ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume XIII, Issue 3, 20 September 1916, Page 248

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.

IN every instance a question to which an answer is desired in these columns must be accompanied by the full name and the postal address of the inquirer, not necessarily for publication, but as a guarantee of good faith. The question should be written on one side of the paper only.

PROPAGATING ELEAGNUS JAPONICA AND TECOMA CAPENSIS. Charles G. Murray, Waiuku : 1 would be much obliged if you could give me ' any information with regard to putting in cuttings of Eleagnus japonica and Tecoma capensis. Is it too late to put them in this year ? If not, what sort of ground, &c., would you advise me to put them in ? The Horticulture Division : ' It is decidedly late for putting in cuttings of Eleagnus japonica. Local , conditions may, however, make it quite safe to do so. Certainly we. have put-them in later than now—in fact, up to the end of September. The summer condition of the soil is the ruling factor :.if it keeps fairly moist, the cuttings will do. . Cuttings put out late should be not less than 12 in. long. The cuttings should be put in deep : bury fully two-thirds of their length. Tread them in tightly. Keep the soil on the surface always loose. - - Tecoma capensis may be increased by layers put down in autumn. It is not necessary to tongue the branches layered. Peg them firmly and cover with soil. Suckers with roots can often be secured. These will grow if separated in autumn or in the spring. Cuttings of current-season wood taken about midsummer, just as the growth is beginning to harden, placed around the edge of a pot in loamy soil surfaced with sand, and placed in a cold frame, will root fairly well. The cuttings should be 3 in. or . 4 in. long.

THRUSH IN HORSE'S FOOT. “ Dairyman," South Oamaru : Would you kindly advise me the cause of thrush in a horse’s foot,- and the cure for same ? . The Live-stock Division : The; causey of thrush is often due to a horse standing in dirty wet or doing, hard work in rough stony country. To treat a case, pare the frog of all diseased and ragged horn ; poultice - for twenty-four hours, and afterwards dress the frog with a solution of copper sulphate (i oz. in half a pint of water). Dress daily and protect the foot with a bandage or boot., •

HORSES STAMPING. James. R. Wilkinson, Loburn Would you kindly refer again to the subject of “ stamping ” in horses. I note a reference to it in the May Journal (page 411), where the cause is deemed to be greasy heel. Is the greasy characteristic noticeable always when present ? I hear my gig-horse stamping a good deal in the loose-box at night, but I cannot detect anything wrong about the foot or fetlock. Many farmers and contractors tell me their horses stamp through some sort of itch that is not noticeable. I noticed the habit in two gig-horses last winter when I had some pea-straw as litter.

This year I have Solid Tuscan straw, and 1 have thought it possible some such kind of litter may break easily into irritating spicules. My horses are on a very failfield of grass all day, and I have not this winter added oats to the oat-sheaf chaff. I do not like to hear the stamping, and would be glad of some advice. The Live-stock Division :■ — It is very seldom that a gig-horse suffers from “ grease.” This complaint generally affects cart-horses, and is usually constitutional. Greasy heel (a different complaint from “ grease ”) does affect light horses, and can be treated by application of zinc ointment. If there are no signs of the hair coming off, heat, or swellings, it may be concluded that the horses are not suffering from any malady to cause the stamping, and that the trouble is due to the coarse bedding irritating the legs. This can easily be remedied.

SMOTHER-CROP FOR CALIFORNIAN THISTLE. ■ “ Cockatoo/’ Taihape : Please 'nform me what you know to be the best crop to grow on Californian-thistle-in land. The soil is free, deep chocolate loam on open subsoil. We find that the more cultivation of root crop in drill the stronger grows the Californian. The Fields Division :—■ According to present indications, lucerne is the best crop to grow on a Cali-fornian-thistle area. The lucerne tends to smother out the thistle. In establishing the lucerne, however, you will require to see that you have provided favourable conditions for its ready growth.

POULTRY-BREEDING. " Subscriber/' Masterton : Is it advisable to set the eggs of hens in their first year of laying ? Does the one-year-old rooster do for breeding purposes ? What is the best age for breeding—hens and rooster ? ’ ; The Live-stock Division (Poultry Branch) : It is preferable to breed from hens in their second laying season rather than from pullets. There is no great objection, however, to breeding from pullets provided they are strong, well-developed birds and have laid over thirty eggs each. It is advisable if using pullets in the breeding-pen to mate them with a second-year male bird. Cockerels over nine months old are suitable for mating with mature hens. .

