Notes and Queries

Otago Witness, Issue 4030, 9 June 1931, Page 44

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 bo adopted for publication. “ Curious,” Oamafu, writes : “ In a game of 500 I go no trumps. In my hand I hold the following cards (clubs) : — Ace, queen, jack. 10, and joker. If I play the ace first, can I then play the joker and call for clubs, and then follow with the queen, etc.? ” Yes. 44 Inquirer,” Round Hill, writes : “ I have two paid-up bonds in the third issue of N.Z. Perpetual Forests, Ltd. (Smith, Wylie, and Co.), and I wish to sell them. To whom should I apply for particulars regarding same ? ” Send particulars to the head office of the company, Box 672, Auckland. “Curious,” Gore, asks : (1) Is it legal to take tickets in the Irish Sweepstake ? (2) If so. where do they sell them and what is the price of a ticket ? (3) Could you tell me at what age ducks should start to lay when fed under natural conditions ?”■ (1) Yes. (2) We are not aware of any established agencies. (3) About six months old. “ Hops,” Otago, in extolling the value of spent hops, asks in what manner they fertilise the soil. “Agricola” replies : “ Spent hops from a brewery are useful for garden purposes. Their value probably lies more in the mechanical effect they exercise on the soil than as a manure. Hops should be used after a considerable period of exposure to the weather. The most beneficial way o employ spent hops is’ as a summer mulch, digging them in after the hot weather has passed.” “Coins,” Hakataramea, writes : “I have a collection of coins which may interest someone. Could you put me into touch with anyone 'who may be interested in coins ? Different people have told me that my collection is rather unique, and as I have never before troubled to get into touch with any collectors would like to get an opinion. As I have several duplicates, probably someone may care to exchange with me.” Communicate with Messrs Wilcox, Smith, and Co., Liverpool street, Dunedin.

“Curious,” Pleasant Point, writes ; “(1) I have an almond tree, and last year was the first year that it had nuts on, but when only half-formed they fell off. Could you please tell me the cause and cure ? (2) Does the almond tree require pruning? (3) Will cinerarias live outside during winter ? (4) What will kill green fly on cinerarias ? I had some cinerarias given to me, and the biggest and best plants had green fly. I spent hours picking them off, but notice a few yet on them. (5) Of what use is the decomposed rubbish from the wood chopping block in the garden ? We have been using willow or pine wood for over 20 years, and the wood pile has always been in the one place. Sawdust, chips, etc., have just lain and rotted. We never use coal, and all the wood ashes are put on the garden. (6) Can I put too much wood ash on any one place?” “Agricola” replies: “(1) The trouble is probably due to climatic conditions. A lack of sufficient soil moisture during the previous autumn may account for the nuts falling off. The ground should be kept free of weeds and the surface soil loose, while heavy mulching will prove useful, (2) Vigorous growing trees may be pruned with advantage in a similar manner to that adopted for peach trees, but the cutting out of all decayed wood is frequently all that is necessary. (3) Yes. (4) The generous use of finger and thumb, and. so squeeze the green fly, is a quick method of getting rid of the pest, or by spraying with a weak solution of Black Leaf 40 or some kerosene emulsion. (5) If thoroughly decomposed the rubbish .will make- good fertilising material. (6) You are advised to burn all sawdust, chips, etc., and scatter the ashes on the garden. Although an unbalanced fertiliser, in that the main fertilising constituent of the ash comprises potash, there is practically little, if any, risk in utilising the ashes very freely indeed. If the chips, etc., are spread straight from the wood pile there is a danger of encouraging fungoid growths, while the slow decay of wood pieces would not conduce to soil improvement. See note under Rural Topics, ‘ Curing Organic Matter.’ ” “ Rata,” South Otago, wishes. to know how to cure opossum skins with' alum or any other ingredient.——There are several methods of curing skins, the usual treatment being- the wattle bark process. The wattle bark should be cut up pretty finely, and boiled in a vessel—at kerosene tin will do.. After an hour take out as much bark as you can easily, and put in fresh. Fill up with water, and boil again. Do this about half a dozen times, then put in a tub. Be sure all the fat and flesh are off the skins, and put them in the tan, letting them lie as flat as possible. Change the liquor once a week. The same liquor will do if boiled again and skimmed. The skin will be properly tanned in about a month. After tanning the skins wash them in clean water and dry well, but slowly, working them in order to make pliable. The following are two other jnethods:— First trim all ragged edges and remove as much flesh, fat, etc., as possible without damaging the pelt. Next place the skin on the floor or other flat surface, and wash the hair with wara» water and soap, and then clear water;

remove all surplus water from the hair by scraping or squeezing with a smooth board. Take up the skin and shake it well, then place it hair down on a clean surface, and take a good handful of alum, to which a little salt may be added, proceeding to rub it well into the pelt with a rotary motion over all the surface equallv; next fold up the* skin, hair outward, and let it stand for three days. - Open and hang the skin for n while, and then commence to scrape the pelt with a furrier’s knife, always scraping in the same direction. These scrapings are needed to properly finish ; the pelt. With different skins discretion must be used in treating strong or weak-fibred pelts. The second method is to soak the skin in water to cleanse and soften, anti afterwards scrape to remove fat and flesh.. Place for three or four days in a bath made by mixing 21b of bran in a gallon of water. Make a paste of lib of alum and 3oz of common salt moistened with water and worked together. Spread this on the inside of the skin and leave for 18 hours, after which hang up to dry with hair outermost. After drying the inside is smoothed with pumice, and sometimes a warm iron is passed over the skin. Brush the outside, and the operation is complete. In order to tan skins with the hair off proceed as follows: —Put into a bucket of water one quart of lime. Let the skin lie in it three or four days, then wash skin, removing the •hair and flesh. Into three quarts of warm milk pour slowly and carefully loz of sulphuric acid, add one pint of salt, and stir all together. Dip the ekin in warm rain water, having sufficient saleratue in it to make it rather strong, working and squeezing it well for a few minutes; then wring dry as possible and put into the acid mixture for 50 minutes, stirring all the time. Now wring out, soak a while in water, finally drying and working until soft. Success depends in great measure upon the treatment throughout the process adopted by the tanner.