ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume XIV, Issue 5, 21 May 1917, Page 411

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.

IN every instance a question to which an answer is desired in the Journal 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.

WIND-GALLS IN YOUNG HORSES. W. Stanton, Victoria Valley: I have a young mare rising five years, part thoroughbred, and in splendid condition. She has had very little work and none at all in harness. She is now showing wind-galls on every leg'—worst on the front legs. How do you account for it, and what is the cure ? .

The Live-stock Division : Many cases of wind-galls in young horses which have not done much work are due to a predisposition. The following treatment is recommended : Apply cold water for about one minute to each leg by means of a hose or watering-can, rub dry with a cloth and massage with the hands. A dry flannel bandage should then be applied fairly tight, with a slight packing of cotton-wool or tow in the hollow between the bone and the back tendons, the idea being to'get .an even pressure of the bandage all round and especially on the bursal enlargements. This treatment should be followed up once or twice a day, and continued for some time after the enlargements have disappeared. In obstinate cases a blister should be applied.

SPENT BREWERY-HOPS FOR GARDEN. “ Inquirer/' Reefton : Would brewers' hops (residues after brewing) be of any value as a garden manure', and how would they be best applied ? If of any value,, would it be advisable to use them fresh, or should they be left to rot ?

The Horticulture Division ■ Spent hops from a brewery are useful for garden purposes. The value probably lies more in the mechanical effect they exercise on the soil than as a manure. The hops should be exposed to the weather several' months before being used. The most beneficial way to employ spent hops is as a summer mulch, digging them in after the hot weather has passed.

ERADICATING PASPALUM. “ Retlaw,” Kawhia : Do you think that summer fallowing would have good effect in eradicating ■paspalum ; or what steps would you suggest ? There is about half an acre overrun with it in a paddock that I wish to put turnips in next year.

The Fields Division : We would suggest winter ploughing of the 'paspalum; followed by summer cultivation, with taking up and burning of the roots. Delay the sowing of the turnips as late in the season as possible, and in this way you might get a good crop even if the paspalum was not killed with the summer treatment. It is more than probable that paspalum will again establish itself after the turnip crop, as paspalumfields are always full of seeds that germinate readily after the ground has been well worked. . . ;

BORER AND BLACK APHIS IN ORANGE-TREES. A. R., Opotiki:— lam much troubled with the borer in my orange-trees. Also the young shoots of the trees are simply covered with another —the black aphis. Would you kindly supply information regarding remedies.

The Horticulture Division : ' In the case of borer, all dead twigs should be removed. Weedy growths in the centre of the tree are liable to die because of insufficient light and air, and such growths should also be removed. When a borer has entered a twig the twig should be "cut off below the point of entry, as the borer always works downwards, at least in the first place. When a borer has entered wood that is too thick to be cut off inject in the hole sufficient benzine to fill it. A small oil-can will answer the purpose. A piece of wire pushed down the hole may kill the borer. After treatment stop the hole with clay, or a spill of wood. If a tree is very badly affected in the old wood the tree should be somewhat severely headed back, in order to induce new growth, a treatment that orange-trees readily respond to. . The black aphis may be destroyed by spraying with vistolene or “ Black Leaf 40,” the latter in the proportion of 1 part to 300 of water.

RENEWING A PASPALUM - PADDOCK. “ Welcome Bay,” Tauranga : Will a paspalum-paddock stand fire ? And what is the best means of renewing such a paddock when it has been down a number of years ?

The Fields Division : ' Paspalum, if it has been let get away in the summer, carries a fire fairly well, but generally the large amount of young growth. amongst the older dried herbage stops the fire from burning rapidly enough to secure a clean burn. Burning does paspalum no harm ; in fact, it does it good. .It is presumed your paspalumpaddock has got sod-bound, a condition regularly occurring in old-established fields. Some method of cultivation is necessary to open up the ground. If disking can be done it should be carried out, but in many cases if the turf is thick the disks will not enter the ground, but simply ride over the clumps of grass. If disking does 'turn up the ground at all it will be found to give good results. If the ground can be ploughed at all satisfactorily and then worked down, a sowing of Italian rye-grass should be made, using about 141b’ There will be no need to sow any paspalum, as, apart from the old plants remaining, there will be an abundance of seed in the ground. The rye-grass will provide valuable feed till such time as the paspalum has become vigorous again.

