ANSWERS TO INQUIRIES.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume XXI, Issue 4, 20 October 1920, Page 217

ANSWERS TO INQUIRIES.

IN order to ensure reply to questions, correspondents must give their name and address, not necessarily for publication, but as a guarantee of good faith. Letters should be addressed to the Editor.

TREATMENT FOR COW-POX.

0. W. G., Appleby : — I have a cow which some three months ago suffered from an affection of the teats. It first appeared in the form of red pimples, which after a day or two turned into small sores ; these in turn lasted about a week or ten days and then dried up. The cow has just come in afresh, and I find that the complaint has returned. Please advise. ■ . " ■

The Live-stock Division

From the description we judge that your cow is suffering from cow-pox. Apparently the teats only are affected in this case ; usually some lesions are found on the udder itself. Except from the initial feverish stage, and the pain brought about by the handling of the teats, the cow suffers very little, and the disease has no detrimental effect on the general health. Treatment should be directed to the healing of the sores. The milking should be done in as gentle a manner as possible. Where the teats are very sore a milking-tube might be used, care being taken, however, to keep the tube thoroughly clean. Boiling for five minutes. before use is recommended. The teats should be bathed twice daily with a hot weak solution of washing-soda, carefully dried, and a little of the following ointment applied : Oxide of zinc 2 drams, carbolic acid J dram, oil of eucalyptus J dram, lard to 2 oz. As the trouble is contagious the cow should be handled last, or one person only allowed to attend to her.

TREATING BLOOD FOR FERTILIZER. J. C., Taumarunui: —

I have an opportunity of obtaining a quantity of blood from the local slaughterhouse. What would be the best mode of treating it to make it applicable as a manure ? .

The Fields Instruction Branch :—

For small lots there are two . methods that may be used : (1.) Put the blood into a jacketed metal container with an open top, and dry it either by steam or boiling water in contact with the outside of the vessel containing the blood. An ordinary large copper partly filled with water will serve the purpose very well, and into this you may put the vessel containing the blood. It is better to heat slowly, and stirring is an advantage also. Keep up the amount of water in the outside vessel, to make up for the evaporation of steam. The fresher the blood the less offensive will be the process. To the blood should be added ferric-sulphate solution equal to about 1 part of dry sulphate to 100 parts of blood. This will prevent frothing when the blood is heated up, After the blood is coagulated and most of the moisture is driven off it can be allowed to drain (say, on galvanized iron) and dried under cover. Do not allow it to get wet. (2.) A simpler method would be to mix 1 to 3 parts of quicklime to 100 parts of blood, which converts the blood into a solid cake that can be dried in the air without any putrefaction. As a result you will have a mixture that breaks down into a powder, without any offensive smell. No special plant is required, and the final . mixture has a greater fertilizing value on account of the added lime. Moreover, when this product is added to the soil it decomposes more readily, and becomes . available to plants more quickly than the blood that has been treated with ferric sulphate.

IMMUNITY FROM WOOLLY APHIS

R. Brown, Waiau

Can you inform me if any research has been made in connection with the reasons why of two apple-trees of different varieties growing side by side one'is immune from damage by woolly aphis while the other is badly infested ?

The Horticulture Division

It is well known that certain varieties of apples are immune from attack by the woolly aphis. The reason for this immunity is a disputed, point. The most generally accepted theory is that the bark of immune varieties is too hard to be pierced by the proboscis of the insects. The insects certainly will attack the immune varieties through large abrasions of the bark, which seems to support this theory. It is recorded that the wood of the Winter Maj etin, a quite immune variety, has been analysed, and that it contains more lime than varieties that are affected by aphis. The additional lime might reasonably be expected to harden the wood. It is a fact that the wood of varieties that are most affected- by the aphis is very soft in comparison with that of -immune varieties. ' ' - - . ■ -

CONTROL OF GORSE.

“ Gorse,” Whareama :—

On my property there is a considerable quantity of gorse growing on the river-bank, the soil being a soft silty formation. In some places it has been fired and allowed to come away green again, while in other places it has never been burned. Our County Council has now declared gorse a noxious weed, and I would ask your advice as to the best means of coping with the trouble.

