mixture of inferior qualities, were very slowly or not at all improved. To this method of breeding is due the Kleinwanzleben, a variety held in high esteem throughout the world. Nevertheless, this method is considered crude as compared with the selection of individuals which are to be the progenitors of new varieties; that is, the breeding of families in every case represents a decided advance. In this practice of breeding of beet families such improvement has been made within the past few years as to promise a revolution in the subject. Novoczeck has succeeded in dividing a single beet into from fifty to 200 individual plants through the drawing of sprouts. These being planted together obviates the possibility of fertilisation from a less valuable individual, and thereby permits the formation of a large family which represents the product of a single beet. When the mother beet has been well chosen, the breeder has a stock which must possess a greater certainty of inheriting the good characteristics of the mother than has been hereto fore possible. The work of the beet-breeder of the future on this account will become more circumscribed, and it will be possible for anyone to carry on beet improvement where he is now deterred on account of the lack of funds.

The method of conducting the so-called asexual breeding of Novoczeck is as follows:-The most highly improved beets selected are set out in a hotbed or hothouse, and after beginning to sprout the sprouts are cut away, together with a small lenticular portion of the beet body. These asexual seedlings are left to wilt overnight, when they are planted in a seed-pan and covered with glass. If not kept too damp they will soon begin to root, and when they have put out two or three leaves they should be set out in the hotbed, and later, when danger from frost is passed, they are transplanted into a well-manured field. If the eyes are removed from the mother plant when too young or before they have put out their shoots their growth will be so checked that although growing good-sized beets they will produce no seed when set out 30 by 30 cm. apart. If care has been taken that the seedlings of each mother plant be planted in single rows in similar soil, in autumn each individual of the progeny or family can be examined for its sugar content. In each row will be found beets very similar in sugar content, and those rows the mother beet of which owed its excellent qualities to accidental peculiarities will be easily distinguished. By following this practice only about ten of the best beets will need to be examined instead of 200 or 300 under the old system. If we have the product of ten beets and reject those of three on account of inferiorities we shall still have seven families of about 100 plants each, and the succeeding year these will produce two or three times as many seedbearing beets as if we had chosen 200 to 300 "best" beets by the other plan. With from one-twentieth to one-thirtieth of the labour formerly required, and in a year's less time, we can now secure double the number of seed possible under the old method, and besides have the certainty that through asexual propagation they have come from such individuals as are capable of transmitting their superior characteristics to their progeny. With the introduction of the methods of Novoczeck it is to be expected that a new era of rapid progress in beet improvement will begin, but as yet this method has not been sufficiently tested in practice to warrant its unconditional acceptance instead of the methods now in use.

It is a problem for the future to develop a system of asexual grafting whereby seed may be secured within one year. Since it is not yet definitely known whether the stock influences the graft, and if so, in what manner, the subject of the improvement of beets through grafting will not be entered into.

Chemical Nature of the Wines of N.S.W.

By F. B. GUTHRIE.

PART I.-NORTHERN RIVERS VINEYARDS-continued.

Tizzana.

THE accompanying table gives the result of the examination of a number of wines from Dr. Fiaschi's cellars. They are of special interest in that they include wines of different vintages.

It is, of course, unsafe to draw conclusions as to the nature of the changes these wines undergo on keeping in the absence of information respecting the composition of the new wines of the respective vintages. It would, however, appear that the amount of volatile acid diminishes on keeping the relative amounts of sugar increasing. They also appear on the whole to become slightly less alcoholic with age. The wines included in the following list are all red wines, with the exception of the last, which is a Hock, and shows the characteristic higher alcohol-content and lower percentage of extractive matters as compared with the red. They are all perfectly pure, undoctored

wines.

Poultry Notes.

BY S. GRAY,

By the time this appears breeding-pens will have been made up in the warmer portions of the country, and, consequently, a word of advice regarding the rearing of chickens may be of service. With regard to eggs hatched out by hens, the chickens are better left with the mother, the only thing necessary being to watch during the hatching that the little ones do not get injured by the broken shells. The less the hen is disturbed the better, and no stranger should be allowed to approach her. Chicks hatched out by means of an incubator should be left in the machine until they are quite dry. In neither case will the chicks require any food or water during the first twenty-four hours. The reason for this does not appear to be generally known, and it may be well to explain it. Shortly before the chick is hatched out, the remainder of the yolk of the egg upon which it has subsisted during the latter period of incubation is drawn up into the body of the chick, and until the whole of this has been absorbed the little creature requires no outside food. As already stated, this provision of nature is sufficient for the first twenty-four hours of their existence. In the wild state it is, of course, of immense importance, and provides the young bird with the neces sary strength to enable it to begin its search for food, as well as giving time for all the eggs to hatch before migration becomes necessary. A great many chickens are killed by the mistaken kindness of giving them food before they can properly assimilate it.

In rearing chickens the rule is to give them their food in small quantities, but often. For the first week they should be fed every two hours, and one very important point to remember is that the first meal should be fed early in the morning, and warm; for the next month every three hours, and afterwards four times a day. The food for the first few days should consist of hard-boiled eggs, chopped fine, mixed with coarse oatmeal or stale breadcrumbs, softened with boiling water or skimmed milk. This mixture should be well squeezed in the hand and fed in a crumbly condition. When sloppy it is likely to cause diarrhoea. After the first few days this may be varied with oatmeal or barley meal, mixed with pollard or boiled potato, and, later on, a little wheat may be fed at night. The coops should always face the morning sun, and be placed on short grass where the soil is well drained and moved every second day. If the weather be cold or wet it is a good plan to throw a bag over the coop at night. A little chopped meat fed occasionally will help them with their feathering, and crushed bones mixed now and then with the soft food will prevent leg weakness. The great thing with chickens is to keep them growing by regular and good feeding. Any sickly chicks are better out of the way; they never come to any good.

It often happens that the hens are very greedy, and they should always have a meal to themselves, so that the chickens may get all that is intended for them. The hens also which have just hatched out a brood should be liberally fed until they have their freedom to lead their brood about. Incubation is a very trying time for a hen, and they sometimes become very poor and weak. Never give the chicks more than they will eat up clean, and never leave any food lying about.

I should like again to remind readers of the Gazette that turkey-hens make splendid mothers for chickens. By setting a turkey-hen with a few of her own eggs for a week, and then placing as many hen eggs under her as she can comfortably cover-less in cold weather than in warm-she will hatch out both turkeys and chicks at the same time. The benefit of this plan is that the chicks will teach the young turkeys to eat, which, in many cases, is a very troublesome process.

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Regarding turkeys, never breed from immature birds. The gobbler may be three or four years old, and the hens not less than two years. If this rule is followed it will be found that there is not so much difficulty in rearing turkeys as is generally thought. One great benefit of a turkey mother is that she never tires the chicks.

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A correspondent recently applied to the Department for information as to the best method of getting eggs during the moulting season. I suggested that he should try a few eggs from hens which he has noticed as laying during this time, and also that he should give food which contains plenty of nitrogen, mentioning fresh meat and good sound oats as beneficial by way of a change. Of course the laying varies much with the different breeds. If any readers have been successful in breeding for eggs at this period I should be glad to hear of it with a view to publication. In some country towns eggs cost up to 28. 4d. per dozen during April and May.