HEALTH HINTS FOR RHEUMATICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2884, 30 June 1909, Page 22

HEALTH HINTS FOR RHEUMATICS.

Diet plays an important part in Rheumatism, Gout, Sciatica, Lumbago, apa kindred complaints.- Those troubled with these diseases should be careful, for some foods encourage the formation of uric- acid. Avoid red meats, beer, vinegar, 6pices; use tea and coffee sparingly, and— most important of all— take RHEUMO. It is the one | medicine that will quickly and effectually I cure Rheumatism, Gout, Sciatica, liuin- [ bago, and their attendant evils. The first dose of RHEUMO gives relief, and its use will be found to effect a complete cure. Your chemist or storekeeper sells it ; 2s 6d and 4s 6d a bottie. Give it a trial*

halii' -experiment the plots -were one andf a-quart-er acres, on which bA to 8.3 sheep were pastured. In the table, the average live weight increase on tho unmanured plot is taken, as 100, and the increase produced by each manure is calculated as a percentage- ofi the increase on the unmanured plot. COCKLE PARK EXPERIMENTS. Average for First i Three Years After Application. .2 so j I alii •^ O.rt.©t.>o(U to*} < 6^h* Plot Treatment. Jb. lb.' lOcwt basic slag « „ — 200 233 4 tons quicklime- „<J r-^ c— — * "scwt basic slag ■*$■■ — 100 96> 7cwt superphosphate •• — 100 91 *Potash/ mantire ... 50 — 2T Percentage of P205 in soil, soluble Percentage' of P205 in soil, soluble in strong HCI - .. . 0.070 Percentage oL K2O ,in soil, soluble. . -. in strong HCI .. .- ' . »• .'• 0.50?- * Pejajeatage of. K2O >m w soll, r soluble '-. -' • 'ml '! pee cent, ci'fcrio.aid^L „~ -. .%• ,O.OIS •'- Perceata^©'. of ' Ca'O in s6il, Soluble , 0.69 D Perc«n.tE,ger'of CaGO3 in soil' ' „- 0.53(> - . MOUMAHAKI. EXPERJMEN.is. Average, for- First Thirae Yeats After *- ". .' _,*. ."^Application.-.. ■, - i" v ~ , o ;: - .. -; "• K~*f „"'■-•• ' -~* ' -I l-I^l| Plot. Treatment. lb. Ib. l.«-24cwt ground lime .. — — 13.40» 3.—2Jewt Maiden guano — 50.84 11.80 4.—2£cwt basic slag .. — 50.32 27.4fr s.—sJcwt basic slag .. — 100.64 -28.60 6.—3cwt superphosphate — 50.40 32.90 B.—Jcwt potash sulphate 14.56 — - 6.50 Percentage of "P205 in soil, soluble in" strong HCI "".. 0.210 . . Percentage of P205 in soil, soluble in 1 per cent, citric acid .. ..... . 0.016-Per-csntage of K2O in soil, soluble in strong HCI • 7 0.160 Percentage of K2O in soil, soluble in 1 per cent, citric acid 0.020 Percentage of CaO in- soil .. .. 0.560- * T-lie figures for potash are obt«ine<l by subtracting from- the 'live weight increase produced by potash, ■applied with phosphate thafr produced by the same quantity of phosphate' applied alone. • It "will bs seen that there is three times as much available phosphoric acid in the-.. Mouroahalri Loil as in the Cockle Park soil. An- experiment on 'feeding;, with- .verypositive results,,was carrcd. out_on Mr»Gi_l/. -ilarsliairs farm at -Turakina, ,on a edit quite deficient iv, availaihle phosphoric, acid, bu£ well supplied with other- plant food, -Tho ndvice given alfcar - an»lyctta_ waa thafc . ' the main -essential <o supassa in," tb& prdveinent of" his pasture was to increase the store of phosphates in^tJie- coil, and a> "generous dressing of slag- was recommended". The result of following thds advice is given • below. G-. MARSHALL,-TURAKINA. ,No manure, 5 acres. Oct. 15—10 sheep."to Oct. 29 —Equals 14 days at 2 sheep per acrft, Oct. 30 —Plus 5 fehecp, equals 15. to, ' , Nov. 28 —Equals 29 days at 3 sheep per aero. -to - Jan. 13 —Equals 47 days at 3 ehe&p per- acr». Jan. 14 —Phis 5 sheep, equals 20. to '- Feb. 18 —36 days at ,4 sheep. , ' Average. 126 days, ■equals .3.17 sheepi per acre. Manured.. 5 acres, at 4cvrt 711b per »ct© basio" slag, aifc SA 10s pen: ton, equals £1 Is. Oct. 15—15 sheep. to - ~ Oct. 29 —Equals 14 days at 3 sheep per acre*, Oct. 30—Plus 8 sheep, equals 23. - to Nov. 27—Equals 29 days at 4.6 sheep penfacro, Nov. 23 —Plus 5 sheep, equals 28. Jan. 13 —Equials 47 days at 5.6 sheep per acre. Jan. 14—Plus 11 eheep^eqttals 39. to Feb. 18 —36 days at 7.8 sheep per acre. Average for 126 days, 5.7 sheep per acre. Tho application of 21s' worth of basic . slag thus enables -two sheep and a-half more to the acre to be carried on. themanured plot—total; 12^ sheep for 126 daj's. There is another oaatipn that "should; b& impressed on -those, who contemplate using: • phosphatio fertilisers for paeture^ —that is, that basic slag will not give good cesulte . for top-dressing- in a' dry' climate. It is ■ difficult to define where the lins should be- drawn, but at is hopod- that intormation will scon fee available, which will enable one" <to say which portions of ihe> country will probably oe benefited by slag • and which by superphosphate.'As a tentative standard one is inclined to adopt 40in of rain per -annum, below which it wouldT>3 preferable to apply superphosphaterather than slag.* On all land requiring! where the rainfall is copious and frequen'b. dag is cure to elicit response, but in situations subject to drought and drying winds, such as Central Otago, the Canterbury Plains, Oamaru, and dry limestone districts, superphosphate would prove superior. Of course, as endeavour has been made to show, if the soil is already well supplied with phosphates on© may;v_ •hardly expect a profitable return. ', from phosphatio fertilisers. An instance of this may be se&n in the; lawn: facing the Government Buildings, ' Wei-* lington. One-half of this lawn was top--■dressed with slag in July, 1907, but ~up to the present no difference can be oh* served. This is no doubt * owing- to that condition of the coil, which is continually; fertilised by dust blown from the adjacent roads. Let us leave the chemical aspect of soils and turn to the physical side of tLeaf, character. It will ba found that great -diversity of-types exist ia this respect. Sandy, clay, humus, and calcareous. goiJs* : and mixtures of these exist aide <by side'-. . The last (calcareous) ia comparjitively rare^ Humus occurs more frequently,, especjall^ ; .on the aitee of old swampe and in 6erfcan» soils situated, in moist climated, or whefeJ thei-o ia '4 plentiful supply of actiro basio -