The Live-stock Division (Noxious-weeds Inspection) : —

On river-bed land composed of sandy silt the most satisfactory and lasting method is to grub the gorse and. put the land into cultivation for a few years, if it is possible to. do so. The grubbing destroys the original plants, and the subsequent cultivation destroys all young seedlings which show up during the first year or two 'after grubbing... The land should then be sown down with a heavy seeding of strong holding grasses.

CLEARING LAWN-GROUND OF GRASS-GRUB

“ Subscriber,” Oamaru

I wish to clear a small. piece of lawn ground of grass-grub, before resowing, and am anxious to know the mode of applying carbon bisulphide for soil-fumiga-tion. I should also like to be advised if, in trying lime-water, a saturated solution should be used.

The Biologist : — Really the best method of re-establishing an infested lawn is to keep the ground thoroughly cultivated during the months of October and November, and perhaps December, and then sow the grass-seed, provided water is available for watering the young grass. If no water is available, then the sowing should be delayed until the autumn. If this method is adopted no egg-laying will occur on the soft cultivated ground, and in consequence the grass will get a full year’s start before any infestation can take place. Dealing with the grubs in the ground with carbon bisulphide is fairly satisfactory, but will not prevent egg-laying on the young grass if sown about October .or November. Lime-water (saturated solution) will bring a good many grubs to the surface, but cannot be at all relied on as a method of control.

DIET, AND PROTRUDING RECTUM IN PIGS.

J. H. A., Manaia : — ' . . . ' ' I have some .small, store pigs some of which have the rectum protruding. They have been living on whey and turnips, and I have decided to change their food, thinking that this may be the cause of the complaint. I should be obliged for any information.

The Live-stock Division :—

A pig’s diet should contain substances to assist in bone-making, and contain also a reasonable amount of protein. Neither of the feeding-stuffs given by you contains either of these in sufficient quantity to be useful. You should replace the whey with skim-milk in the 'meanwhile, and supplement it with pollard and a proportion of grain and linseed. While not condemning turnips, they should only be given sparingly. The feeding-troughs should be kept thoroughly sweet, and the pigs in a dry, airy sty free from draughts. ■ The protrusion of the rectum should cease when you change the feed.

MOSS-INFESTED PASTURES.

Hill Eros., Piopio :—

We would like some information regarding moss-infested pastures. Our pastures were originally sown on bush clearings after firing, and have been grazed by sheep for the past dozen years. The land is hilly, and the climate very wet, with about' 120 in. of rain per annum. We have ploughed a few acres and put down in grass after taking off turnips or oats, but this land is still infested with moss of two or three varieties. We have tried top-dressing with raw ground carbonate of lime, up to 1 ton per acre, and obtained no results.

The Fields Instruction Branch :—

. Where pastures are infested with moss in a damp climate we would suggest that if possible the land be tine-harrowed and top-dressed with from 10 cwt. to 12 cwt. of burned or roche lime to the acre during the autumn, following with 3 cwt. of superphosphate to the acre during the following. September. If quicklime is not available two or three times the quantity of carbonate of lime might be used instead. Should the matter be urgent tine-harrow before and after broadcasting 3 cwt. of basic superphosphate to the acre. This should be done as early as possible, in order to get the benefit of the spring growth. «

STORING EGGS FOR INCUBATION.

“ Subscriber,” Mangere :—

What is the best method of storing eggs for the incubator ? Do you approve of the method of storing in bran, on the large end, to avoid turning daily ? Does blasting or thunder affect eggs that are being stored for setting ? The blasting in this case is taking place about half a mile away. ■

The Chief Poultry Instructor : —

One cannot do better than store such eggs in bran, but I prefer to have the small end down. There is no need to turn the eggs daily. Of course, if they are being kept for, say, a fortnight the position of the eggs should be changed at least twice during this time. It is often said that thunder spoils the hatchingqualities of eggs, but my experience does not bear this out. The blasting you mention is taking place too far off to injure the eggs in any way.

STOMACH TROUBLE IN CALF.

R. B. S., Pukehuia :—

I shall be glad to know what treatment, if any, could be given to a calf with the following symptoms : It was feeding quietly in the paddock, but suddenly started to run around, always to the right, until it fell down. On placing it on the left side it immediately struggled until getting on its right side again. There was a certain amount of froth at the mouth, nostrils distended, and eyes dilated. It seemed to be in agony for just on an hour, when I killed it.

