July 2, 1908.] Afjricultural Gazette of N.S. W. 579 



Care should be taken to pui-chase only the best quality of sulphate of 

 copper, avoiding crushed or discoloured samples. The crushed bluestone 

 renders its adulteration ivisy, and the discoloured article usually lacks 

 strength. 



Care should also be taken that the sacks in which the grain is placed after 

 drying are perfectly clean, it being preferable to use new sacks, or those 

 which have been dipped in the solution. 



Sowing Time. 



The best time for sowing is from the middle of April to the end of May ; 

 but, when circumstances require it, a week in June may not be too late. A 

 good deal of sowing is carried out in Riverina before April ; but in our 

 portion of the district crops sown so early, no matter what the variety of 

 wheat, have a tendency to produce too much straw in good seasons. 



Should insufficient rain fall in March or April, there is considerable risk 

 of loss of seed, or at the least of a severe check to earlier sown crops which 

 may have obtained a start. 



These risks, howevei', are greatly decreased by fallowing the land from 

 winter or spring in the preceding year, as land so prepared is in a better con- 

 dition to receive and retain such moisture as may fall between the ploughing 

 and sowing seasons. As it is seldom that late sown seed returns anything 

 like the crops harvested from seasonably sown area«, it will pay better to 

 fallow such land as cannot be sown by the first week in June. 



It has been further noted that a curtailment of the areas sown should place 

 many growers in a position to carry out their harvesting more seasonably, 

 thus benefiting themselves individually, in addition to increasing our district 

 average, as crops are considerably decreased by insufficient preparation of the 

 soil which is due to a desire to sow large areas. 



If the labour expended on such areas were concentrated on half or two- 

 thirds of the land, seasonable sowing and harvesting would be possible, and 

 the profit on capital and expenditure would be much greater than is the case 

 at present. 



Wheat for Hay. 



The raising of wheaten hay for home consumption in (ii'dinary seasons, for 

 fodder reserves against drought seasons, or for sale in the city markets, is 

 worthy of greater attention than is usually given to it. Under our conditions 

 a crop of wheaten hay may be counted on with much more certainty than is 

 the case with oats, which requires much more moisture to bring it to 

 perfection. It is, however, possible to secure payable crops of oaten hay 

 when good varieties are sown early in the autumn. 



The average hay yield at the Wagga Farm for eight years, including two 

 drought years, is slightly over 2 tons per acre, which, in ordinary seasons, 

 can be sold at a profit of £A 10s. per ton. 



At present, sales could be made at a profit of nearly £5 per ton. 



The profitable nature of hay-growing, if properly carried out, will therefore 

 be apparent, but, so far, it is comparatively neglected by farmers. 



