1 Jan., 1900.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 29 
POULTRY NOTES. 
Onton Prxn For Hens’ Nesrs.—TIhe outside peel of onions is often 
burned because it is hard to find a use for it. Always put a few of these in 
hens’ nests, using only the driest parts for this purpose. It makes the nest 
disagreeable if not destructive to the hen lice, and sitting hens thus treated can 
hatch their little flock in peace. 
For Scates on Hews’ Lxeas.—Mix equal quantities of yellow sulphur 
(ground) and best lard together, taking care that they are well blended, and 
use as an ointment, applying some to the scaly legs every day for seven or 
ten days (as required); or equal quantities of salad oil and kerosene (mixed) 
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may be applied with a brush to remove the rough scales. 
Tre way to best get rid of all bad odours and impure air of the fowl-house 
is to disinfect the house, and no better substance can be employed in this than 
a generous supply of whitewash. It is not only the best way, but it is the 
cheapest. To make it do its best it should be used without stint on the inside, 
_on the nest-boxes, and on the roosts, and the floor may have some of it without 
doing any injuiry to it. What would be better for the floor will be air-slacked 
lime. 
| It isa rood plan to sprinkle the fowl-house now and again with a solution 
composed of copperas. This drug is very cheap, and it dissolves readily in 
/water. A very good way to apply this is by the use of a sprinkling can. It 
will killa bad odour at once, and it is also fatal to disease germs. Do not be 
atisfied with plenty of pure air, but disinfect the premises. Pure air is good, 
but the bad air wants to be made good or made harmless. 
Hens running without males with them lay just as many eggs as if there were 
a dozen males in the flock. 
Viticulture. 
THE VINTAGE. 
By E. H. RAINFORD, 
Viticultural Expert, 
_ Once more the vintage is upon us, and once more the writer returns to the 
| charge to point out some of the defects noticeable in the operations conducted 
in several places, and to suggest some improvements even at the risk of being 
thought troublesome. Some of the points were touched on in the article in the 
Agricultural Journal for January, 1899, but they will bear repetition. 
CLEANLINESS OF PLANT. 
First and foremost comes cleanliness of plant, without which the must will 
certainly be infected with germs of bacteria, and this will affect the quality of 
the new wine more or less according to their number and energy. 
The following advice was given last season :— 
“The first point to be attended to before the vintage commences and a single 
grape 1s picked is to see that the casks, vats, crusher, press, and buckets, as 
| well as the cellar itself, are in a condition fit for use. The danger of using 
unclean plant is twofold. First, the wooden material saturated last season 
_ with must may have become mouldy,which would communicate a disagreeable taste 
| to the wine; secondly, dirty plant may be swarming with germs of bacteria or 
