Notes and Queries?

Otago Witness, Issue 4029, 2 June 1931, Page 46

Notes and Queries?

Questions for reply in the coming Issue of the Otago Witness must be received not later than SATURDAY Night. Questions will NOT be replied to through the post. Questions must be accompanied by the name and address of the writer, but a nom de plume may be adopted for publication. “ Curious,” Invercargill.—See answer to A. G. R. below. * Inquirer,” Otago, asks if two varieties of potatoes grown in rows close together will inoculate. No. “Puzzled,” Clinton, sends the measurements of two paddocks and wishes to know their areas.— —Paddock No. 1 contains 3} roods; paddock No. 2 (the five-sided figure) contains 7 acres 1J rood. '“Grateful,” Taieri, writes: “(1) Could you give me the words of the Canadian - boat song in which occur the words : From the lone shieling of the misty island Mountains divide us, and a waste of seas.

“Felix,” Oamaru, wishes to know how to remove spots (resembling mildew) from a nigger brown leatherette overcoat. They appear after getting the coat wet, and are gradually becoming worse. See answer to A. G. R. below. “Reader,” Napier, wishes to know (1) at what date Halley’s comet was first visible to the eye in New Zealand, and for what period it remained so; also (2) what comet preceded Halley’s comet, and when. (1) April 7, 1910. (2) Borelly’s comet in 1909. A. B. N., Wakatipu, wishes to know (1) if there is any sale for empty tobacco tins, such as Silver Fern and Bear’s tins, and how much a dozen or even a hundred they are. if there is any sale for them; and (2) who buys them, and where would they have to be sent to in the event of selling them. He has saved up between two and three hundred. We are not aware of any buyer of empty tobacco tins. * Scales,” Galloway, asks : “Is there a place in Dunedin where one could have a pair of butcher’s Invicta scales repaired ? If so, what is the address of same ? ” Any of the scale companies in Dunedin undertake repairing—-for instance, the Toledo Berkel Company, Water street; the Mercantile Industries, Dowling street; or Messrs Henry Berry, Moray place, the last-named being agents for the scales mentioned by our correspondent. “Inquirer” asks: “(1) What is the return fare from Bluff to Melbourne (steerage passage) ? (2) What is the distance between Melbourne and Adelaide, South Australia ? ” (1) £l2. 10s. There is no passenger service at present Bluff to Melbourne, and it is necessary to journey via Sydney. The fare Lyttelton to Sydney is £8 10s (single); rail Sydney to Melbourne, £2 13s. (2) Four hundred and eightythree miles by rail, or by sea 515 nautical miles. G. R. D., Lawrence, writes: “During the 1928 general election campaign the Hon. W. D. Stewart stated that the Reform Government had borrowed £29,650,000 for the three years prior to that date. Was this for the three current years prior to the 1928 electron or for three years immediately preceding the election ?■” If you will forward the reference from which the above figures are taken we will refer the question to the Hon, Downie Stewart, E. E. Wr, Oamaru, asks: “(1) Is the book ‘Needlework for All,’ published during the war, still obtainable, and, if so, what is the price and where can it be obtained ? (2) Is there any similar book on crocheting obtainable and, if so, what is- the price. (3) How is * beret ’ pronounced?” -(1) This book is published under the title “Needlework,” at Is per copy, and. is obtainable from Messrs Duncan and Simpson, Ltd., George street, Dunedin. (2) Knitting and Crochet,” at 6d per copy. (3) Bay-ray. “Inquirer,” Taumarunui, writes: “ Several steamers have had their tail shafts broken in adjacent southern seas. There are at least two prominent cases previous to.' the Tahiti, but I have forgotten their names. Could you supply dates, names, and, briefly, circumstances ? ” —The vessels which you have in jnind are probably the Perthshire and Monowai. The loss of their tail shafts occurred many years ago, and the dates, of the occurrence could be procured from the Marine Department, Wellington. “Hopeful,” West Plains, writes: “As my brother and I would like to correspond with young people from 15 to 18 years of age in Egypt, India, France, Samoa, and Hawaii, could you please let us know if it is possible to correspond with anyone in those places ?. If so, would you inform us as to where to address our letters to get correspondents in any of the above places ? ” Write to Mr Frank H. Bray, Box 1, Taihape, for a copy of the Oceana Collector, price 6d per copy. There is a list given of young stamp collectors in all parts of the world.

