1 June, 1899.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 449 
the local or home market, the Langshans were a bigger-bodied and more lanky 
fowl, although scaling the same. They were to this time but making bone, 
muscle, and frame on which to carry the big quantity of meat expected on them 
at 6 to 8 months old. 
POULTRY FOOD. 
THERE is a great similarity between the various poultry-powders and foods. 
The powders are popularly supposed to increase the egg-laying powers of hens. 
The following are a few typical formulas :—Powdered eggshell, or phosphate of 
lime, 4 0z.; iron sulphate, 4 0z.; powdered capsicum, 4 oz.; powdered fenu- 
greek, 2 0z.; powdered black pepper, 1 oz. ; silver sand, 2 oz.; powdered lentils, 
6 0z. A tablespoonful to be mixed with sufficient food for 20 hens. Oyster- 
shell— ground—5 o0z.; magnesia, 1 0z.; calcium carbonate, 8 oz-; bone—ground 
—14 oz.; mustard bran, 14 0z.; capsicum, 1 0z.; sodium chloride, 1 oz. ; iron 
sulphate, 4-oz.; sodium carbonate, }-oz.; sulphate, 3-02. ; beef—lean, dried, and 
powdered—10 oz.; fine sand, 10 oz.; corn meal, 20 0z.; linseed meal, 20 oz. 
Reduce all to moderately coarse powder and mix well. The above are formulas 
that are recommended by poultrymen, and are based upon practical experience 
in poultry-feeding, not upon the theoretical knowledge of = iewaaena i 
Tndian corn will fatten geese quickest, but it makes the fat very yellow ; 
and when the bird is put before the fire to roast, an undue amount of it becomes 
goose-ereese. Oats are much better. They may be given crushed or whole. 
The former is the better; and a barley-meal and oat fattened goose is always a 
heavy-weighing, firm, well-flavoured bird. 
The Orchard. 
Tue results of experiments in cyaniding oranges which are published in this 
issue of the Journal are deserving of the thoughtful attention of every 
orchardist. In conjunction with Mr. H. Tryon, Entomologist, Mr. A. H. 
Benson has brought to an issue an exhaustive series of experiments having for 
their object to determine the strength of hydrocyanic gas requisite to effectually 
destroy scale insects on citrus fruits, and what is also of great importance to 
consumers, the effect of the gas on the fruit at various stages. The oranges 
chosen for these experiments were subjected to careful examination before being 
operated upon with gas to determine the percentage of living scale on them, 
and after being treated they were, at the expiration of 10 days, examined micro- 
scopically and the results tabulated, as will be scen in the article supplied to us 
by Messrs. Benson and Tryon. 
The general results of the experiments have been summarised to show that | 
hydrocyanic acid absolutely destroys all scale insects in every stage of their 
existence ; that scrubbing the fruit to remove them is highly injurious to it, 
causing discolouration followed by decay ; that water sprinkled on the skin will 
absorb the stronger gas, and blemish that portion of the fruit; and that generally 
the results show that the fruit—the skins of the fruit—should be dried before 
treatment by sweating; and, further, that cyaniding should not be carried on 
when the skin is full of sap or in rainy weather, and, znter alia, the fruit, if so 
badly infected as to be unsaleable without being scrubbed, should be cyanided 
first and scrubbed afterwards. 
