafir corn. We have just received s communi- 
eation from Messrs. Harding Bros., of Geraldton, to the effect that two of 
their horses had lately died from the effects of that fodder. 
Mr. W. C. Harding says :—‘‘ Two of our horses got into a patch of Kafir 
corn just bursting into bloom. ‘This was on a Wednesday night. On the 
following Saturday evening one of the horses died, and the other succumbed 
early on Sunday morning. ‘These horses were running in the same paddock 
and were grazing under similar conditions as two other horses. These latter 
are in perfect health, but they ate no Kafir corn. The usual symptoms of 
poisoning were exhibited by the animals, so that there could be no possible 
doubt as to that being the cause of death, and the surroundings point with 
strong probability to the Kafir corn as the primary cause.” 
We have consulted Mr. I’. M. Bailey, E.L.S8., Government Botanist, on ~ 
this subject, and he gives it as his opinion that the horses were not poisoned by 
eating the corn, but possibly had over-eaten themselves, and were affected by 
“hoyen.” He says that there is no sucha thing as a sorghum possessing 
poisonous qualities, and indeed no true grass of any description is poisonous. 
