526 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JouRNAL. _— [1 JunE, 1898. 
of Thargomindah, accompanied by Miss Jackson, with a three-horse buggy, 
also crossed. After three days’ use the materials used in the pontoon were 
returned to their various owners, and the chief of my department conveyed 
his special thanks to them for their generous assistance. 
BRANDING WITHOUT HEAT. 
Te Hawera Star gives the following description of a new mode of branding 
horses and cattle which has been invented by Mr. H. Gibson, of Taranaki. 
“The merit of the new method of marking hides lies in a secret preparation, 
into which the brand is dipped, and then applied to the hide of the beast, as 
in branding sheep. After the preparation has been on the skin a few hours, 
‘the hair comes off, and the patentee claims that it will never grow again.” 
The Australasian notes that at the Egerton Farmers’ Union horse fair some 
horses were branded to show how the brands were applied. No heating of 
the iron is required, and the composition, it is said, does not irritate the 
animal. Tanners and saddlers state that the marked portions are of equal 
quality to the rest of the hide. A. great advantage claimed for the new process 
is that stock can be branded almost as fast as they can run through a race. 
Patent rights have been taken out for the new method of branding in all 
countries where stock-raising is extensively followed. A company has been 
formed to work the invention, having a capital of £35,000. If the new 
system of branding is all that is claimed, it will prove a great benefit to 
stockowners generally. 
ERUIT FOR EXPORT. 
Ir is stated that the aceredited agent of a large London firm of fruit merchants 
is trying to make large purchases of oranges and lemons for the home market. 
He has visited the Parramatta district, which he intends to make his head- 
quarters. He is negotiating with shipping companies now for cool chambers 
and storage on board the home boats. If the venture is a success, a large and 
important trade will probably be the result. 
. TO PREVENT FIRE IN CHIMNEYS. 
A Frorwa farmer gives the following preventive of damage by fire, owing to 
burning chimneys. More dwellings are consumed by bad flues than from any 
other cause. Accumulated soot makes a fierce and dangerous fire. The 
reventive is to burn occasionally in your stoves or chimneys sulphur—a 
4:-lb. to $-lb. will do the business, cleaning your pipes and chimneys nicely and 
freeing them entirely from soot. 
HEAVY BULLOCK-HIDE. 
Iv is not often of late years that such heavy bullocks are sent to the market 
as used to be the case twenty or thirty years ago. The average weight of a 
dratt of fats to-day is probably not more than 700. It must, therefore, 
have been an exceptionally fine bullock whose hide was sold in the middle of 
last month at Messrs. B. D. Morehead and Co.’s produce sale. His hide 
weighed 80 lb., and was sold at 103d. per lb., equal to £3 7s. 6d. If the 
animal was purchased at the average price of fat cattle at Enoggera Saleyards 
at the same date—from £2 11s. 8d. to £3 17s. 6d., the top price for the month 
being £4 11s. 8d.—the profit on that beast must have been large. The price 
of the hide also is remarkable. Medium and light (88 lb. to 48 lb.) sold up to 
43d. per'lb.; 68 Ib. to 70 Ib., up to 6d.; and best dry station hides, 5d, 
