ANSWERS TO INQUIRIES.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume XXX, Issue 4, 20 April 1925, Page 280

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. “ DEPRAVED APPETITE ” IN COWS. 1 T. Weatherall, Blue Spur :—- A : My cows are always chewing bones, and if any manure is spilt they will lick the ground where it has dropped. They have plenty of rock-salt, but will not touch it. Please inform me if there is anything I could give them, or is it the land that requires something ? The Live-stock Division :— Depraved appetite or “ pica ” is a common complaint m certain localities, more especially on light land. It most often occurs in pregnant animals, and occasionally in young stock. The condition is recognized as the result of an insufficiency of lime or soluble salts in the soil. This being the case, it naturally follows that treatment of the soil —in this way removing the cause the logical procedure. Top-dressing with salt, lime, superphosphate, or basic slag gives good results. In dealing with the animals the diet should be. as generous as possible. Crushed oats, bran, chaff, hay, or oaten sheaf should be fed. Once a day a handful of superphosphate should be given mixed in a feed, of crushed oats, bran, and chaff ; or, in .lieu of the superphosphate, bonemeal, charcoal, and salta handful of eachmay be given. FUNGUS DISEASE ATTACKING WALNUTS. “ Inquirer,” Morven :— .. . : Could you give me advice as to what I could do to prevent a blight that has attacked the walnuts here? I. am. sending some specimens. Even where the kernel is fully developed . it sometimes shows signs of the disease just beginning. Quite a number of the nuts are useless. The trees show small pockets on the leaves. " > The Horticulture Division:— The Biological Laboratory reports that these nuts are infected .with the fungus Aspergillus glaucus, a species not uncommon on the walnut and numerous other nuts. Little can be done in the way of remedial treatment, save to ensure that the nuts are thoroughly dried out before being stored. ■ PRESERVING HOME-MADE BUTTER. “Housewife,” Hedgehope.:—Could you tell me a way of preserving home-made butter other , than salting it down ; or any way to keep it that it will not taste salty when used ? The Dairy Division : — . ... The only really' effective way to ensure the minimum amount of deterioration in the quality of butter intended for keeping is to hold the butter in frozen storage. Actually, the addition of more than,' say, about | oz. of salt to the pound of butter only increases the salty taste, and does nothing towards preserving the butter. To make butter for keeping it is advisable to scald the cream directly after separation, and to cool it down at once to a temperature of about 6o° -F., or lower if possible. Then churn it not less than about six hours or more than .-twenty-four hours afterwards, and while the cream is still sweet to the taste. .. Store the butter in well-closed containers and in as cold a place as possible. .

HENS LAYING SOFT-SHELLED EGGS.

McDowell Bros., Mayfield : — Kindly tell us the reason why hens continue laying soft-shelled eggs. We feed them every morning with bran and pollard mash with a small proportion •of salt, and sometimes add a little burnt lime ; evening feed, wheat or oats mostly wheat. The hens get fresh water every morning and plenty of shell grit. They also have a good run-off on grass, clover, &c. They lay well, but softshelled eggs are the trouble. The Chief Poultry Instructor : — This disorder is generally the result of overfeeding forcing-foods, such as milk, meat, &c., or to the lack of lime as a shell-forming material, while in odd ■cases it may be due to some abnormal condition of the hen’s reproductive organs. .Seeing, however, that the ration provided is a plain one, and that ample sea-shell is available to the birds, it would appear that the usual causes of the trouble do not apply in your case. Evidently some local condition is responsible. In any case you are advised to discontinue adding burnt lime to the morning mash, as this may have an irritating effect on the ovary. Your best plan would be to leave the lime out in the weather till it becomes well broken down, after which the birds could be allowed to pick it when they desire. It may also be mentioned that as a shell-forming material fresh sea-shell is most desirable. Bleached shell, such as is often collected from the seashore, is not so good. There is nothmg better than crushed burnt bone as a shell-forming material.