The Live-stock Division :—-

The complaint described in your letter is frequently seen in young calves. It is due to acidity of the fourth stomach, causing coagulation of the milk in that organ, and giving rise to the symptoms described. .Treatment .is of very little use in this complaint, as usually the animal dies before it can be applied. As a preventive, however, a tablespoonful of lime-water can be given in the milk every time the animal is fed, with beneficial results.

GETTING RID OF WOODLICE

C. F. L., Henderson : —■

Would you kindly inform me of the best method of getting rid of woodlice on passion-fruit vines, orange-trees, and in a bed for raising tomato-plants ? Observation by lantern-light at night reveals hundreds of these insects on the passionfruit vines, which have been completely ring-barked ■ at intervals on the whole length of the vine. Young orange-trees are also being attacked in the same manner, while in the tomato-bed the woodlice are destroying the plants as fast as they show up. ... ... . . ...

The Horticulture Division :—

Woodlice will eat almost anything. Being night feeders they are rarely seen by . day unless disturbed. During the day they shelter in any dry place, under and among dry rubbish of any kind, including dry manure or hay. Box edgings often shelter them, and a favourite place is between or behind boards, especially those of a frame or greenhouse. Lacking a better place they will hide in cracks in the soil. Boiling water poured into crevices during daytime will destroy large numbers. Burn all loose rubbish, or, if of a kind that will decay, turn it over and pour water on it. Cultivate well and keep the place clean. Woodlice soon desert a place that is frequently disturbed. If it is convenient to give poultry the run of the place they will soon clear them out. Young chicks are greedily fond of them, and they are useful in a greenhouse ; so also are the native frogs. Woodlice (Oniscus ascellus) are not insects, but crustaceans belonging to the same order as crabs, lobsters, and crayfish.

THE CURRANT-BORER.

W. F. Pannett, Scargill

Will you kindly inform me as to the best method of destroying the grub which eats into the pith of the branches of currant-bushes ? While liable to affection currants are scarcely worth growing.

The Horticulture Division —

, No effectual means have been found for preventing attacks of the currant-? stem borer. Spraying with lime-sulphur is no doubt effective while it retains its strength, but it is more than doubtful whether a sufficiently strong solution could be applied while the bushes are in growth, and for a period no spraying is possible,. The fact remains that many growers are very successful with currants. • It is the black variety that is most attacked by borers and also that is most grown. The black currant will not succeed except on good land. It requires good cultivation, keeping the soil’free from weeds and frequently stirred, also liberal manuring, to cause good growth. The stooling form of bush is adopted because by this means new growths are thrown up from below the surface of the. soil. This makes it possible to frequently renew the bushes by cutting out wormy branches, which should always be burned to destroy the grubs.

TOP-DRESSING PASTURE.

W. H. E., Waihou

Will you kindly advise me as to the best time of the year to top-dress grassland with basic slag?' 'Which top-dressing manure do you consider gives the quickest results in the spring ? •

The Fields Instruction Branch :

The best time to top-dress pasture with a high-grade basic slag would be during, the month of May; it will be found that considerable benefit is derived by the extra growth in the. winter months. A top-dressing which gives the quickest return in the spring is superphosphate, applied at the rate of from 2 cwt. to 3 cwt. to the acre. , h

CLEARING GARDEN-LAND OF TWITCH

“ Twitch,” Westport : —

I have been trying to reclaim an old garden which had become infested with twitch, but find it almost impossible to break up. Could you advise as to its treatment ?

The Horticulture Division :—

There are two ways of clearing the ground of twitch. One is to break the land up and pick the roots out. If it is convenient to use a plough this would be the cheapest method. In such case the ground should be ploughed, then harrowed, and grubbed several times with a tooth cultivator. Most of the roots could be got out during one summer, and after that all stray roots should be taken out. If spade work is resorted to it would be best to trench the soil .to a depth of about .30 in., placing the top spit with twitch-roots in the bottom trench. Very little would again come to the surface, and clean cultivation would prevent further trouble. .