CLUB-ROOT IN TURNIPS. E. H., Kaimata : I have a crop of 6 acres of swedes, and the whole field is more or less affected with club-root. Can you tell me anything about the cause of the disease, and whether the whole crop is likely to be an absolute failure ?

The Fields Division : Club-root is a disease caused by a minute organism belonging to what are known as the slime fungi. The roots become affected, and immense numbers of spores are developed in the clubbed portions. The spores are liberated into the ground when the diseased portions rot, and they may remain alive in the soil for several years, affecting any crops of the turnip family that may be grown on the same ground. Stock also spread the spores on their feet, and possibly also in their droppings. Control is extremely difficult, although theoretically simple enough. The organism develops only in acid soils, and the neutralization of such soils with lime has long been the standard method of prevention. Liming has, however, to be very heavily carried out, and its preventive effects are not apparent for two or more seasons after application. Still, the liming of all country subject to clubroot is an excellent policy. In your district, where the soil is somewhat light, very heavy dressings are not advisable, and carbonate rather than burnt lime should

be used. The avoidance of acid manures is recommended, and superphosphate should be replaced with basic superphosphate, basic phosphate, or basic slag. It is quite probable that your crop will not suffer very badly, but you should look over the field from time to time, and unless a considerable portion of the roots are rotting you might stock in the usual manner. ' If, however, the crop is rotting badly it will be well to feed off as soon as possible. Neither the ground, if badly affected, nor the run-off from the crop should be used for any turnip or rape growing for some seasons. The best plan would be to lay down in . grass for several years, previously liming the ground with 2 tons of carbonate of lime per acre.. Very often a crop may be quite generally affected, but the clubbed portions remain small and do not seriously interfere with growth. In cases of severe attack, however, the whole crop may be destroyed.

STAGGERS IN HORSE. T. B. M., Pahiatua : I have a valuable half-draught mare, and have been caused considerable anxiety through her taking what appeared to be a fit a few days ago. She started trembling, with eyes flickering, and a watery discharge from her nostrils. She then staggered badly and hobbled down the paddock. On reaching the corner she fell,' and lay panting and groaning for about five minutes, after which she got up apparently not much the.worse for the attack. I should be obliged for information regarding the trouble, and cure for same.

The Live-stock Division : Staggers, or megrims, is a congestion, of the brain, which consists of an accumulation of blood in the vessels—or engorgement. It may be produced by any mechanical obstruction which prevents the proper return of blood through the veins to the heart, such as a small or ill-fitting collar. Organic lesions of the heart, with regurgitation, are at times responsible for this complaint. Extremely fat animals with short necks are particularly subject to attacks. In many instances an attack of staggers can be attributed to a form of indigestion, and such being the case a horse which has once been affected should always receive careful dieting •bran mash occasionally, and feed not too heating. Treatment consists, when the attack is on, in applying cold water to the head. After recovering, the horse should be bran-mashed that day, and a dose of physic given the next morning.

CONTROL OF CALIFORNIAN THISTLE IN BROKEN COUNTRY. Alfred W. Babbage, Hauturu : • ' Please inform me as to the best way of getting rid of Californian thistle on hilly country. Cutting only keeps it in check and does not kill it.

