Notes and Queries?

Otago Witness, Issue 4085, 28 June 1932, Page 44

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 do plume may M adopted for publication. “ Inquirer,” Kelso.—A reply will be given in the Otago Daily Tinies. ¥ ¥ ¥ Outboard Engine. “ Evinrude.” Stewart Island, wishes to know who is the agent in Dunedin (if any) for Evinrude outboard marine engines. Messrs Thomas Paterson and Son, Vogel street. Dunedin. ¥ ¥ * Grinding Horse Clippers. “ Horse Clipper,” Incholme, wishes to know the name of a firm that will grind horse clippers in Dunedin. Messrs G. and J. Alanson, 385 Princes street, Dunedin. * V- * Counting. “ Cribbage,” Luggate, asks : “ Tn a game of crib the hand held is the jack of spades, queen of hearts, 10 of diamonds, and 10 of clubs, and the 10 of hearts is the turn-up. How much does this count ? ” 15. * * Destroying Stumps. “ Inquirer, Waitahuna. writes : “ Some time ago you answered a question regarding the killing out of trees and stumps. As I have mislaid that particular paper, could you please give me the date of the paper in which the reply -was published ? ” Alay 17. Freight Charges. “Anxious ” asks : “(1) What is the price per ton of the best Kaitangata coal ? (2) What is the railage per ton ? (3) Does the Railway Department charge for six tons if only four tons is carried, as it used to be ?” (1) 31s per ton at Dunedin. (2) 10s Id railage to Waihola. (3) The railway charges the full price. Other questions are answered in “ Legal Queries.” * ¥ ¥ Gaelic. “ Tha Ali Sho,” Reefton, asks : “(1) Did the late Alexander Gray have the Oban Hotel. Dunedin, before or after the late Roderick Alaekenzie ? (2) What is the Gaelic for ‘ Thank you ’ ? (3) What is the private address of Air J. Hope, president of the Highland Pipe Band?” (1) After. (2) Taing—“ thank*;.” (3) 29 Galloway street. Alornington. Dunedin.

Early Beans. ' B. G.. Timaru, writes : “As I have broad beans about 2ft high in flower, should I pinch them back so as to stop them getting too tall in the spring ? ” No. leave them alone. It is probable, if the frosts are severe this winter, that the flowers will be destroyed. Beans but a few inches high will come • through the winter none the worse even if the weather conditions are bad. Forward plants may be cut down, but will come again in the spring. v ’’p

Motor Cycle Import. I. F. C., Winton, asks : “(1) What would it cost to land a £6O English motor cycle in New Zealand, including freight, packing, and duty ? (2) What would be the best way to send the money for it? (3) Is the duty any less if the machine has been ridden in England, or if it is completely dismantled when exported ? ” (1) A new machine valued at £6O would cost approximately £l2 5s plus £6 exchange, being duty £8 Is 9d, freight £2 10s, and packing £1 13s 3d. (2) By bank draft. (3) The duty is rated according to the value, and, provided the machine was a secondhand one and valued at, say, half the value of a new motor cycle, the duty would necessarily be less. * * *

Southern Cross. In reply to L. J. in our last issue we stated that no record was available of a vessel of the name Southern Cross having been wrecked in New Zealand waters. An esteemed correspondent has supplied the following record of vessels wrecked elsewhere: —Southern Cross, steamer. Tasmanian Steam Navigation Company, lost on Rocky Cape Reef. Tasmania, July 22, 1889; Southern Cross, LTnion Steam Ship Company, was dismantled at Welling-

ton and sunk in Cook Strait on April 24, 1906; Southern Cross. Houlder Line, wrecked in Vigo Harbour. Spain, December 24, 1909: Southern Cross, barquentine. wrecked 'Alarch 22, 1920. on King Island.

