Notes and Queries?

Otago Witness, Issue 3995, 7 October 1930, Page 46

Notes and Queries?

Questions for reply In the coming issue of the Otago Witness must be received not later than SATURDAY Night.

Questions will NOT be replied to through the post.

Questions must be accompanied by the name and address of the writer, but a nom de plume may be adopted for publication.

“ Constant Reader,” Southland; X Y Riverton; and “Nosey Parker,” South-land.-—'-Next week. “ Puzzled,’ Southland. —In the absence of a full knowledge of local costs and books of accounts, a reply would be pure guesswork, and sucli would be quite valueless. “ Foil,” Dunedin, wishes to know of any firm in New Zealand that will purchase silver foil from cigarette and chocolate wrappings. If the paper is in good order, the Colombo Tea Company, 227 Princes street, Dunedin, is a buyer at 2s 6d per lb. “ Curious,” Invercargill, wishes to know if there is anyone in Dunedin who buys used stamps, and- what price is given for New Zealand stamps and for foreign stamps. Write to Messrs Wilcox, Smith, and Co., Liverpool street, Dunedin, for their price list. “ Slap Dab,” Lowburn Ferry, wishes to do up a white roughcast house, and ■'inquires about the correct mixture and method. Thoroughly brush and remove all dust on the building, and paint, with a. water sanitary paint, such as Mill White or Perfex water paint, giving a good coat. K._ D., Risdale, asks : “Is there any place in Dunedin where panama hats can be restored to their original white colour? I have a white panama, which is practically new, but has gone shabby in colour, and I cannot obtain anything to. restore it.” Communicate with the City Dye Works, 137 George street, Dunedin, stating when you do so whether the hat is a real panama or only an imitation one. “ Wondering,” Otekura, wishes to know if there is any firm in Dunedin or New Zealand from whom one can purchase the shapes of the dress designs in the Australian Home Journal. The journal can be secured from Messrs Gordon and Gotch, 12 Dowling street, Dunedin, and the patterns of any particular designs from the publishers of the Australian Home Journal, Melbourne, Victoria. E. H. P., Waikaia, wishes to know in ■what poem the following words are to be found and who wrote it:— I long for the crack of the whip and the canter after the cattle. Perhaps some reader can supply the information. Two lines in “ Lasca ” read : I want free life and I want fresh air, And I sigh for the canter after the cattle. A. 8., Dunedin, wishes to know how to

make wine from juniper berries —a wine that is worked with yeast or otherwise and has no brandy put in it for a preservative. He can make many other wines, but they are all from juicy fruits. The juniper berries being dry, he would like to know the method to use w-hen dealing with them and the amount of water to use. Perhaps some reader can supply us with this recipe. W. K. K., Akaroa, writes ; “ ‘ They are in peace and glory where the weary are at rest.’ The above is on the in memoriam card of a friend. I have looked carefully in Cruden’s Concordance and it is not in the Bible or the Apocrypha. It appears between inverted commas, so is a quotation. Can you tell me whence?” We cannot find the quotation. Perhaps some reader may be able to oblige, though it is possible that the words represent a variation from some original source. C. G. S„ Otago, writes : “In last; week’s | Otago Witness I note a query, ‘What is . the best way to treat a dog which has eaten a rabbit poisoned by strychnine?’ I enclose the followingcutting from a South African paper, as it*.may be worth a trial: ‘The best antidote' for a dog that has eaten a strychnine bait is a teaspoonful of iodine.- lodine has cured after the dog had the second fit—in that case two .teaspoonfuls were given/ ” —•—lodine cannot be given in doses as suggested. In certain cases sgr of potassium iodide has proved an effective antidote, the dog being kept as quiet as possible. “Anxious,” Greymouth, writes : “Patches .... of a lawn have been burnt . by. ah: application of too strong a mixture of sulphate of animonia. Is there any method for quickly renewing the growth ? ” “Agricola ” replies : Thoroughly drench with clean water the affected grass patches. If the • plants have not been killed outright they will grow. The sulphate of : . ammonia being soluble in water, one can but endeavour to weaken the original solution and so dissipate its strength .by dilution. If you are unsuccessful, there is nothing for it but the removing of the burnt patches, scarifying same, adding some sweet soil, and resowing with lawn grasses.” “Reader,” West Coast, asks: “(1) What was the cost of the Massey Memorial ? (2) How much was contributed by public subscription and how much did the Government contribute ? (3) Of: what nationality is Sir Otto Niemeyer ?; (4) Has he a record of any war' service ?” -(1) and (2) You are advised to write to the Undersecretary, ■ t Public Works, -Wellington.; (3) and I.: ,(4) Complete information, is .not available. In “ Who’s Who" we find that

Sir Otto Niemeyer was educated at St. Paul’s School and at Balliol College, Oxford, England. He has been a member of the Financial Committee of the League of Nations since 1922, was Controller of Finance from 1922 to 1927', and at the Bank of England since 1927.

"B ackblocks,” Ratanui, wishes to know how to cultivate beetroot, and what manure, etc., to use. He has tried unsuccessfully for several years. Like all root crops, beet should not be grown on land freshly'manured with stable manure, for. it is liable to fork and form side roots. The best soil is that which was well manured last season for some other crop, so that the manure remaining is now of a bumus nature, and in that form helps to keep the soil open while _ yet forming a congenial fertile rooting- medium. In ordinary circumstances early November sowing is about the best time for all but the turnip-rooted sorts, which are usually sown earlier. If the plants are kept free of weeds and the soil conditions are favourable there should be no difficulty in growing beetroot.

