ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume XIII, Issue 5, 20 November 1916, Page 415

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.

LOSS OF CUD IN COW. “ Subscriber,” Owaka Valley, Otago : Would you please inform me of a remedy for loss of cud in a cow. About the middle of June I turned this cow with three others into the native bush and let them run there for five or six weeks. , This cow and another one came out, and I reckoned they had bush , fever—viz., loss of power in the hind quarters (staggering)—but otherwise in good condition, so I turned them on turnips. One got apparently all right, but this one, though she is milking fairly well’, I have never seen chew the cud ; she just stands and grinds her teeth as if she were trying to get the cud. Of the other two cows I turned into the bush, one never came out, so I presume she died of bush-fever ; the other one was all. right. ■' The Live-stock Division : The complaint in this case is probably due to the cow eating the leaves of a shrub known as hinahina (Melicytus ramiflorus), the action of which is supposed to produce a certain paralysis of the walls of the stomachs, thereby diminishing their peristaltic action; .' Treatment consists in giving the cow an aperient drench —Epsom Salts J lb., ground ginger 2 teaspoonfuls, mixed in a quart of thin gruel. A course of nerve-tonics should then be followed, such- as the following Nux vomica 2 drams, pulv. anisi. 6 drams, pulv. lini. 2 oz. (to be obtained from a chemist); a sixth part to be given every other day, mixed in a little feed or in a quart of gruel. The animal should be pastured on young succulent feed, but not to such length of time as to cause her to be blown. . . BORER IN FRUIT-TREES. . . . M. J., Tarewa : ' \ ’ ' ' . ' Will you kindly let me know if there is a cure for the borer in. fruit-trees ? :. The Horticulture Division :- ' . ; To prevent borer affecting fruit-trees it is. necessary to keep the bark of the tree free of moss and lichen, and to guard against dead wood, snags, &c., through which the borer invariably finds entry. Cut away all wood already affected, if such is practicable without permanent injury to the tree. Treat affected branches that are too large to be removed by- injecting a little benzine (by. means of an ordinary oil-can) into the cavity in which the grub is located, and plug the hole with soap or clay. /.-I . 1. PIG-FATTENING FOODS. A. Hill, Gisborne Kindly inform me which is the cheapest food for pig-fattening—ricemeal at A, ios., or pollard at £6. The Live-stock Division :

- : The analysis is slightly in favour of the ricemeal at J 4 10 s. Possibly better results will be obtained from pollard, especially if supplemented with crushed grain or almost any kind of meal to finish off.

ERADICATING BURR-CLOVER

W. A. A. Ryder, Riwaka :- I have a piece of heavy clay land infested with spotted burr-clover. It had been sown in grass, but this weed smothered it, and now the ground is covered with the seed burrs of last yearls crop. lam ploughing under the present growth as green manure. Kindly advise as to the best method of ridding the soil of this weed. . , . The Fields Division : The only feasible way of getting rid of burr-clover is ploughing it under before the seeds form, and keeping the land cultivated periodically with a spring-tooth cultivator as the clover-plants appear. Frequent and timely cultivation is the line along which you should work.