Gold and Cobbler’s Wax. “Inquirer,” Lawrence, asks: “(1) Is black sand which is found with gold of any commercial value, and where does one dispose of it ? (2) How is cobbler's wax as used for waxing the thread for-sewing leather made?” (1) At the present time black sand is of no practical value. (2) Cobbler's wax of best quality is a thick resinous substance made of pitch, resin, and oil. The mixing and general preparation is more or less a trade secret, but the pitch and resin are boiled, and when in a suitable condition the oil is added and the mixture worked up in water. Cobbler’s wax is readily obtainable, is cheap, and not worth while making up unless a great quantity is required. Poison of Mice. J. W. F.. Invercargill.—An effective poison for mice in a barn is as fol-lows:—-Dissolve loz of strychnine in two quarts of boiling water. In another vessel dissolve two tablespoonfuls of starch in a little cold water, add the strychnine solution. Pour this over 401 b of oats, barley, wheat, or other small grain and stir thoroughly. Procure some bottles large enough in the neck for a mouse to get in and out, and place a little of the poisoned grain in each. The bottles may be placed wherever the mice are troublesome, and if carefully laid so that water cannot enter the poison will be effectively kept for six months. Every mouse that takes a grain from the bottle will eat it and die. The uneaten bait remains in the bottle, where it is reasonably secure from poultry or other domestic animals. ¥ ¥ ¥ Measurement. “ Farmer ” asks : “ What are the answers to the following sums: —(1) A square field of grain containing 10 acres is to be cut by a reaper working round and round, the cut of the reaper being 6ft. In which round of the reaper will the first acre be completed ? (2) A digger saves gold valued by the bank at £3 14s 2d per oz. The gold of which sovereigns are made is worth £3 17s 101 d per oz. Find the least number of ounces he must take to the bank in order to receive an exact number of sovereigns in exchange.” (1) The first acre will be covered in the third round. (2) The digger will have to hand over 21oz of gold for every 20oz of sovereigns. The least number of ounces he must take to the bank to receive an exact number of sovereigns is 168. This result is based on one sovereign having 20s worth of gold at £3 17s 101 d an oz.

❖ « * Potatoes and Apple Trees. “Inquirer,” Otekaike, asks: “(1) Is there any difference between the Commercial Traveller potato and the L’p-to-Date potato ? (2) Some apple trees have been well cared for, but they bear no fruit. The end of the branches go a white colour and die off. What is likely to be wrong with them ? ” (1) The Commercial Traveller potato is probably a “ sport ” of the Up-to-Date variety. If you care to send, say, eight tubers to the Department of Agriculture, Dunedin, the potatoes would be grown and reported upon in due course. (2) The apple trees are affected with powdery mildew. Your best plan is to prune now, destroying all clippings by burning, and spray when the petals are falling with a limesulphur solution of a strength of 1 to 120 gallons of water, following -with (during summer, at three-weekly intervals) with a colloidal sulphur spray of a strength of 21b to 100 gallons. ¥ ¥ ¥ Population and Food for Sheep.

“A Sixty Y’ears’ Reader” asks: “(1) Can you tell me what is the population of Japan ? (2) A neighbour of mine had a lot of young rams on some rubbish of grass and they were dying. There had been a lot of rain. I told the owner they wanted shifting, as they were poisoned with eating dirt. He said, ‘No; dirt does them good.’ I said. ‘ Dirt does pigs good, but it kills sheep every time.’ I know I am right, and if this is answered through your paper I will show it to my neighbour.” (1) Approximately 84,000,000. (2) Old rubbishy grass is quite unsuitable feed for young sheep, particularly young rams, which require the best of nourishing food

in their early stages. Apart from the apparent lack of good feeding, there is evidently an inadequate supply of minerals. The fact of the sheep eating dirt points to this, as we often see cows chewing bones, pigs rooting, etc., all evidence of the want of such minerals as lime, phosphates, etc. Provided foodstuffs of a balanced nature were fed to stock there would be no dirt-eating. # ¥ * Dropping Eggs. “ Timaru ” wishes to know the reason hens lay eggs off their perches during the night. He writes : “ Some of the eggs have soft shells, others hard ones. The morning meal is a mash of pollard and bran (ratio 2 to 1) mixed with separator milk. No forcing food is used. The midday and evening meals consist of wheat. The fowls have a liberal amount of greens and oyster grit fed to them each day. The receptacles for the water and milk respectively are washed out daily, and the sheds and rim are cleaned out regularly.” “ Timaru's ” method of feeding his poultry sounds perfect, yet there must be a reason for the dropping of eggs at night. He claims that lie is not forcing for eggs, but separator milk in excess may have that tendency. I suggest using the milk alternate days only for a short time, and watch results. As to the “ liberal amount of greens,” possibly they are getting too much. Fowls must have green food, but not so much that they eat less mash and grain. Too much green food has an opening effect, creates a looseness, and may account for the inability to hold the eggs. I have given possible reasons for the trouble, but I think the real reason is that the fowls have been bred from a strain continuously bred for high production.—TEßßOß. ¥ ¥ ¥ Waterproofing.

