NOTES AND QUERIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3325, 5 December 1917, Page 39

NOTES AND QUERIES.

Qocitions 'or rep»y In coming iwiu« to be roccirod a»t later than SATURDAY night. Q»uHjtioaß will NOT bo replied *> thro»«l &• post. Whitewash. —A good -weather-proof whitewash is made as follows:—(1) Sixty-two pounds of quicklime, slake with 12gal of hot water. (2) Two pounds of common table salt, lib of sulphate of zinc, dissolved in 2gal of boiling water. (3) Two gallons of skimmed milk. Pour the second into the first, then add the milk and mix thoroughly. Alum added to a limewash prevents it rubbing off. An ounce to the gallon is sufficient. F airplay.—(l) A parent cannot demand from the military authorities the information as to whom a son has allotted his pay. Before paying a soldier's allotment the Defence Department must be satisfied that the person to whom such pay is allotted is a dependent. (2) If a son is of age and has left his personal property to some person his father cannot claim. Thirty Years' Subscriber.—Age would not debar a horse from being entered in the ■Stud Book; the question depends upon the veterinary examination, etc. S. W. —(1) For the purpose of entitling one to make application for a widow's pension it is essential that the person should be a widow with children under 14 years of age. The question of a person being entitled to a widow's pension is gone into when the application has been received. (2) Mf?is M'Lean, Government Buildings, Wellington, is inspector of maternity hospitals in New Zealand. The (government maternity hospitals in Otago come under the local Public Health Department, from which, on application, you will receive a copy of the rules and regulations. Subscriber. —No bonus is given by the Government of New Zealand for every child born. A bonus of £5 is given in Victoria. Reservist asks: —"Can a returned wounded soldier object to being . discharged while his wounds arc still unhealed?"' Under the Kinsr's Regulations, we believe, an invalided or wounded soldier is not diecharged until he is cured or pronounced incurable. In New Zealand the soldier is discharged as soon as possible after

» arrival, and then handed over to the Publio Health Department to receive treatment. if required. Subscriber.—The Autocar Imperial Year Book will give you very full particulars in regard to the construc'ion, driving, or repairs to a motor car. There are many other manuals dealing with these subjects. Apply at any bookseller's. Of course, if you purchase a new car the agent will himself post you up in all the essential details. K. Bros.* Waikaka, writes to say that his seven-year-old gelding is falling off in condition. Has fed fairly well on a young grass ' paddock during the past three months. Has been cleaned out with linseed oil. His dung is very thin and watery, almost scouring. Teeth and water apparently correct.-^ —The first thing is to endeavour to stop the diarrhoea. The too succulent feed with, perhaps, indifferent feeding may account for the trouble. Improve the dietand supply sound, dry feed—old hay and the like—in lieu of all he can get on young pasture. Give, in half a pint of flour gruel, occasionally tincture of catechu loz, powdered chalk £oz, opium powder ljdr. Keep him comfortable. Reader asks:—"(l) What is the food value of broom seed for pigs, fowls, etc?-- (2) Would . pigs graze on 'young Canadian thistles and thrive on some? (3) Is it possible to get a machine to strip and save cocksfoot grass seed—say the hundreds of acres on the county roads now growing cocksfoot grass, and destined in all probability to be wasted? (1) Practically nil, although, as with all leguminosro plants, the seeds would supply a certain amount of "nitrogenous diet. (2) No.. (3) Know of no machine which would answer the purpose. Usual to cut and bind the cocksfoot grass and stook to ripen. Scythe or sickle can with advantage be used, drying the heads of grass on sheets, or stooking so that the sun will ripen the heads of grass. (4) Mr H. M. Davey, consulting engineer, Princes street, replies:—"l find that Messrs A. _ and T. Burt keep the articles you require, and if you give them or me the distance from the water to the ram for the drive pipe, which costs 8d per foot, you can be fitted with a ram at about £3 or so, and the 600 ft of uptake piping would cost about 5d per foot run. You should be able, under your conditions, to get a constant supply of about Jgal per minute, which would give you, say, over 700 gal per day of 24 hours, as the ram does not call seven to eight hours a day's .work, as most of us do now. You do not say what is needed, but it is thought that that quantity is more than ample. See that there are no sharp turns in the pipe, but easy bends, or the pipe itself might be carefully bent in mostcases.