228 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL gournat. [1 Man., 1898. 
General Notes. 
AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES. 
Dr. Youn, on opening his lecture on “Tuberculosis” to the Ulladulla 
Agricultural Society, alluded to agricultural societies and gave some sterling 
good advice to his audience. He said: “An agricultural society should really 
be a farmers’ mutual benefit society. Meetings should be held regularly, 
papers read and discussed, and some real practical work done. Surely we can 
all help each other in various ways connected with farming. One man 
believes, for instance, that certain breeds of cattle and pigs do better than 
others. Well, let him stand up and tell us why ; he must have good reasons for 
thinking so, and why not impart the reasons to others? Another says you 
should feed your stock on certain grasses and crops to obtain the best results. 
Well, why not let us have a discussion on the matter? Weare willing to learn, 
and besides teaching others he might be able to pick up a few fragments of 
knowledge for himself. And in many other respects the society might be 
made practically useful through these meetings.’ To this we would add: If 
you have anything worth writing about, any new idea, any results of experi- 
ments in agriculture to record, give the information to the world by means of 
the Press. Many farmers will not write because they have an idea that they 
cannot write sufficiently well for the public. This is a very mistaken idea. 
Let us have the ideas; itis our business to put them into readable shape. 
Diamonds are found in a rough unpolished state. The diamond polisher gives 
them to the world in a finished state. So, great ideas are often contained in 
a rough letter which the editor treats as the lapidary treats the stone: he 
gives it to the world—polished. 
.CANAIGRE AGAIN. 
In tanning hides, the sooner natural decay, which begins with the death of 
an animal, can be arrested, the better will be the leather. A hide is heavily 
salted and sent to a tannery, where it is immersed in water, that particles of 
flesh adhering to the inner side may be scraped away. It is then soaked in 
lime water twelve hours to remove the hair. After being scoured and depilated 
by a machine, it is ready for the tanning fluid. It has been necessary to 
allow it to lie in a bark solution for three months, being moved, drained, 
and manipulated many times during the process. If the solution of tan bark 
is too strong, the hides may be destroyed. For years scientists have 
experimented with different substances, hoping to shorten the time necessary 
for the perfect preparation of hides. Recently it has been found that canaigre, 
or sourdock, possesses properties which show that it is indicated by Nature for 
preservative purposes.. It is impossible to burn leather in its solution. The 
cells of a hide will absorb enough to tan it in twelve hours,-and will take no 
more. In a few hours, varying with the substance to be treated, the tannic 
acid in the canaigre will have done its work, saving three months’ time and a 
great deal of labour. The cost of planting, cultivating, irrigating, and harvesting 
an acre of canaigre is estimated at $1650. The yield is from 12 to 20 
tons per acre on new land, and rises with cultivation. The returns vary from 
$65 to $75 per ton, sliced. Drying shrinks the product two-thirds, but it is 
said that the producer can count ona clear gain of $200 per acre.—Chicago 
Inter-Ocean. 