“Inquirer,” Berwick, wishes to know a recipe for waterproofing a coat. We do not know of a suitable oil for a raincoat, but there are various formula: for treating oilskins. The garment should be laid out on a bench and a coating of best boiled linseed oil applied sparingly all over with a brush. The coat is then hung out in the open air until it is quite dry. when it is again treated with oil and dried. Three or four coats are thus applied. As a final coat a layer of black paint thinned with turpentine may be put on. Oilskins are also made with raw lineed oil. They are more flexible, but take longer to dry. The following are other methods: —(a) Dissolve loz yellow soap in one and a-half pints of boiling water, and stir in one quart of boiled oil. When cold add one pint gold size, (bl Boil together one quart boiled linseed oil, loz soft soap, and loz beeswax till reduced to three-fourths the original quantity. Apply freely with a brush to the outside of the article and hang up till dry. If you want it black, mix some lampblack with the dressing, before application, (c) Dip the calico in bullock’s blood and dry in a current of air. Mix raw linseed oil with gold size or litharge (one pint to the ounce). Give the calico two or three coats of the oil. Each coat must be dry before the next is applied. Dry in an airy place sheltered from both rain and sun. Do the work thoroughly and these oilskins will last for years in any climate. Messrs Thompson and Son. Ltd., 253 Princes street, Dunedin, put up a preparation which is effective at 2s Cd per tin. ¥ ¥ ¥

A Miscellaneous List. " X,” Arrowtown, wishes to know (1) a recipe for “ melting moments ” (like those sold in cake shops) ; (2) a recipe for fruit squares; (3) if greenstone is valuable and where it could be sold; (4) if it is natural for a boy to develop an Adam’s apple, and is there any cure for it. (1) Recipes for “ melting moments ” are as follows: — (a) Half a pound of butter, 3Joz sugar, Mb maizena, Mb flour, one saltspoonful salt. Method : Beat butter, sugar, and salt to a cream. Then add flour and maizena. I’ut in tcaspoonfuls on a cold tray and bake about eight minutes in a moderate oven. (b) One full tablespoonful of flour, three tablespoonfuls cornflour, 2oz sugar, 2oz butter, one teaspoonful baking powder, one egg, small quantity milk, any flavouring. Beat butter and sugar to a cream, sift dry ingredients, add egg (well beaten) ; bake in patty tins, (c) One pound of butter, Mb flour, Mb cornflour, Mb icing sugar. Beat butter and sugar to a cream, add flour and cornflour. Put in spoonfuls on a cold tray, and bake in a slow’ oven (electric oven, 2deg). (2) We have no recipe for fruit squares. (3) At the present time greenstone is not of much value. It is unlikely that you -will find a buyer, but you might communicate with Air Devlin, lapidary, Wesley street, South Dunedin, or you could try Dawsons Ltd., 26 Princes street, Dunedin. (4) Everyone, it is presumed. is bom with what is termed an Adam’s apple, but its development in some people is more noticeable than in others.

« * Tanning Cow Hide. “Amateur,” Southland, wishes Io knowhow to tan a cow hide with birch bark, and asks what strength of tan should one use and how long should one leave it in the mixture. It is questionable whether “Amateur ” could dye a cow hide of. any very great substance with birch bark. The following directions for tanning various skins with wattle bark have appeared before and may be useful:—Get some wattle bark and break it up fine with a hammer, and put a bushel or so into a barrel of water. The tannin will be extracted in a few days. Place a layer of bark upon the bottom of a cask, then a layer of skins, another layer of bark, and so on, taking care the skins are properly spread out and not doubled up in any way. When the skins are properly placed fill up with liquor. In 10 days’ time, take all out, scrape any fleshy particles off, boil the liquor, and skim off all impurities; or. better still, make some fresh liquor from fresh bark, and proceed as before. All will be finished in three weeks. Scrape the skins well to soften them. In order

to tan small skins such as goatskins with wattle bark (and presumably birch bark would answer similarly) the following recipe is recommended: — First soak and make the skin soft in clear water, and clean thoroughly. Then boil some broken-up wattle bark in a good-sized vessel —a kerosene tin will do. Afer boiling an hour take out as much bark as you can and put in fresh, and boil again, filling up with a little more water. Scrape all flesh and fat off the skin, and put it in a tub, lying as flat as possible, and cover with the tan liquid. Change the tan once a week (you can use the same several times if you reboil and skim it), and in a fortnight the skins will be tanned. ¥ ¥ ¥ Treating Hides.

