1 Ocr., 1901.) QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 389 
water in about five minutes. The person mixing should be provided with a stick 
4 feet long, with a flat point to lift the bucket off the fire, and to stir the 
mixture. 
Then, in the second bucket, with the } gallon of water, put the sugar or 
molasses, and when thoroughly dissolved add to the dissolved phosphorus, 
together with, say, } gallon cold water, and stir thoroughly. Then add pollard 
in small quantities. The safer course would, however, be, where the pasture 
will burn, to not adopt the mode here described of dissolving the phosphorus, 
but to use carbon, and only dispense with that ehemical when the grass is 
green. 
PirosPHORISED GRAIN. 
Phosphorised Outs or W heat. 
‘Thirty pounds of the best lump oats or wheat, 2 gallons of water, and 4 Ib. 
(two sticks) phosphorus. Place the grain in a revolving machine or churn i 
light a fire close at hand, upon which place two buckets, with 1 gallon of water 
in each. When the water boils, put + 1b. (two sticks) of phosphorus into one of 
the buckets, and stir slowly for 5 minutes until phosphorus is dissolved. Pour 
this mixture into the machine and add water from the other bucket as quickly 
as possible. Close the lid and turn machine slowly for about 20 minutes. If 
the machine has not been cooled sufficiently to allow the hand to be placed 
upon it without burning, pour a bucket of water over it, and turn for a few 
minutes. ‘The machine should be turned for 5 minutes 4 hours after mixing, 
and also again for the same time 8 or 9 hours afterwards. In 24 hours 
the mixture should be taken out and spread at once. Give machine afew turns 
before taking oats out. 
Nore.—The mixing should not be done in an open boiler, as the phos- 
phorus cannot be incorporated with sufficient quickness and evenness, and the 
phosphorus generally runs to the bottom. A revolving machine should in all 
cases be used, and to secure the retention of the phosphorus in the grain it is a 
good thing to add 1 1b. of starch to each bushel, or coat it with pollard. 
Phosphorised oats prepared by this method are deadly for at least two 
months in winter after they are laid on the ground (the grain being permeated. 
with the poison), and have proved deadly after 10 days’ exposure to warm rains 
and hot winds. Good wheat or oats, good phosphorus, and strict attention to 
the directions are, however, necessary to insure success. 
Grain as a medium is less attractive and not so cheap as pollard; but there 
are times when a change of medium is called for, and then greir should be 
tried. Properly prepared and laid grain is not very expensive. 
Tt will be observed that in order that the phosphorus may be thoroughly 
mixed with and absorbed by the grain (wheat or oats principally) the directions 
here given require that a revolving machine be provided, and, as this would be 
beyond the means of the individual owners of the small holdings, they could 
provide themselves with small circular churns, which do not cost more than 20s. 
or 30s. They have been used for the purpose, and found to suit where the 
quantity of grain required was small, and they would also answer for the various 
mediums which are used with arsenic. 
NITRATE OF SODA. 
Next to sulphate of ammonia, nitrate of soda is the most costly of artificial 
fertilisers. Farmers should therefore endeavour to supply this ingredient of 
pent food to the soil by cheaper means than purchasing it in the form of artificial 
ertilisers. The use of stable manure is one means; compost is another. The 
cultivation of crops which gather their nitrogen from the atmosphere, such as 
peas, beans, cowpeas, maize, &c., isa good means of supply. These may be 
either ploughed in green or fed to farm stock to obtain nitrogenous manure. 
To prevent loss of nitrogen in stable manure, spread potash salts either in 
the stable, or scatter them at intervals over the manure heaps. 