“Anxious,” Oamaru, writes : “ I have a heifer, which came in last week, and I was disappointed to find that only a very little milk comes from the two front teats. She gives a small halfbucket from the two back teats, which would be quite a good milking from a heifer if evenly distributed over the four teats.' As she., is a nice quiet Jersey, I should like to know if I could do anything to increase the flow

from the front teats so as not to snoil the shape of the udder. “Agricola ” replies : “ Nothing can be done apart from good feeding and care and thorough milking morning and evening.” “New Chum,” Southland.—ln the ordinary course a cow should be allowed to go dry at least six weeks before she calves again. If she is in poor condition she should have two months’ rest. To facilitate the drying up of the cow her milk-producing feed is reduced. Milk-producing foodstuffs are those containing a high percentage of protein, such as lucerne and clovers generally. At the same time the interval between the milking periods should'be extended—i.e., the cow should not be milked more than once daily, and after a while she should be milked every second day. As soon as she is producing 61b of milk per day the milking can be stopped. “Ignorant,’’ Lumsden asks: “(1) What effect has saleratus, which you recommend in the lightning method of tanning cow hides, upon hides? Does it tend to soften the hide ? The trouble I find with my hides is to get them to absorb oil. What is required is something to open the pores of the hide. Will you kindly enlighten me ? I think it is a trade secret. (2) What amount of saleratus is required ner gallon of water?” (1) Yes, saleratus has a softening tendency. (2) One pound to. four gallons of water. Saleratus is used as an ingredient in baking powders, and is an impure compound of bicarbonate of potash or sodium bicarbonate.

“ Silage,” Southland, wishes to know the best method to feed silage to cows in order to avoid tainting the milk. “Agricola ” replies : “ Silage odours are absorbed largely through the body of the cow rather than from the air, according to tests made by the Government Department of Agriculture, Michigan, U.S.A., but these odours may be practically or entirely removed by the aeration of the milk while it is still warm. Rather heavy feeds of silage may be made after milking without any undesirable flavours or odours passing into the milk. When green lucerne was fed in relatively large quantities one hour before milking marked flavours and odours were noticed in the milk, but when as much as 401 b a cow was fed after milking there was no effect on the milk from the next milking.

“ Tracery in Fungus.”—ln our illustrated pages we reproduce a photograph of -birdcage or basket fungus. This specimen was found in a Caversham garden, and was represented to be rare. It is really a very common white fungus of open country, resembling a hollow latticed sphere of four to six inches diameter, and goes by the name of basket fungus. Its true name is Clathrus cibarius. A variety found in the North Island is very much larger, specimens almost as large as a small football being far from rare. Similarly a much smaller species has been seen in Otago. The volva or egg in which the “ net ” develops is internally gelatinous. This breaks through the crust of the soil, and, rupturing, allows the net to expand. The spores adhere to the net in a brown evilsmelling slime, and are distributed by insects.

(2) If it is a fair question, "Who is ‘Marsyas’? (3) To come down from the sublime to the commoner things, a friend complains that her aluminium saucepan turns dark when she boils water in it. She cleans it with sandsoap. Has this something to do with it ?. We look on your column as a mine of information, much of which is valuable.”——(l) Perhaps some reader' can answer this request. (2) Mr D. W. M. Burn. (3) The Home Science Extension Bureau kindly replies : “It is almost certain that" the reason for the saucepan’s turning dark is the use of the sandsoap for cleaning it, sandsoap being an alkali which has a corroding effect on aluminium. Aluminium should.never be cleaned with an alkali, but with a dilute acid, such as lemon juice or vinegar. As a proof, note that after . fruit has been cooked in an aluminium saucepan the saucepan is remarkably clean and shiny.”

C. H., Woodside, writes : “ The leaves °£ S / OI ? e m Y gooseberry bushes fell off (about Christmas), leaving the fruit undeveloped and useless. Could you give me a cure? ” “Agricola ” replies: It is practically impossible to determine the reason for gooseberries failing to mature, as any moderately good sod will grow this fruit, though they do best on what is considered as good a egetable garden soil. The gooseberry, however, does not succeed if grown in a very warm place, and it is probable tnat lack of moisture during the development of the fruit has caused the leaves to fall off. Crowded bushes are a mistake and wasteful, as they bear good fruit oniy on the outside. When pruning established bushes the aim should be to keep the centre open so that the sun can reach all parts of the bush, and to keep the growths far enough apart to enable easy gathering r the fruit. If there is no disease (and this cannot be told unless a specimen is submitted for examination) it is more than likely due to too much moisture or too little.”