“Waitahuna” writes: “I want to tan cow and horse hides that have been salted and are a bit dry. (1) How does one remove the hair ? (2) What does one do re salt and hardness ? (3) Should wattle bark be in a green state or dried. (4) How does one proceed, and what quantities should one use ? ” (1) and (2) It is very doubtful if you could tan salted and dry hides satisfactorily, as it is usual to handle fresh skins. For instance, in order to cure a calfskin it is necessary to make a mixture of four gallons cold, soft water, half a pint of salt, lib of soft soap, and loz of borax. If the skins are to be tanned with the hair on add 3oz of sulphuric acid. Soak the skin in this mixture for six ’ hours. If the hair is to be removed, however, the skin must be put into lime water and soaked in this for three or four days until the hair comes away freely. Next put the skin on a board, and with a blunt knife remove Till particles of flesh. Then wash in cold water. Now make a tan liquor by mixing 21b of salt, ilb oxalic acid, and two gallons of cold, soft water. Put the skin in this and cover the vessel over. The time for soaking, in this tan liquor varies from 12 to 36 hours, according to whether the skin is light or heavy, but a cut on the neck part (the thickest part of the skin) will show if the tan liquor has penetrated. When you remove the skin from the tan liquor apply the following mixture: —Half a pint of soft soap, one pint of neatsfoot oil, and one pint of alcohol. Let this dry in, then damp the skin with it a second time. Take the skin while still damp, put it on a smooth wooden surface (an old table top or a door) flesh side up. Fasten one end with broad-headed nails, then take a large knife, and, using the back of the knife, work the skin smooth and tmht to the loose end. Then fasten this down. This will keep the skin stretched, otherwise it will wrinkle when drying. When quite dry remove the skin from the wood and work it with the hands to make it soft and pliable. (3) Dry. (4) See answer to “ Progress.” Sulphuric Acid; Tanning Skins.

“Progress.” Fairlie, asks: “(1) What is the cost per oz or lb of sulphuric acid ? (2) Is it a poison ? (3) Can sulphuric acid that has already been used in dairy factories be used to cure sheepskins ? (4) What is the best method of dyeing sheepskins ? (5) Can wattle bark be procured anywhere in New Zealand to tan skins ? (6) How is it done?” (1) Pure sulphuric acid costs approximately 3s 6d per lb; if impure Is per lb. (2) Yes. (3) We cannot say if it would be of much use, in view of the fact that the pure acid lias lost some of its properties. (4) The recipes for making the various dyes are trade secrets. It would be advisable to obtain small quantities to start with and experiment with scraps of skin before risking a failure with whole skins, (a) Blue dye : Use logwood, 7oz; blue vitriol, loz; water, 220 z; and boil, (b) Brown : Use tincture of logwood, (c) Purple : Use logwood', lloz; alum, 6oz; water 290 z. A decoction of logwood can be made by boiling loz of logwood chips in 240 z of water for 10 minutes. Logwocd chips can be had for 6d an ounce if only one or two ounces are bought, and -at a lower rate if larger quantities are required. “ The Twentieth Century Book of Recipes” gives the following general instructions for dyeing:— “ Employ soft water for all dyeing purposes, using four gallons of water to 11b of goods. Let all the implements used in dyeing be kept perfectly clean. Prepare the goods by scouring well with soap and water, washing out the soap well, and dipping in warm water before immersion in the dye or mordant. Goods should be well aired, rinsed, and properly hung up after dyeing.” It is possible that one or all of the many dye mixtures on the market would dye a sheepskin or rabbit skins satisfactorily if all the dirt and grease, etc., were removed by first washing the skins thoroughly in various waters. It is wise to remember that dyeing material of any sort is skilled work, and except in rare instances the amateur or experimenter cannot approach the standard achieved by experienced craftsmen. (5) Yes. (6) The wattle bark process of tanning is as follows, and is suitable for sheep or rabbit skins: — Nail the skins in a shady place, stretching the fore ends most so that they will dry nearly square. When dry soak thew- in water for a day or two, but take them out and replace them several times while soaking. After that scrape off all fat and flesh with a blunt knife, spreading each skin over a concave surface like a barrel. When the skin is fleshed pull it as squarely as possible. To make the tan half fill a kerosene can with finely chopped or ground wattle bark, and fill up with water. Stand the tin on a slow fire until it conies to a boil. Allow it to cool off, and then strain through hessian into a clean barrel. Add clean cold ■water until the liquid becomes the colour of weak tea. Place the skins therein, lifting them in and out, say, three times the first day, at the end of which time it will be found that the skins have absorbed the tan and left only dirty water. Add some stronger tan liquor, and leave the skins in for two days more, lifting them out occasionally. On the fourth day add some very strong tan liquor, and leave the skins in for not less than eight days, at the end

of which wash them thoroughly and stretch them squarely again. Opossum and rabbit skins, being so much thinner than the others, will not require to be i ln le strong tan more than probably two days. When dry soften them by rubbing with the hand or with a bath brick on the flesh side. The fur is best cleaned by tumbling the skins; m clean dry sawdust.