NOTES AND QUERIED.

Otago Witness, Issue 2104, 21 June 1894, Page 27

NOTES AND QUERIED.

Sheep Dip. — Mr J. A. Miller replies to your ?uery as follows :— (1) Darns can be made perectly watertight by clay. being rammed into wooden frames, but such dams must be kept in constant use, for if the clay were allowed to dry it would crack and requite to be removed, moistened, and rammed in again. Four inches in thickness of good clay would be quite enough to keep in water at ahnqst any pressure, and if the clay is rich it requires no preparation or mixing before using. It must, however, be of such a consistence as to be easily rammed without squirting through any of the joints of the framing. . Any other but the best clay would give no satisfaction. A simple and reliable test for clay is to take a small piece in your mouth: if it feels like mutton tallow and shows a difficulty in dissolving, it is right ; if, on the other hand, it is gritty and crumbles away readily, it is useless. It is not generally known that 2in or 3in in thickness of rotten horse dung, well rammed, keeps out water as well as the best cement, But of course it does not last any great length of time. ' R. N.— (l) You will find an article elsewhere in this issue on the cultivation of the fig. (2) It takes about 10 or 11 months for blue gum seed to ripen after blooming. The branches with seed cases should be hung up in the sun with a cloth beneath and raised netting to prevent birds eating the seeds as they fall. The seed cases vary very much in size always, but the true Tasmanian blue gum (Eucalyptus globulus) is known by its flower and leaf, which are always larger than those of any other species of blue gum. Amateur.— You will find instructions for pruning gooseberries in the garden column of the 24th ult. The main Object is toilet in as much air and light as possible, and it is therefore advisable to thin out the branches pretty freely, removing them at the stem so as to prevent young branches coming away in their place. Keep the centre open, allowing branches with a tendency to grow outward to remain. 1 % 0 not shorten any of the branches left, as this only induces useless growth. Archie.— See Sporting. Bannockburn. — Members of the British House of Commons do not receive any honorarium. J. H. asks whether it was the practice of the Otago Land Board to allow two joint selectors of deferred-payment holdings to take up 1250 acres together, or confined them to the limit of 640 acres allowed to a single selector. They

