402 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 May, 1899. 
supplied by a dirty careless milkman, to have, practically speaking, an unlimited 
supply of pure fresh milk from his own cow, which, he says, is guaranteed 
free from tuberculosis from the fact that it has passed the tuberculin test. 
Little does Mr.C imagine that, although the stoppered bottles and labels 
are the genuine articles, the contents are cold tea placed there intentionally 
by that courteous gentleman, Mr. D , who can rest assured that his cattle, 
whoever purchases them, will find no tuberculosis if tested with the tuberculin 
which he generously supplies at the time of purchase. 
Should, however, an animal react to the genuine test soon after purchase, 
Mr. D will say: “ Oh, yes! I have no doubt whatever about the correct- 
ness of the test, but you see the animal passed the test with me; therefore it 
could only have contracted the disease after it left my premises.” 
From the foregoing remarks it will be readily apparent that the supply of 
tuberculin should be strictly under Government control, and that the applica- 
tion of the test should only be carried out by experienced Government officials 
and duly qualified veterinary practitioners. 
General Notes. 
‘ 
NOXIOUS BIRDS. 
By many farmers, the magpie is looked upon as a nuisance, and is often 
destroyed. When country people get into the habit of studying the work 
performed for them by wild animals, birds, insects, &., they will probably dis- 
cover that many so-called nuisances are really blessings, and they will then 
determine to assist in putting down the city “ sportsmen,” who sally forth on 
a holiday and shoot every bird, large or small, that comes in their way. These 
mighty hunters have no hesitation in destroying laughing jackasses, mopokes, 
swallows, magpies, pied crows, and many other useful birds which it should be 
everyone’s duty to protect to the uttermost. In Victoria lately a crop of 
onions amounting to 600 tons was harvested from 80 acres, some portions of 
the field yielding at the rate of 10 tons per acre. It is stated that had it not 
been for the labours of the magpies and one of the owners, the whole of the 
magnificent crop would have been destroyed by maggots. 
BLUE MOULD IN TOBACCO. 
A SINGULAR case of after-development of blue mould in the tobacco leaf 
occurred the other day. Some fine leaves were sent to Mr. Nevill, Government 
Tobacco Expert, and appeared to be quite free from disease. On their ‘being 
dried, large spots of mould were developed. ‘To account for this, Mr. Nevill 
said that, in all probability, the disease had just begun to attack the leaf when 
gathered, and only developed as it dried. The plants from which the samples 
were taken soon afterwards showed the disease well developed. By experi- 
ments made in Sumatra, “ where,” says Mr. D. McAlpine in his progress report 
to the Victorian Agricultural Department on the treatment of blue mould, 
“the disease is known as ‘bi)bil’/—that being the native name of young plants 
before transplanting, at which time the disease is most virulent—it has been 
practically overcome by experiment.” Bordeaux mixture was used. Its 
strength was 1 1b. bluestone and 1 1b. fresh unslaked lime to 5 gallons of 
water, but Mr. McAlpine recommends that it be made in the first instance of 