' material in ths soil, -such as ,lime. The Hack' colour of soils is usually an indication or » plentiful supply of humus, but -a t>lark colour may also be due to iron«and. though this source of colour is not _ likely to be confused with the former. On the function of humus or organic Miatler in soils one might write a book. It miiSt euffioe to say that stable manure, "which provides organic matter in parhap3 5*3 mo=t suitable form, has always ''•been •acclaiir-eu as a most desirable top-dressinsj .material for p^turas, the great drawback to its use being that it tends to spread v.'©e/l sef&i. The waste- froir Saxmiils, after b2in«r allowed to decompose into a black leaf mould is an admirable substitute containing no weed . sesds. It is a remarkable fact that , humus soils exist all round the coast of New Zealand, where ealt-laden gales carry' large quantities of «alin© material ashore. Instances of this are found in the south-west coast of the South Island, certain North Wellington •and Taranaki soils, East Cape Island, the -eoutheirn or sub-antarctic islands, including, the Campbell, Auckland, and Antipodes Islands. Formation of humus may probably b? due to tfoa excessive amount <>f -base liberated by the action of salt •and calcium, sulphate in., sea-spray. Certain it is " that humidity of climate is not •the cole factor in the forimution of these deposits. The speakers recently -conducted a jeoil survey, of the Tsoutham islands.'-' The result was a*- distinct correlation of quality of the soil, with : the quality 'of the 2ora. Tphat is to -say, certain- kinds' of plants were always found "to bs growing on, the soils •which- were- most abundantly supplied ,withiplant- food. Other, kinds grew on soils liot nearly 'so rich; other" kinds again on the poorer coils. If thus becomes- possible to classify the land of these islands from an inspection of its vegetable covering. Xnow-1-edgo of this sort would bo of in-•est-imable value in dealing with the soils of the main islar^ds of New Zealand, and the speaker ie gradually accumulating information on this point. The study of tha chemistry of New Zealand soils is a vast one, and every year some- new fact comes to light which upeets some cherished ideas which hav^ be■oorao part of the agriculturist's -faith. •At Auckland Island a most nutritious grass (Poa litotrosa) was found growing in a soil containing 2 per cent, salt, an amount which wou3& jucoraing to a-uthori-*i«s. be fatal to most grasses. The humus covering- of these islands fs the constituent mosV required to perfect the mechanical condition of most New Zealand soiLs. Humus darkens the coil, end hence causes tha absorption of mort heat from tha sun. making it warmer en cold days. It holds* water in droughty weather; henoo making the coil moist. In tim« i of flccd it allows the oxoeas of water to any in off without damage. It acte as solvent fcr plant food to a great extent, and it -makes tho ground easier to y;<xrk. Thus to increase the. stops of humus . Tn day and sandy soils should be every - J *!!!fg &t ' 6 -aim. ""f^d' this can .be . accom3»hshed by piou^hin^" in green! manure, such" as- clovers, -peas, "end be&ns, or .even* growMjg- them iii rotation; pr in permanent pasture by increasing the percentage of clovers in th© ground ; for the roots .which tcey leave in the' soil will ' considerably -augment the content of organic matter After- a few years tha clovers will die out--and x-save the land in much better conm? 1J r t}l * S 3 '?^** l »f the finer grasses. The best fertilisers to stimulate these leguminous plants ar<s potash, and sla<» or *uper, aocor4in? to climate. "Where potosh i« plentiful it- may bo dispensed with, «.nd slag or siiperphcsphato applied alone In ccncluaioii, it is hoped that the foregr.jnj? remarks will kad to a more lively in'^r*st being evinced by farmers in their sc.i!s and the proper traatnwnt of their pastures, a? th 3 matter is one of the greatest importance to a producing coui'try like New Zealand, where- mere than tijrcxj-o.uarters ©f the total exports are derived from pasture.