NOTES AND QUERIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 1935, 26 March 1891, Page 20

NOTES AND QUERIES.

J. L., Gimmerburn.— You do not nay what descrip- | tion of stock you purpose putting on the rye. If I intended to be fed off by sheep, put them in when it is not less than from Bln to lOin high. An hour or bo daily, and in the after part of the day when the land and crop are dry, will afford sufficient time for feeding and will greatly economise the crop. If fed off in wet weather a large proportion will be puddled into the soil, whioh will also suffer injury. If to be fed off by cattle, young stock would be preferable, and observe the rule as to dryness of crop and soil and the daily limit of time. Cattle or sheep having a partial run on green food in winter should have access to dry foad such as may he had on tussock, or to a straw or haystack, or be provided with chaff, otherwise in the cold season the stook will be liable to attaoks of diarrhoea. The most economical plan of utilising rye with cattle is that often brought under the notice of farmers in the columns of this journal— viz , chaffing the rye and mixing with straw chaff, allowing the mixture to remain heaped on a floor for from 24 to 48 hours, bo that slight fermentation may be induced. If slightly salted this food is greedily consumed by stock of all kinds, and is very nutritious, the green stuff acting as a solvent or digester of the dry material. V, is not many years since the plan bad a trial in the Home Country, where it is now almost generally followed. The objection to it here is the labour involved, but on the other hand it helps farmers over straits for stook food, and it utilises cheap ■ material— straw. Enquires.— Mr Beverly replies to your query i— From two and a-half to three heads (according to the perfection of the maohlncry) will be required to give 10 horse-power with 28ft fall. A Government head is not a measure of capacity, but the quantity that flows in a given time — viz , 80 cubic feet per minute. Pionkbb.— Mr Beverly replies to your question t— No. 10 (l-16th inch thick) would be sufficient to bear the pressure, but No. 15 (l-14th inch) or No. 14 (l-12th inoh) would be preferable. Totaba.— (l) The fastest sailing passage on record that we know of was that of the ship Ottikl, from Port Chalmers to London, under Captain Millman. It occupied 66 days. (2!) The fastest outward passage from London to Port Chalmers was made by the ship Oimitar (Captalu Fox), now the Bangitikei, which made the run in 69 days. We have no knowledge of tbese records having been beaten A. 8., Walwera.— His Christian name is John, and his address is Lime Hill*, Southland. B. C. D. — According to the calendar the coming session of the Otago University begins on April 1 for preliminary medical examination. The lectures commence on the 6th April. FIOBIBT.— They are not obtainable in New Zealand. If you wrote to Mr Shillingwortb, secretary to the Native Industries Commies'on of Victoria, he would probably send you a copy. We do not know his address, but no doubt care of the Minister of Agriculture, Melbourne, would reaoh h'm. N. M.— Beplles to your queries would take up too much space in this column. We shall endeavonr to deal with- the tubject in next week's Farm pages* Bbqot.— lf any of the readers of the Witness wish to become acquainted with ergot, now is the time. They cannot miss its blaok spikes on a good many varieties of grass, but most conspiouous on late heads of cooksfoot. It does not appear to be half so plentiful as it was last year in this quarter. I presume it must require more heat to develop than we have had this season. It did not put in an appearance till about the middle of last month. Now it is to be found by every creek and gully, but I should think not to such an extent as to injure any kind of stook. It may, however, pay stockowners to make its acquaintance. — Tuapbka. HUMBLB BBHS HI X BABBIT HOLE.— I WBB in doubt about the humble bee taking up bis abode in a rabbit hole. About 100 yds from where I write, however, is a strong colony— to all appearance as strong in numbers as an ordinary hive— in a rabbit burrow with three openings. My young folks had a good laugh at my expense. I set three traps about six weeks ago, the result being one rabbit and nearly getting stung by the inoemed big bees. A lady friend of mine remarked while speaking about the big bees that they were a terror to the honey bee, but, like the rabbit burrow, I must see to believe.— Txtapbka. Puzzled.— Yes, it is legal t INQUIKEB, Wangaloa.— (l) No. (2) Yes, as a rule. Anxious Inquirer, Waikaia.— We are of opinion that A haa no legal right to the amount of redaction. F., Dunedin.— Too late for this issue. Will appear next week. A Green Rose.— Mr William Moas, Glenfall Nursery, Lawrence, sends in a specimen of the blossom of a green rose. He informs us that the tree is three years old, and is a perpetual bloomer, the flowers becoming larger every year. It is certainly a ouriosity, but we fancy we prefer a MarechAl Niel or a Glolre de Dijon, or even an oldfashioDed red,* red rose to the new comer notwithstanding its novelty.