FACTS AND SCRAPS.

Hawke's Bay Weekly Times, Volume 2, Issue 65, 30 March 1868, Page 78

FACTS AND SCRAPS.

VARIEGATED MAIZE. The Australasian has the following paragraph:—We have been shown some specimens of the “ Zea Japonica, folyariegata,” grown by Mr Sims, of Brighton. This plant is new to the colony, and is likely to become fashionable, as particolored foliage is in almost as much favor as flowers just now. It has leaves striped like those of the the old fashioned rib grass, only more delicately colored, some of them being nearly white, and semi-transparent. It also bears a small cob of sweet corn, useful for culinary operations as practised in America. The seed was imported last year from England, by Messrs Law, Somner, and Co. THE HEW OAT BLIGHT IN AUSTRALIA.

A Western journal states that a new and most destructive species of blight has attacked the oat crops in the vicinity of Lispower, and at the farms situated near the Bald-hills, whence it is traced as far as Yarram

Yarram on the one side, and for a great distance amongst the farms to the north of the latter place, on the other. The flight referred to is a description of insect. Mr Elliot, who is the largest settler in the neighborhood where it was first observed, states that whole paddocks have been so completely destroyed that ihey are now being mown down x>r thrown open for cattle. In AWitte instances wheat has also; suffered

so badly that the scytheis at work, and the cattle admitted. Mr Petri, who lives hut a short; distance from the Hopkius-hill, states that his whole breadth of crop is completely destroyed. The ravages of the insect give the ear a prematurely ripe appearance, and on opening the leaves myriads of them are disturbed in nearly every instance.

TO PATTEN GEESE. ’ The Irish Farmers’ Gazette says The way to fatten geese is to put up three or four in a darkened room, and give each bird one pound of oats daily, thrown on a pan of water. In fourteen days they will be found almost too fat. Never shut up less than two together, as they pine if left alone,

BATTENING POULTRY. The London Field states that poultry, properly'fed, will acquire all the fatness needful for marketing purposes in a fortnight or three weeks at the most. Their diet should be Indian, oat, or barley meal, scalded in milk or water —the former is the best, as it will expedite the fattening process. They should be fed early in the morning, at noon, and also in the evening just before going to roost. A plentiful supply , of pure fresh.water, plenty of gravel and sliced cabbage or turniptops. If the fowls are required to be very fat, some trimmings of fresh mutton suet may be chopped up and scalded with their other food, or they may be boiled in milk alone and poured over the meal. This renders the flesh firmer than it otherwise would be. When fit to kill, feeding should be stopped for twelve hours or more, that the intestines may become comparatively empty.