ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume XIII, Issue 4, 20 October 1916, Page 332

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.

DISTEMPER IN DOGS. T. D. R., Glen Falloch, via Whakamatau :- • ■ We have had an outbreak amongst our collies and have lost many valuable animals. They run at nose and eyesnot palsy. distemper. Would you kindly furnish me with the best cure ? The Live-stock Division :- - The best treatment to adopt would be to carefully disinfect all kennels, and give the affected animals milk, milk-slops, beef-tea, and a teaspoonful of Parrish’s syrup of phosphates twice daily. The dogs should, of course, be kept warm and dry. NEGLECTED PRUNING. H. C. M., Waimate : Should an apple or pear tree unpruned for two years be taken off below the last year’s growth, or that of the year before ? The Horticulture Division : It is difficult to answer your question without seeing the tree. If the tree is comparatively young the branches would be weak through the lack of pruning, in which case it would be advisable to cut back hard to secure stability and shaped and to otherwise invigorate the tree. This would probably mean cutting back into the wood formed the first season that pruning was neglected. If the tree is a mature one, the cutting-back must be governed by the vigour of the tree and the strength of the leaderscutting sufficiently hard to provide for strength to encourage growth. LIME FOR BORDEAUX MIXTURE.-BREAKING DOWN BONES.——VERMORITE.' “ Novice,” Levels, Canterbury : • i. Would you kindly tell me the difference between the two kinds of lime that which slakes down out of lumps without generating heat, and the other that gets very hot under similar conditions. Are they both suitable for making Bordeaux mixture ? 2. Is there any means other than crushing by which I could turn the various bones that are usually found about a farm into a manure ? Such bones are sheep’s trotters, skulls, &c. I had thought of piling them together and covering them with hot lime. Would that break them down ? -3. I noticed in the July Journal that vermorite was used at Moumahaki .for spraying potatoes last season. What is vermorite ? Is it any easier to prepare and use than Bordeaux ? The Fields Division : ’ 1. It is assumed that the two forms of lime that you are referring to are—(a.) Burnt lime that has been exposed to the atmosphere for some time, thus taking up carbon dioxide from the air and reverting to the carbonate form. A portion of the lime has not “ air-slaked,” and this upon the application of water would

slake, forming hydrate of lime, generating some heat in the process. (&.) Freshly burnt lime, or comparatively so, in the form of “ shells ” (burnt rock fragments) that generates considerable heat upon slaking with water, on account of it being practically all in the oxide ,or burnt form. The latter, freshly burnt lime, is much more suitable for making Bordeaux mixture, as hydrate (not carbonate) is used in making a lime-water solution. ' ' - ’ 2. Bones may be broken down on the farm for manure purposes by placing them in roofed watertight bins and enveloping them well with earth well saturated with liquid manure. Quicklime would have the tendency to drive off the nitrogenous portion •in the form of ammonia, whereas the liquid manure and earth would not only conserve the nitrogen, but also add a valuable manurial constituent in the form of potash, with which the liquid is well supplied. 3. Vermorite is a commercial spraying fungicide used for spraying for leafcurl, potato-blight, &c. It is prepared ready for use, but would be more costly and not more effective than Bordeaux mixture.

WEED-KILLER . FOR GARDEN PATHS. J. S. Edelsten, Feilding— Could you advise me the best preparation to use on metalled paths to keep them free from weeds ? The Horticulture Division : The following has proved very effective in killing weeds on garden paths, &c. : Dissolve i lb. of powdered arsenic in 3 gallons of cold water ; boil and keep stirring ; then add 7 gallons of cold water and 2 lb. of crushed washing-soda ; stir the whole well while boiling, and with a rose watering-pot apply to the paths in dry weather. This will be sufficient for spraying 25 square yards. An inclined board should be placed at the sides of the walks to keep the liquid off the grass or other live edging, otherwise it will be killed.

ERADICATING GORSE. F. W. ' S., Waipu North I have bought a farm at North River, Waipu, and it has a considerable quantity of gorse on it. : Some of the land under gorse is river-flat, but most of it is low or gently sloping hills. There is limestone on the property. What would you adviseas the best, quickest, and cheapest methods of getting rid of the gorse ? The Fields Division : The best method of eradicating gorse is by grubbing. Where the gorse is not too strong and the land can be ploughed the use of the plough is the most effective, quickest, and cheapest method. Any young growth that may come up can be again ploughed under. If the second ploughing is not convenient, sheep could be confined to comparatively small areas to keep down the young gorse. Where firing is permissible the. vigorous growth of gorse could be burnt, and a large wooden roller could be employed to flatten out any unburnt growth. This could be subsequently ploughed under by a swamp-plough. This method, of course, is feasible only in the event of your land being ploughable.

LINSEED. F. A. Boakes, Brookby : • Could you inform me if linseed grows to advantage in New Zealand, and whether it would thrive on a clay soil; also would it do for fattening pigs ? The Fields Division : . Linseed grows well in New Zealand on land suitable for it. A clay soil would not be suitable. It requires a very rich soil, being somewhat of an exhausting crop. The seed would be too rich and expensive to be used for fattening pigs. , The seed fetches a good price on the market.

NEW-ZEALAND-FLAX CULTURE. D. M. Lusk, Christchurch : How is flax (Phormium) seed planted—to what depth and to what distance Apart ? How long after planting will the flax be ready for cutting, and how many years before one can cut again ? The Fields Division : Phormium-seed should be sown similarly to onion-seed, but much thinner. When the plants are sufficiently strong they should be transplanted in rows, 4 ft. apart. Flax grown from seed takes from six to eight years to mature, according to climatic and soil conditions. After being cut or harvested, it is between three and four years before the next growth of leaves can be gathered.