‘ Amateur,” Gore, asks for directions for salting down butter. The following recipes can be recommended, one being for salting butter in brine and the other with salt in a crock:—The object of washing with brine is that the small quantity of salt thus introduced shall act as a preservative and develop the flavour, but for keeping purposes it is better to use salt, preferably sifted on the butter granules. When the butter comes about the size of wheat seed pour in a small quantity of cold water (one pint of water to two quarts of cream) to harden the grains, and give two or three turns of the churn. Draw off the buttermilk, and wash the butter until the water comes off quite clear. Make a strong brine, and pour into the churn through a hair sieve. Rock the churn a few times before drawing off the brine., Remove to butter worker and leave to drain, then work out gently all moisture. Do not touch with the hands. Butter intended to be potted should be made from well-ripened cream. If the cream is too sweet or too sour the butter will not keep properly. The butter must be thoroughly washed with clean, pure water -while in the granular condition to rid it of the buttermilk. Then salt at the rate of loz to the pound of butter, the salt being well mixed with it. After this set the butter aside to allow the salt to dissolve properly. Then finish work-

ing the butter to get it as dry as possible. Pack firmly (leaving no spaces around the sides) into a glazed earthenware crock which has been scalded out and cooled. YVhen the crock is full place a layer of salt about 2m thick on the surface of the butter, and if the vessel has a top make it airtight. If. there is no top stretch a piece of air-tight material securely over the top. Store in a cool, clean place. It is much better to fill the crock at once, but if different lots are required keep the crock covered in the intervals.

“Beginner,” Oamaru, asks: "(1) Are nucleus colonies a reliable way of starting beekeeping ? (2) What is the usual procedure with nucleus colonies ? (3) Do you know of any place in Otago where nucleus colonies may be obtained ? (4) What would be about the price of same ? ” Mr S. C. Rhodes, apiary instructor, Department of Agriculture, replies to the foregoing questions as follows:—“ (1) Yes. Nucleus colonies (nuclei) may be procured in the spring early enough to reach a good, working strength by the season of main harvest. The best class of Italian stock riiay be used from the commencement, and the apiary established in a more leisurely and methodical way than by waiting for swarms. As against the purchase of full colonies, one either uses the empty hives he has or, better still, procures new ones. (2) Th nucleus is a small colony of queen and workers, occupying four., or five frames of combs containing some stores and brood, and usually shipped in a ventilated temporary box. A new hive should be prepared in readiness and placed 'on its permanent stand. Place the nucleus beside this, shade from hot sun, and give a small entrance at about sundown. The bees may be allowed to fly for a day or two before placing in the new hive, which is done by using a little smoke, and gently lifting the frames and adhering bees into the hive, then filling the remaining space .with frames of well-fastened comb foundation, covering them with a ‘ mat ’ of clean' sacking cut to fit the top of the hive. Unless there is a fair honey flow and'suitable flying weather, it will pay to feed liberally with sugar and water in equal proportions—say. half a pint to one pint per day. (3) Mr . R. Stewart, Crookston.. and Mr A ■ •■J. May, Island Block, Otago, could supply. (4) The. price of four-frame .or five-frame Italian nuclei would pro- . bably be 25s to 35s f.0.r.”

“ Interested,” Kurow.—ln our issue of • September 23 our correspondent asked what is the best method of using corrugated iron for covering a haystack. Mr H. Williams, of “Kaiuma,” Havelock, Marlborough, has very kindly supplied the following useful information on the point: “ Being an interested reader of your paper for 30 years, and having acquired quite a lot of information from your Notes and Queries, I would like to let your correspondent “ Interested ” know' that it is quite a simple operatiori to put' iron on to withstand practically • any wind; I enclose a-snap of one stack which stood 18 months, during: which: 120 in of rain fell, and . ; suffered.no.batjn> though it is slightly op. the 4 Apt. side..,., To cover with roofing iron, the stack should be fairly

flat on top, with slight elope in every direction from the centre. The iron is put on longitudinally. Starting at the. corners, lap "the sheets to the centre. It is safest to allow two laps. As soon as the first course is in position, pass a wire across from side to side, and hang heavy weights on it. I have used benzine cases filled with stones as high as they would stay on. This will keep it firm while the second course is laid. If. three lengths of iron are used the middle one is laid last, so as to overlap both end lengths, and if more lengths are necessary it is still best to work from alternate ends towards centre. When all iron is in position additional wires and weights are put on 2Jft to 3ft apart. Special points to observe are that each sheet must lap over each adjacent sheet lower than it. Each sheet must slope downwards towards the outside of th? stack. Don’t stint the lap sideways or lengthways. Don’t stint the number of wires or weights attached. Don’t make the slope lengthways of the stack so steep that the iron will slide off. The resultant roof will have somewhat the shape of the top of a barrel laid on its side. The weights will sink considerably, and so should be started well up the sides of the stack. I have used 10ft sheets and given IJft to 2ft lap, with three wires to overlapped sheets and four to the full-length top one. No. 8 wire is all right, but No. 10 would be rather handier to use and quite strong enough.”