GRAFTING ORANGES. “ Subscriber/' Opua, Bay of Islands : I should be very pleased if you would tell me the best month for grafting oranges. Also, should the scion be taken off the tree and buried, or can I take the scion straight from the tree ? The Horticulture Division : September is the best time for grafting oranges or lemons. It is not necessary to take the scions off the tree that is to be propagated till the grafting is to be done. The citrus family differ in this respect to the ordinary deciduous fruit-tree. Good scions can always be selected from any well-grown tree. Select a portion with not less than three buds on it. Take it, if possible, from a branch that has borne fruit, choosing well-ripened round wood. Avoid using the angular unripened portions. Cover the union and top of stock with grafting-wax as soon as possible after the operation. If grafting old trees where the branches have to be cut back.to thick wood, use the rind graft ; if young trees, the ordinary whip graft. Budding in the autumn, however, is the most successful method of propagating young trees. HORSE WITH CHRONIC COUGH. C. C. E., Oxford : I have a gelding that is affected with a very severe cough. The trouble is of long standing, but until recently the cough was not distressing. Lately the horse has been so bad that at times he is quite off his feed, and is not in a fit condition for ordinary work. Apparently the irritation is in the lungs, for when a coughingfit comes on the stomach works and contracts like that of a broken-winded animal. Otherwise the horse is perfectly healthy, has a good skin, and is in very fair condition. Can you tell me the cause, and suggest a remedy for the cough ? The Live-stock Division : We should advise you to obtain the services of a qualified veterinary surgeon, who would determine the cause of the cough. From the symptoms given in your letter it is impossible to say whether the lungs or larynx are affected, and treatment would consist accordingly. In many cases of chronic cough a tablespoonful of cod-liver oil mixed in the feed twice daily has proved beneficial. All hard feed must be damped. - ' ' . . MANURE FOR LEMON-TREES. “ Anxious,” New Lynn, Auckland : Please let me know what you consider the best manure to give lemon-trees that are twelve years old. They have been bearing very consistently. I have manured them from time to time, but do not know whether I have given enough. They have a good crop on just at present, but the fruit is small; otherwise the trees look all right

The Horticulture Division :

The best manure for the purpose is well-rotted stable manure, if such is available, but where it is not the following is recommended : Bonedust or blood and bone 5 lb., superphosphate i| lb. to 2 lb., sulphate of potash 2 lb., per tree.

SHELTER-TREES. “ Pinus,” Albany : What -is the best manure to use for pine-seeds ? I tried to grow some muricata pines from seed last October, and although a lot came up most have gone sickly and died. Which are the best shelter — muricata pine or macrocarpa ? The Horticulture Division : Both Pinus muricata and Cupressus macrocarpa make excellent shelter, and which to plant is mainly a matter of individual choice. The former is the hardier tree, whilst the latter is preferable for bottom shelter. There should be no necessity to use manure in raising pine-seeds. A well-worked finely prepared soil is the main thing necessary. In your locality the seed would be better sown early in September, and it might be found necessary later. to shade the young plants from the sun. ERADICATING TAUHINU. —LUCERNE ON STREAM-EDGES. “ Runholder,” Kaikoura :- 1. When is the best time to burn the shrub tauhinu in order to kill it without unduly damaging the tussock ? Would rolling with a heavy roller have the effect of checking the growth, and breaking to assist burning where undergrowth is not sufficiently thick ? 2. If allowed to become established for about six months, will lucerne, sown, broadcast in shingle and sandy soil on edges of a stream where white clover thrives, stand feeding for any length of time if not fed too hard ? Would the feed compensate for the seed ? The Fields Division : 1. Towards the end of March would be the best time to burn off the shrub, tauhinu in order to kill it and cause a minimum of damage to the tussock. Rolling, where feasible, would have some effect in checking the growth and breaking to assist burning, particularly where tallish tauhinu is encountered. 2. As to whether, or not the six-months-old lucerne will stand feeding off to. any extent, and the feed compensate for the expenditure on seed, depends upon the extent of growth put up by the lucerne, which in turn depends upon the quality of the soil. If the soil is of fair quality and clovers grow well in it, a satisfactory stand of lucerne in all probability can be obtained in six or seven months’ time, particularly if soil that has already grown the crop successfully is used for inoculating the soil. In the event of the lucerne becoming established, for the sake of' the future productiveness of the crop it would not be wise to graze it for long, with sheep especially. Even under conditions of good soil-fertility, where lucernewould have every chance, it is not advisable to graze, except for a short period, in the first year of growth. In fact, grazing in the first year is a doubtful factor.

NON-BEARING LEMON-TREE. “ Subscriber,” New Plymouth : Kindly tell me the possible. cause of a lemon-tree not bearing which has been, planted about three years ago. Flowers come on, but no fruit. The tree has. grown well, and has had a lot of seaweed and basic slag mixed with the soil, which, is black loam. ■

The Horticulture Division :

Lemons when grown in a climate not highly suitable are invariably shy in setting fruit when young, but unless such adverse conditions are excessive age will probably overcome the difficulty.