72 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. {1 Jan., 1898. 
General Notes. 
A SERVICEABLE FIRE-BEATER. 
WueEn at Hartwood, I (Ed. Australian Field) saw a very serviceable fire-beater, 
of which I try to give some idea in a sketch attached. It consists of a piece 
of thick tanned leather, about 18 in. by 12 in., mounted in a slit in the end of an 
ordinary broom-handle and well bound over with copper wire. ; 
’ Generally, when the cry is raised that the grass has been fired, the station 
hands rush out with branches of trees, which are only serviceable until the 
leaves are beaten off; or 
with wet bags, . which 
quickly get dry, catch 
alight at the ends and E 
spread the fire to the grass A Servicable Vire-beater. 
at the rear of the beaters. . 
These leather beaters last indefinitely, cost about 4s. or 5s. each, and are 
always ready for use. They are wonderfully effective, and quickly subdue the 
fiercest fire. t : 
At North Yanko I saw similar fire-beaters, but made of green hide—which 
T should think would not last as long as tanned leather, but, of course, cost 
very little. They were mounted on heavier handles, which, while stronger and 
less liable to break, would be more tiring to work with for any length of time 
than a light broom-handle. Widgiewa has similar beaters, and something of 
the kind should be on every station. 
HOW TO SLIP GERANIUMS. 
Wuen making slips of geraniums and other plants, do not put them in 
your flower-pots. Use a separate flower-pot, or, better, a small wooden box 
filled: with sand. <A slip is not growing. Allit’ hopes to dois to form roots, 
and thus save its life. Water is all it needs, and nothing is better to hold 
water than clear sand. Soil contains microbes that start decay in slips. Sand 
is sterile and safer. Sand allows all excess of water to escape. A soil is apt 
to act like a sponge, and keep the slips too wet. Slips will form roots, and 
grow for two or three weeks in clear sand if kept moist. “When the bit of 
green stem is changed from a cutting into a plant, then, and not till then, 
should it be planted in soil. Slips make roots at different rates ; therefore it is 
best to keep all of one kind together. 
POULTRY PRODUCTS IN THE UNITED STATES. 
Tue following facts may be of some interest to our readers, whether poultry 
fanciers or, not, and of considerable use in stimulating farmers to give more 
attention to poultry-keeping. In 1890 there were in the United States 
258,871,125 chickens, and 26,738,315 of other fowls—such as turkeys, geese, 
and ducks. The average value of the poultry (cocks, hens, and chickens) was 
1s, 3d. éach, and of the other fowls 3s. 1d. each. The number of eggs laid by 
the hens amounted to 9,936,674,992, having an average export value of 74d. per 
dozen. If the average increase of the past six years has been equal to the 
preceding ten years—and there is every reason to think that such has been the 
case—the number of chickens of all ages in 1896 would be 850,000,000, and 
other fowls 35,000,000. The production of eggs amounted to 18,200,000,000, 
of the value of £33,000,000. The value of the dressed poultry was estimated 
at £25,000,000, or a total production of £58,000,000. (Wote.—In these 
calculations we have left out the fractional excess of value in the American 
dollar over 4s., so that the actual values would be even higher than stated ; 