SOFT-BOTTOMED DRAINS. ■“ Subscriber,” Hamilton : . .... - What is the best material to use for drains where the bottom is too soft for tiles ? ' . \ —' ' ■ . The Fields Division : If the subsoil is not too loose, but loose enough for the water to undermine the drainpipes, you could place the latter on 6 in.. by i in. boards laid carefully along the bottom of the loose-bottomed ditch. This supports the pipes. If thought necessary, the boards could be tarred to make them last. If, however, the ground is very loose, you had better construct fluming or boxing for the bad stretch of drain, the fluming being made of a size of boards that will suit the size of pipes employed. The joints between the fluming-ends and the pipes should be neatly jointed, plastic clay being used, if necessary, to seal the junctures. The fluming could be tarred to protect the wood if considered advisable.

SWELLING IN . SHEATH OF WETHERS. John E. Jennings, Motu, Gisborne • ' Could you advise me how best to treat what appears to be a stoppage or considerable swelling of the urethra in four-tooth or older wethers, resulting in bloodpoisoning and death in odd cases. The sheep are in forward condition, belly-wool much stained. The time would be before shearing, in October or later. The sheep are running on the Poverty Bay .flats. The Live-stock Division :■ —- * The swelling in the sheath is generally due to a decomposition of salts, &c., from the urine, and in some cases by foreign substances gaining access. Treatment consists in washing out the sheath and removing the deposit by means of an enema syringe and warm soapy water, then applying a little boracic ointment.

OATS FOR FEEDING AND CROP. “ Inquirer/' Nelson : I want to sow a paddock with. Dun oats (good land, partly drained swamp) with the intention of fattening a few lambs during late summer and autumn. If sown in the middle of December, could I then expect a crop the following year after being fed off ? If not, when is the earliest that it is safe to sow ? . The Fields Division If the oats are sown in the middle of December they would mature this season and would not carry over until the following year. If, however, you sow, say, about the middle of February, you could feed them off two or three times, and then let them go to provide a crop for next year. We would advise your feeding the oats off each time well before there is any danger of them heading out, yet at the same time letting them go to provide good growth for feeding off. Also allow sufficient growth to take place before the frosts of winter set in, so as to carry them through. This can be regulated by judicious feeding-off. •* J

CONTROL OF TUTU AND BUSH-LAWYER, ETC. “ Overrun,” Roxburgh :

You would be rendering me considerable assistance by giving information on the following:—

1. Tutu : Any method of dealing with it on a large scale on a run, or minimizing its bad effects. 2. Bush-lawyer : Also any method of dealing with it on a very large scale on a run. Sheep continually get hung up in it. 3. A handy torch for burning on a large scale.

The Fields Division :

1. Tutu is very difficult to eradicate. After cutting, the underground stems rapidly shoot up again. If there is only a small quantity to deal with, grubbing the plants may be undertaken, but where present on a large scale, cutting and burning is the only method to adopt. On heavily stocked ground tutu may be crushed out, but of course strange stock will suffer. After burning, grass-seed should be sown, because when there is an abundance of young grass tutu is generally not eaten. 2. Cutting and burning is the only method to adopt with bush-lawyer. Spraying with some poisonous mixture might be tried, but would probably be too expensive and then not effective, so it could not be advised. 3. There are some torches for burning on the market, but none are a success, mostly on account of expense. The best way is to have a rough torch of rags or bagging soaked in kerosene or fat.

ABERDEEN-ANGUS BEEF.

“ Tassy,” Smithton, Tasmania :

Does the Aberdeen-Angus and its crosses make a suitable and profitable carcase for export purposes ? Is there any objection to the yellow-coloured fat ?

The Live-stock Division :

There is nothing better for export purposes than an Aberdeen-Angus cross, either with Shorthorn or Hereford. The yellow-coloured fat referred to must be due to some other cause-, as it is certainly in no way due to this particular breed of cattle.

LUCERNE-GROWING FOR HARD-PAN CONDITIONS S. Harold Wilson, Waituna,. Waimate :

Would you advise me as to the method of growing lucerne on a cold soil with a hard subsoil ?

The Fields Division :—■

A cold soil with a hard subsoil is not suited for successfully growing lucerne. However, if you care to try the crop you could prepare a small area on the following lines : Assuming that the surface soil has previously been in potatoes, roots, or some other cleaning-crop,-plough with a single-furrow plough about 6 in. deep in the opposite direction to the last ploughing, and in every furrow use another singlefurrow plough with the mouldboard removed and with the wing of the share knocked off. This tears up the more or less stiff subsoil. Having thus ploughed and subsoiled your ground, apply i to i| tons of ground burnt lime per acre, and work this in with the disk and tine harrows. The growing of a crop of peas and ploughing this under will be of decided benefit on your type of land. The lucerne could be sown in about a month after turning under the peas. When working up the land for the crop of lucerne apply about 3 cwt. per acre of soil that has already grown the crop successfully. Apply and work this in with the harrows in the evening when the light is obscure or during an overcast day. As manure for the peas use 1 cwt. basic superphosphate and 1 cwt. blood-and-bone manure, applied the same day as mixed, When sowing the lucerne apply 2 cwt. basic superphosphate assuming that you have previously manured the peas. The Partridge or the Prussian Blue pea would be suitable. We would advise your trying for a start not more than 1 acre of lucerne, for which you will require 15 lb. to 20 lb. per acre of Marlborough-grown (colonial) seed. We are afraid, however, that the iron-stone pan which exists at Waituna will interfere with the successful growth of the crop.