FACTS FOR FARMERS.

Waikato Times, Volume IV, Issue 239, 20 November 1873, Page 2

FACTS FOR FARMERS.

As there are many persons who object to the uao of sulphur for the cure of oidium in tines, permit me to suggest a much cheaper and more certain remedy for thai disease. One pintof iulphuric acid well mixed with 45 pints of water, and sprinkled over the vines by a syringe will entirely destroy the oidium ; it is equally effective in the apple blight, nnd the aphis generally. This remedy, if not properly mixed, and if used too strong, will be worse than the disease. The üboYe mixture, if sprinkled over dry sawdust, well stirred till it feels damp to the hand, and placed as litter in a stable, will absorb all the ammonia, and drive away the (lies, to that the tormented horses can feed and rest in peace. Sawdust prepared as above described is the best material that can be employed for fixing the ammonia which is given off in stnblrs, or from liquid manure. It surpasses all oilier materials in efficiency a:.d economy, and then becomes the best of manures ; and I am strongly of opinion that if sprinkled ovrr the Tines, and laid on the ground in small heaps close to their stems, will destroy the oidium, and is a better plan tbun sprinkling the diluted acid with a syringe. A small quantity of the suwdus>t mixed with the diluted acid ns nbovo described, laid on ft plate, and brought into any room or shop in a house, will speedily expel the flies. The windows and doors could then be closort and the plate of ba«dtist withdrawn. — Correspondent of Australasian. It is often stated thnt the stock has no influence to change the fruit borne by grafts A correspondent of the New York Tribune, niks, is it so ? In an old orchard Me have a fnvo i c apple culled Potnme RoynU-. It ripens m October, is mfenour m site, slightly acid, green, tender, juicy and of exquisite flavour, relished bj everybody. Four years tgo, perhaps scions were cut from it and inserted :n threafulhj-grown eeadl-ng trees. '-!;• natural fruit of the S.-st 7/as » small

juicy russet, exoessirely sour. That of the second wm J^ larger apple, partially rod, not quit© as sour aa the first, and bitter to the taste. t XjtjftjjiM >Lreti produced a »wcet apple of pale green ootour^tfrf^and corky. When the grafts came to bear, Ifuit from the first compared fafourably with that of the tree 'from winch the scions were taken. That from the second tree was not u good, and would be sometimes slightly^ tinged with red ; .refit was tojerable. The third tree produced larger and fairdr fruit tn*n either of the others j but it was) bard, tough, aiiddry id compared \v,th tbe true kind, and nerefgare satisfaction^ /E*ch of tlie three was unmistakably. Po mine Kojale, but they differed widely in quahtj, winch we could account for only on the theory that tbe stock Joe* alfect the fruit.