1 Juny, 1901.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 1387 
where there is a large second growth of this plant. Last year, on the same farm, cows 
filled themselves daily for weeks on sorghum after it had been frozen, without any ill- 
effects. My neighbour, who sells milk, plants each year sorghum to help out his 
pastures in a dry time and says, “ There is nothing like it for increasing the flow of 
milk.” Another makes butter and grows sorghum ‘in abundance for his cows and as a 
soiling plant for his calves and yearling heifers, and says, “It increases the butter yield, 
and is cheaper than pasture for growing young stock.” Another grows it for feeding 
cattle for the block, giving them a noon feed of sorghum, and says, “I get profitable 
results and shall continue its use.”’ 
Twenty tons of green sorghum per acre is not an unusual yield, and as an 
emergency plant to insure against drought (or if the necessity for its use does not 
come, as this year with us, cut and shocked like corn it is a good winter feed) we 
think it is worthy of a prominent place in the list of farm crops. 
LOSS OF DAIRY STOCK. 
Some time ago I wrote you ve loss of dairy stock at Mr. P. O’Donnell’s farm, and 
mentioned that, besides the cows which succumbed to the effects of the sorghum, it 
was thought probable that a number of others would follow suit. I have since learned 
that the latter cows were successfully treated by Mr. A. Rodgers, of Lanefield, who 
used a mixture which he had proved to be beneficial in similar cases. I asked Mr. 
Rodgers to kindly forward the recipe for publication, and this he has willingly done. 
He states that it will not fail if administered in time, and he has known cows to 
recoyer when their case seemed hopeless. ‘The cure is as follows :—Quantity sufficient 
for one beast: one small bottle of castor oil, one ounce soap, one tablespoonful ground 
ginger, one tablespoonful of turpentine, one tablespoonful of kerosene, one dessert- 
spoonful of Stockholm tar, and half-an-ounce of baking soda. Dissolve these 
ingredients thoroughly in 14 pints of hot water, and give to the affected beast through 
the nostrils as hot as can be borne. A pint of warm water may afterwards be given 
to thoroughly cleanse the throat. No cold drink must be allowed as long as the 
animal appears to suffer, but warm water mixed with a little bran may be given. 
I just read the last extract in order to take the opportunity of warning you 
that I think the remedy there described cannot be depended upon as being a 
good one for sorghum poisoning, for I know for a fact that it was used by 
Mr. Bassett with unsuccessful results. With regard to the first growth of 
sorghum, I may tell you this: I have put cattle on to the firsts growth of 
sorghum without ever losing a beast. 
A Voicy: What kind of season ? 
Mr. Courson: A dry season. Mr. Maynard says deaths have occurred 
from eating young Johnston grass, and I may say that in our district it does 
not take any more Johnston grass to kill a beast than sorghum. Mr. Lee 
does not feed his cattle on young sorghum; but when you have no grass, 
hungry cattle, and a nice patch of young sorghum, the latter looks very 
enticing. The blowing caused by e&ting young barley has been mentioned, 
but that is neither uncommon nor mysterious. Some of us have turned cattle 
into paddocks after a crop of corn when there has been a lot of young 
luxuriant growth. Cows will even get blown on that. Mr. Dean said he 
chaffed his sorghum, but in our district we do not usually chaff. Some of us 
feed between sixty and seventy cows, and to chaff for them would mean rather 
a lot of work. Mr. Gataker mixed his sorghum with oaten hay, and perhaps 
that assisted to destroy any poisonous principle that may have been in the 
former. Opinions are divided as to what kind of fodder sorghum makes, but 
I may tell you that at the last three Rosewood shows I have exhibited butter, 
and I have secured first honours. This butter was made by my girls from milk 
obtained from cows fed chiefly on sorghum. [ thank the audience for the kind 
manner in which they received my paper, and finally hope that in the interests 
of the dairying industry the experiments I have suggested will be carried out 
by the Agricultural Department. 
The Hon. D. H. Darrympre: We have in our midst a gentleman of great 
experience and scientific knowledge. This subject is very far removed from 
olitics, and you will doubtless be glad to hear whether Dr. Maxwell has 
ormed any opinion upon it. I shall, therefore, ask the Doctor if he will give 
us the benefit of his experience. 