E. H., Waikouaiti, writes : “ This season there are numerous grubs and weeds in my garden soil. In order to destroy these I have been placing a quantity of soil in. a kerosene tin, and heating it to a high temperature for a day in an oven before using the soil for potting plants and seedlings. Is this method liable, to take the nourishment out of the soil ? If so, what fertiliser should I use to remedy this, and what quantity would be required for each

kerosene tinful of soil ? ” “Agricola * replies : “ Merely heating the soil would not harm the soil in so far as its fertility is concerned, but if made redhot so that strong-smelling smoke is seen' to arise we have ; evidence that there is a loss of the organic matter of the soil, which is formed of the decaying remains of plants and animals. That part of a soil which is thus dissipated contains fertilising ingredients plus water, and heating would tend to exhaust one or more valuable substances. If the soil should run short of any ingredient of plant food it, of course, must be replaced, but an excess of one substance will not make good the deficiency of another, so it is difficult to advise. In the circumstances it is suggested that you mix the soil (which may or may not be more or less rendered barren or sterile as a result of being subjected to high temperatures) with, say, good fresh bush soil or -well-rotted turf, half and half. Later on you can fertilise the plants with weak liquid manure.”

A. G. R., Otama, writes: “I have a leather coat (sheepskin), soft as kid, chocolate colour, but it has become car soiled at elbows and back, though otherwise is in a thoroughly good state. Could you recommend anything I could rub all over it to revive it, or give me any information on the subject ? ” The following general rules for cleaning leather should meet your case; If you are very fond of the coat, of course you can have it retanned, in which case it will look like new. Polished leather coats should be cleaned about once a week with a sponge squeezed almost dry of warm water. The leather should then be rubbed dry with a clean cloth and polished, preferably with a velvet pad. Occasionally a good leather polish should be applied. Leather polishes which are expensive if bought from a saddler can be jnade quite cheaply at home. Mix a quarter of a pint of boiled water with half a pint of malt vinegar and bring idr of softsoap, and of gelatine, almost to the boil. Add loz of glue, and stir until quite dissolved. Then boil the solution for a quarter of an hour. Strain through muslins into jars and cool. This makes a universal polish suitable for all kinds of leather. The deeper the polish the greater the protection it affords to the leather. A coat may also be sponged thoroughly all over with a weak solution of ammonia water. When dry rub a light coating of leather polish on to the leather and polish well with a soft cloth. The leather will then be renewed. If a coat is just soiled, generally the following will be found to be an excellent reviver:—Mix two parts of linseed oil with one part of vinegar, and rub on the coat with a soft rag. This is good for any leather article. Here are three ways of keeping the shabby look at bay indefinitely. The first is suitable for red or other gaycoloured coats which show spots readily : (a) Spread the coat and wring a flannel out of cold water (wring nearly dry), and rub the leather very lightly and briskly’ over, as evenly as possible, keeping all the strokes in one direction. Any part that is specially soiled must have extra attention, but do not allow one part to become much wetter than the. next, and do not rub so heavily that the leather is stretched at all. Any soiled crease that will not respond to this treatment may be lightly- rubbed with glove soap and quickly sponged off. The coat must then be suspended upon a stick, which is run through both sleeves, and tied to the clothes rope out in the open air until dry, whe n it must be polished over with a soft cloth, (b) The second method is suitable for any darker leather. It is very similar to above, but saddler’s soap and water is used .instead of clear cold water. The soap must be rubbed on to a soft cloth or mixed into a basin of water and the flannel squeezed out of it. This is the most simple method, and usually satisfactory-. (c) The third is for brown, black, or dark blue coats that have a shiny finish, and they should be cleaned with leather polish or cream, very sparingly applied with a soft cloth, and polished off as one would a shoe. Of course, only a white or clear cream should be used. One thing to rememberis that the water treatment will not be of any use after the coat has been treated with cream or polish, as the oil in the polish prevents it having any effect. If the colour has worn off, as it sometimes does round the buttonholes or pocket tops, the edges can be treated in the following fashion:—When an egg has been broken for cooking take away a very little of the white. Then ■with a small brush paint the worn patches on the leather with this. -The egg will dry on the skin in an invisible film, which for a long while will prevent any further wear at that particular spot. The general appearance of the worn parts will be very much improved. In the case of coloured leather where the tinting has worn off use water-colour paints or leather dye to set matters right. Then coat with the white of egg.. Leather which has become dark and greasy may be enormously- improved by gentle rubbing with fine sandpaper. Thick gloves made of rough leather ca n be wonderfully restored in this way. For cleaning patent leather there is nothing to equal milk. White leather and suede can be restored with a mixture of bran and benzine. Make a naste as thick as porridge, and spread this over the article. Allow- it to dry, and then shake away, finally dusting with a soft brush. All the dirt will come away with the dry bran. Remember that benzine should not be used where there is a naked light, as the fumes which it gives out are very inflammable.