were restricted to the limit allowed to a single

selector. Subscriber, Hindon.— You will no doubt have received a letter by this time, from which you will see that the worm is a very fine specimen of a Land planarian. It is not parasitic, and is quite harmless. Patrick.- (1) No ; you would require to tell both offices of your having a policy in the other, and neither would take a risk under such conditions. (2) For passing bread round. (3) It depends upon circumstances ; as a general thing it is advisable for the gentleman to do so. (4) You do not name the author, which always facilitates obtaining a reply to such a question. (5) The left is generally used, but left-handed people find it easier to use the right. W. J. — The description you give is simply refined kerosene — probably you would get it at a' chemist's ; if not, we see no reason why you should not use the ordinary article, which would lose its odour in a day or two if it retained it at all after being mixed with the other ingredients. Ferreter.— (l) For mange rub in sulphur ointment made up with vaseline. This well rubbed in will soon cause the coat to grow again. (2) For footrot soak the feet in turpentine about twice a week, then rub with the above ointment ; clip the nails short. (3) Sweats are caused generally by the hutches being badly ventilated. The air must get well out at the top. Large tubs or hogsheads with wire netting over the top are the healthiest places to keep them in, and are easily cleaned. In case of sweats give plenty of clean straw twice a day. If the coats get matted they will soon come all right again under this treatment. R. S. — You are wrong ; the Melponeme was a barque, not a ship. She arrived at Port Chalmers in 1857 from London, and after landing part cargo at the Port proceeded to Nelson. A Ten-years' Subscriber. — There is no reliable mode for ascertaining the carcase weight of live pigs by measurement other than one of the various methods adopted in the case of an ox or cow, and in which the results after all are only approximately correct. The rules given in ■ books are based on the assumption that the body of a fat beast is a hollow cylinder, but as yet no sufficient experiments have been made to ascertain the exact relation subsisting between the bulk of the body and the weight of the flesh and bones \raon it. Accurate measurement would be easily acquired and the computation would be fairly correct were the forms of the animals Jperfect, which they rarely are— the fore and hind quarters being unequal, and the degrees of condition various. When the hind quarter is heavier than the fore, in taking the length measurement the tape-line should be extended a little beyond the tail head, and in like manner when the fore quarter is heavier than the hind the line should be stretched nearer the head than the exact top of the shoulder. A convenient rule is to multiply the length by the girth, in feet. This gives the number of square superficial feet the body contains. Next multiply the product by 23— the number of pounds allowed on the average for each superficial foot— and the result is the carcase weight. It must be understood, however, that the pounds per superficial foot to be allowed increase up to 31, according to the size of the beast. W. P.— Had you visited the last agricultural show at Tahuna Park you would have seen in the catalogue the entry of the cow you refer to in the class for " cow in milk, four years old or over." It is—" 155. A. and J. M'Farlane, Lady Catherine, sire Master Jack, dam Flora 11, bred by exhibitors." So much in reference to your inquiry as to the breeder of the cow. As to "how she is bred," we suppose you mean her extended pedigree beyond the particulars stated in the entry. In vol. i, N.Z.H.8., there are two entries of Ayrshire cows as Flora 11. The first at page 198 is "Flora II (station No. 39), red and white, calved December 1, 1879 ; bred by and property of Messrs Cargill and Anderson, Glenham, Wyndham ; by Cashmere Jack (imp.) dam Flora I (Private No. 22), by Baron II of Drurnlanrig (imp.), second dam Daisy, by Scotchman, third dam Mary." The other entry in the Herd Book, p. 212, reads :— " Flora II (station No. 98), red and white, calved November 11, 1882, bred by and the property of Mr James Holms, Waimahaka, Wyudham. By Cashmere Jack (imp.), dam Flora I, 55, by Baron II of Drumlanrig (imp.) ; second dam Daisy, by Scotchman, third dam Mary, by Duke." it will be seen that the recorded ancestry of both these Floras II is the same, but one was calved on December 1, 1879, and the other on November 11, 1882, and their breeders were, different persons. As there might possibly be some confused ideas in the minds of breeders of Ayrshires regarding the "Floras," we made inquiry of Mr James Holms, Waimahaka, Wyndham, as to their ancestry. Concerning Lady Catherine, the following is the enclosure of _ the cow's pedigree. There appears to be a conflict of dates, but as there may be interests of breeders of Ayrshires concerned, all the accurate information necessary is supplied :— Waimahaka, Wyndbam, June 18 — Yours of the 14th just to hand re Lady Catherine. I enclose her pedigree, which you are quite at liberty to use as you think lit.— Yours truly, James Holms.— Pedigree of Ayrshire cow Lady Catherine (111 P.):— No. 137, p. 122, vol. X, N.Z.HB., red and white, calved September 28, 1887 ; bred by Mr James Holms. Waimahaka, Wyndham. By Master Jack, 38 (imp.), dam Flora II (98 P.), No. 56, p. 212 vol i JN.Z.H.B., by Cashmere Jack (imp.), second dam Flora I, 55, by Baron II of Drumlanrig (imp.) ; third dam Daisy, by Scotchman; fourth dam Mary, by Duke.— l hereby certify the above pedigree correct.— James Holms. IiiCENSBS.— We have made inquiries on the subiect and learn that while several clerks to licensing committees receive remuneration for their services, others get nothing at all. The ouestioa of payment and the amount or pay-

ment is entirely a matter for the local bodies concerned. The usual course for a clerk to take is to get the committee to move a resolution to the effect that he is entitled to a certain amount for the year's services, and a copy of the resoluwith the clerk's bill attached should be sent to the local county council at the end of the year with a request for payment. Subscriber. — No ; the licensing committee cannot do as you suggest. When writing again, please give your name and address. So many adopt your 710 m deplume that it leads to confusion of answers. J. L.— Not without their parents' consent. Subscriber says : — A son's name is put in trust for a father and mother for a farm. He (the son) does not live on the farm, but lias a situation of his own. All the other members do the work. The sou whose name is in trust just sells produce and receives money and pays interest. After a few years said sou claims everything from old people, and sells without showing statement ; won't show any papers to other members of the family. Can he do so legally, as his name is in ? Answer : If he is a trustee, as stated, he is bound to furnish an accurate statement of all he receives and pays. If he does not he can be removed from the trust and called strictly to account. W. H.— ln the year 1842, Trinity Sunday fell on Ma"y 22. A Primus.— (l) It is very difficult to estimate the value of a small sample such as that you send, but the lignite is certainly not as good as either Kaitangata or Shag Point, though it may be a little better than Fernhill. To determine its proper value would, however, require a quantitive analysis to determine its heating power, the amount of carbon, &c. (2) You are right about the brighter piece being anthracite, but anthracite would never occur in a brown coal seam except in small patches produced by outside causes. Anthracite occurs in the oldest rocks as seams, and consequently if it existed under the brown coal it would be in other rocks. Regular Reader.— We cannot say, as we have no further information about him than that afforded by the advertisement. Subscriber, Waiau. — The price of platinum, in wire or sheet, ,is £3 3s per ounce, Home cost. We do not think there is any market for it in New Zealand, as it will have to be sent to England, the metal requiring special plant for its manufacture, great pressure being necessary to consolidate it and render it malleable.