1 Aprin, 1899.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 315 
WATERING GARDEN PLANTS. 
In the very hottest weather it is no unusual sight to see amateurs watering 
their gardens with a watering-can, thinking that they are doing a good work, 
but they make a great mistake. The plants are simply scalded by the water 
heating when coming in contact with the burning soil, and by the steam due 
to evaporation. The best method of watering is one which we always adopt, 
especially in the case of young coffee-trees and garden shrubs. Take a number 
of beer bottles. Stand each on its neck, and give the “boss” in the bottom 
of the bottle a blow with a blunt iron instrument. The boss will fall out, 
turning the bottle into a funnel. Now bury one of these bottles at each plant, 
or even between two plants. Fill them up with water, or rather keep filling 
them up until no more flows from them and they remain full. By this means 
you secure irrigation below the surface, the moisture is sucked in by the roots, 
and no scalding can possibly occur. In this way plants may be watered during 
the very hottest part of the day should it be found necessary to to so, whereas 
by the watering-can system the gardener is simply destroying many of his 
most cherished plants. 
A TURN-OVER GATE. 
AN INGHNIOUS CONTRIVANCE. 
Many devices have been adopted for the automatic securing of farm gates, and 
some have been found to answer their requisite purpose. A new idea, however, 
which awaits a trial in this country, has occurred to Mr. 8. G. Stevens, a well- 
known agriculturist of New York State. Mr. Stevens’ novelty is a turn-over 
gate, and, whatever its practical utility may be, there cannot be much to com- 
plain about so far as cost of construction is concerned. ‘The nature of the 
design is indicated in the three accompanying illustrations. An old wagon- 
tire is fastened to one end of the gate, and a common hook-and-eye hinge at 
the other. . he hoop is nailed close to the end of the gate as shown. 
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The hinge is made by boring, say, a $-inch hole into the centre board of 
the gate, so that it will extend in beyond the width of the end piece. Then 
into this hole should be driven a piece of gas-pipe, say 6 inches long, to form 
the hub. Into this hub should be put a piece of $-inch rod, with a nut on the 
inner end bent down to about 2 inches, so as to forma hook. The other half 
of the hinge consists of a simple eye-staple driven into the gate-post. These 
two when hooked together form a perfect universal joint, as the hook will 
revolve vertically in the eye and horizontally in the gas-piping. Thus the gate 
can be turned over or lifted, as shown in Fig. 1. When the gate is closed, 
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