a 
1 Szpr., 1902.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 211 
General Notes. 
MALTING BARLEY.—A CORRECTION. 
In our report of the discussion on Mr. V. C. Redwood’s paper on “ How to 
Grow Barley for Malting Purposes,” read at the late Agricultural Conference 
at Toowoomba, Mr. Redwood is made to say that in 1896 there were “ pretty 
nearly a quarter of a million bags of barley grown on the Downs.” This is 
obviously an error. What Mr. Redwood did say was, that about a quarter of a 
million busrels were produced. 
MEAD, OR HONEY BEER. 
After the honey is strained from the comb, soak the comb in water till all 
the sweetness is extracted. Then strain the comb and boil the liquid. After 
this, bottle it when fermented, which will take from two to five days. It will 
then be ready for use. Water sweetened with honey will do as well. 
WATER HYACINTH AS A FODDER. 
During the present drought, and indeed before it, we have noticed cattle 
feeding on the leaves of the water hyacinth. We are not aware whether any 
dairy farmers in the districts pestered with this weed have tried it as a fodder 
for their stock, but it seems that elsewhere it is appreciated for the purpose. 
Amateur Gardening says :—“ The water hyacinth is not a native of Florida, 
but was introduced there about twelve years ago from Venezuela. It is still a 
eat nuisance, but it has been proved to be excellent fodder for cows, so that 
armers are filling useless ponds and lakes with the plant, as 1 acre of water 
covered with the water hyacinth is equal in value to 5 acres of the best grass.” 
A SIMPLE REMEDY. 
An American paper supplies a very simple remedy for extracting a foreign 
substance from the nose of a child. A little boy got a damson stone up his 
nose, and, in trying to get it out, pushed it so far up the nostril that only the 
tip of the seed could be seen. After trying different ways to extract it, and 
only succeeding in pushing it further up, he was taken to the doctor, who 
merely put one finger on the opposite nostril to close it, and blew in his mouth; 
the seed dropped out. So simple a remedy may be worth much to parents who 
live miles from a doctor. 
FRAME-DRIED SHEEPSKINS. 
The accompanying sketches and description of a frame for drying sheep- 
skins we take from the Pastoralists’ Review. The device should prove of 
equal service for stretching and drying marsupial skins, giving them the square 
shape demanded by buyers :— 
Mr. Alexander J. McDonald, manager for Captain Percy Chirnside, at 
Werribee Manor, Victoria, and formerly manager of Cordillo Downs in Western 
Queensland, kindly permits us to publish the following sketches of frames for 
drying sheepskins on a South Australian plan. Stretching the skins makes, by 
general admission in Adelaide, a great improvement in the value, and the same 
result has followed in the Geelong market, where Captain Chirnside has recently 