SWOLLEN JOINTS IN CALF. G. S. C., Kihikihi x ' I have a calf four or five weeks old born perfectly healthy. About ten days ago it commenced to walk as if it was strained in its back legs : the joints of all its legs swell up, one or two at a time, and go down again. Some days it moves about nearly normal, takes milk regularly twice a day, and seems otherwise to be ■doing fairly well. Can you from these particulars give me any information as to what the trouble would be, and a cure ? ' - The Live-stock Division : ■ This complaint is probably due to a septic contamination of the navel. As soon as possible after birth the navel-string should be painted with a solution of tincture of iodine, and as an extra precaution the cord can be ligatured with thin tape which has previously been steeped in a good disinfectant solution. The calf should now receive a dose of castor-oil and a dessert-spoonful of malt-extract mixed in the feed once a day. The joints, if swollen, can be hand-rubbed once daily. All feeding utensils must be scalded before use, and the building or shed sprayed with a non-poisonous disinfectant, or otherwise remove the calf to a fresh place. -

CONTROL OF POTATO-BLIGHT, ETC. J. C. Hende, Hende’s Ferry, Westland : Kindly advise the best way to prevent potato-blight. I propose planting half an acre. What seed would be best ? The Fields Division : The most satisfactory method of preventing potato-blight is to systematically spray with Bordeaux mixture. This is made by washing through coarse sacking 4 lb. freshly burnt lime into a solution consisting of 4 lb. best bluestone (copper sulphate) and 40 gallons of water. The whole should be mixed well and kept in a wooden barrel, and wooden buckets used in handling it. A knapsack sprayer will be sufficient for your purposes. Spray the potatoes when 4 in. high, and four or five times thereafter throughout the season. Gamekeeper is a good maincrop potato and is somewhat blight-resisting. Maori Chief is the best blightresister we have.

HEDGE FOR PIPECLAY LAND. “ Inquirer,” Mangapai : " Can you tell me the best hedge to plant round a garden near a house on pipeclay land in an exposed position ? The Horticulture Division : There are several hedge-plants that would suit your purpose, such as the common laurel, broad - leaved privet, Eleagnus, &c. The last-named should do very well. -

LOPPING TREE-TOPS. Charles E. Leiren, Raumai : The gale a few days ago blew down many trees, as the ground was so wet. Will you please advise me the proper time of the year to lop the tops of the following : Macrocarpa, insignis, blue-gum, and wattle. The Horticulture Division : Trees may be topped at practically any time. Early spring, however, is considered the best time, as they come away again quicker. In the summer many of the evergreen trees are beneficially affected by the removal of foliage, and there is not the danger of bleeding sometimes feared.

FEED CROPS FOR SHEEP. “ Inquirer," Waitahuna : —• Would a mixture of oats, tares, and rape be suitable to grow as feed for sheep to be eaten off and then ploughed under as manure ? Would the rape grow quick enough, or would the oats and tares outgrow it and give it no chance ? How many times could I eat off the growth and still have a final one to plough under ? Are field-peas suitable for feeding off and still have another growth to plough under ? How often could they be fed off ? What is the usual price of field-peas per bushel ? The Fields Division : Oats and tares are better sown apart from rape for sheep-feed, but you could grow the three together, provided you sow about half the usual quantity of oats and tares. This is for the purpose of not crowding the rape too much, and so giving it a chance to come away through the oats and tares. All things considered, it would be more advisable to sow the rape'apart from the others. You could feed off the rape twice and have a satisfactory third growth for ploughing under. On strong land you could even feed off three times and still have a fair aftermath for greenmanuring purposes. The field-pea being an annual plant, if fed off thoroughly

it is not suitable for further feeding-off. If partially fed off, however, it puts up' additional growth and so is suited for further feeding. The current price of fieldpeas is about 7s. per bushel of 60 lb.

REARING MOTHERLESS LAMBS. F. S., Waitoa : I would feel much obliged if you would kindly inform me as to the correct method of rearing motherless lambs. The Live-stock Division : One-third water and two-thirds milk should be given to the lambs to start with. Afterwards the percentage of milk could be increased. It is also beneficial to add a little barley-water occasionally. The liquid should be given at about the temperature of the body. The secret in rearing young lambs is to keep them warm and give them small quantities of food at a time (about half a teacupful) and often —every two hours to start with. All utensils, before using, should ,be thoroughly scalded. ' ’

PHOSPHATES AND LIME FOR HATUMA DISTRICT. J. Williams, Sanson : Could you inform me which would be the best manures to sow with rape and turnips in the district of Hatuma ? Being a dry district, I understand it requires a quick-acting manure. Do you think that Ephos basic phosphate would be beneficial in that district ? Although it is a limestone district, would lime-dressing be any benefit to the soil ? ' • The Fields Division : • The Hatuma district being~ fairly dry, Ephos phosphate would not become very readily soluble, except on any heavier low-lying, damper areas. Basic superphosphate, or superphosphate and bonedust, would be much more suitable. Lime should give satisfactory results except on soils which are obviously well supplied with particles of lime. Frequently soils lying over limestone formation require lime, as the tendency of lime is to go down.