The Fields Division : On bush country where no method of cultivation can be carried out little can be done in the control of Californian thistle apart from cutting. Certain work can be carried out that should reduce the weed, but it is doubtful whether the expenditure necessary can be recovered. The fencing-in of definite areas that are bad, and heavy stocking with cattle' from time to time during the summer, does a great deal of good, but is, if anything, more expensive than cutting. By far the most satisfactory method of control is the encouragement of vigorous wintergrowing grasses on. the patches themselves. If this can be done the trampling of stock over the ground during the dormant season of the thistle will tend to thicken up the sole of the grass and render conditions for the growth of the thistle unfavourable. The difficulty, of course, is to get the grasses properly established, and certain ones, such as prairie, which is excellent for the purpose, cannot be established unless a good seed-bed and plenty of soil cover is provided. The sur-face-sowing of Italian rye-grass and cocksfoot on patches might, however, be carried out. If the ground is more or less danthonia country the use of this grass on the patches after an autumn burn is suggested. The ground might be burnt over each autumn, which would get rid of the dry herbage, and as danthonia recovers rapidly good winter feed is secured, especially for sheep. If plenty of cattle are available it is better to heavily stock with them in the autumn rather than adopt the burning method.

TOP-DRESSING ALLUVIAL FLAT “ Waimate,” Port Waikato

In autumn last year I top-dressed an alluvial flat with 5 cwt. of bonedust to the acre. The results this past summer were not as good as I expected. What would you advise, as a top-dressing next spring ? The ground was rather wet and rushy. ■ Last winter I put several open drains through it, which ran strongly all the summer and kept the land quite dry in spite of the wet season. .

The Fields Division : . . . Bonedust is a slow-acting phosphatic manure, and does not give striking immediate results. Your land probably requires lime, and manures will not give their full effect until lime has been supplied. You are recommended to apply either ground lime or crushed limestone, in quantity not less than 15 cwt. per acre of ground lime or 1 ton crushed limestone. This should be done any time, say, before the end of August. Superphosphate, 2 cwt. per acre, following the lime application, say, in early September, should result in a very satisfactory growth. The lime and the bonedust should continue to exercise a beneficial effect for several years. ■

TREATMENT FOR BLOWN COWS. ' A. J. Blackmore, Shirley, Christchurch : Several cows in this district have died through getting blown.. Kindly advise the treatment you would recommend for the trouble. .

The Live-stock Division : The following drench should be made up and; be ready to give as soon as a cow is found to be blown : Linseed-oil, i| pints ; powdered charcoal, | oz. ; sal volatile, 1 oz. As a help to liberate the . gases from the stomach a piece of stick to act as a gag can be fastened in the cow’s mouth by means of a rope over the head. Also a brisk rub with a wad of straw over the surface of the swelling will be found beneficial. Should the cow be found in a bad state and unable to rise, the stomach should be punctured by means of a trocar and canula, failing which a long narrow knife with a sharp point can be used. The stab must be made on the left side, at an equal distance between the hip-bone, last rib,, and the short rib. After the gases have been allowed to escape the wound can be left open for twentyfour hours, when a pitch plaster should be adjusted thus : Paint six strips of linen with hot pitch ; reheat with a hot shovel, apply in star fashion over the wound, and paint over the whole surface with hot pitch. The hair round the wound must be dry, otherwise the pitch will not adhere. . 1 ~ ... .. - 1 - /

SPRAYING FOR GORSE-DESTRUCTION, ETC. Gorse,” Wyndham ' Has your Department carried out experiments in the spraying of gorse ? It would be a real boon to settlers in many parts of the Dominion if some spray were found that would destroy it at a cheaper rate than the continual grubbing that has to be done where it cannot be ploughed. Was the American spray that was to destroy the prickly pear in New South Wales a failure ?

The Fields Division : ' Spraying gorse with arsenic and soda has not given satisfactory results. However, if the gorse is well cut down and burnt, the spraying of the young fresh growth with this compound checks it, and if persevered in would finally .eradicate the weed ; but the expense is greater than grubbing. The arsenious-oxide spray used for prickly pear has been a great success in Australia. The Department has imported a small experimental plant, but its effects on the ordinarylocal noxious weeds have not yet been demonstrated.

Note.—lf “ H.,” Little River, will supply his or her name a reply will be sent to inquiry regarding poultry trouble.