Sept. 2, 1908.] Agricultural Gazette of N.S.W. 709 



work across the path of tlie cultivator, then harrowing must follow the latter 

 implement. .Shallow woi'king is done last fui' wheat in order that grain may- 

 have a sweetened top soil in which to germinate and get a good start in life, 

 and also that the roots may find a firm condition in the subsoil. 



Draining is most important in New England, a great proportion of the 

 subsoil being very retentive. By draining, and at a small cost, tlie work 

 being done by ploughs and scoops, a very wet piece of land of several acres 

 produced 34 bushels to the acre of Power's Fife wheat. 



Liming. — This is of great benefit in sour lands and heavy clays, making 

 the latter more friable and sweeter, and besides being a necessary plant- 

 food in itself lime tends to make other important plant-foods available. 

 Unslacked lime must be used, and should be applied after one ploughing 

 and one harrowing, then put on the land in convenient heaps to air-slack, 

 which is the best ; although, if required to spread quickly, this may he 

 done with water. After slacking spread evenly over the surface and lightly 

 harrow in, to incorporate with the top soil and leave at least a month before 

 ploughing in, as lime has a tendency to work downwards. For wheat 

 lands with fairly heavy soils 10 cwt. to the acre is of much benefit, but for 

 veiy heavy clays from 1 to "3 tons to the acre may be used. Some 30 acres of 

 land were limed here at the rate of 10 cwt. to the acre for cereals. The cost of 

 the lime, which was brought from the Blue Mountains to Glen Innes, delivered 

 at the latter station, was 34s. a ton, or at the rate of 17s. an acre. Liming 

 in most soils is sufficient every six years. 



Manu7'inq artificially other than liming has not been largely experimented 

 with hitherto, but it has been shown that phosphates in many cases are likely 

 to bn exhau-it^id afterafew yearsof heavy cropping, especially on the lighter soils. 

 Thomas' phosphate gives, so far, very little better results than without manures ; 

 the quickly acting properties of superphosphates are of more benefit as they 

 promote a good start for young plants and cause early maturity — two im- 

 portant points here. The soil here being generally of a clayey nature is well 

 supplied with potash, though some friable ones and especially those wiiich 

 have been heavily cropped with potatoes, and where it is intended that wheat 

 should follow, would be all the better of, say, 28 lb. of sulphate of potash mixed 

 with 56 lb. <jf superphosphates applied to the acre. Sulphate of potash 

 seems to act better in combination with superphosphate than by itself. It 

 .should be mentioned that the superphosphates when used alone are put in the 

 drill at the same time as the seed and distributefl at the rate of 56 to 60 lb. 

 to the acre. Nitrogen which is so necessary to soils for cereals may be pro- 

 vided by sowing legumes such as peas or clover. Red Clover is doing well 

 here and a three-course rotation consisting of (1) wheat, (2) clover, (3) maize 

 or potatoes might be followed. The clover could also be eaten off in early 

 spring by sheep and ploughed in in late summer. Rape has not done so well 

 in clay soils, otherwise when sown with superphosphates it is a good practice 

 to eat it off with sheep and then plough it in as a preparation for wheat, but 

 of course it does not add nitrogen to the soil, but humus, and the droppings 

 from the depastured flock add to the fertility of the soil. 



