68 Agricultural Gazette of N .S.W . [Jan. 2, IS 20. 



Agricultural Bureau of New South Wales, 



Suggested Subjects lor Bureau Meetings. 



It sometimes happens that, owing to some inadvertence, members of 

 branches meet without having any particular subject before them. In 

 Ruch a case, one of the following paragraphs may provoke a useful 

 discusdJon : — 



Have you ever tried groiving vegetables for sale in your neighbouring town? 

 Some farmers have found it a very jnojitable side line. What conditions ivould 

 you regard as necessary in your district for such a development, and what 

 class of crop ivould you favour ? 



What are the chief attractions to you of rural life ? Do you consider the en- 

 vironments of the farm and bush a sufficient set-off to the attractions of the city, 

 even if less exciting in their ajipeal, and in tvhat order do you place them in 

 your preference ? 



Do you find the topping of maize {i.e., cutting the stalk above the cob) to be 

 toorth the trouble atid expense ? Have you observed it to affect the yield, or any 

 other factor of importance in growth ? If you remove the toj), at which stage do 

 you do so ? 



What class of crop do you prefer for green manuring ? Have you had any 

 experience with legumes, and, if so, how do they compare with rye or rape in 

 their effect upon the yield of fruits in the following year? Some farmers say 

 that under dry conditions, legumes do not make sufficient growth, and others 

 that they compete too severely ivith the trees for soil moisture when the rainfall 

 is lotv. Has your experience confirmed or refuted such statements? 



Have you been successful in the control of peach tip moth, and what has 

 been your method? Have you tried bandaging to trap the grubs, and, if so, 

 how often do you examine the bandages, and xvith what results ? 



REPORTS AND NOTICES FROM BRANCHES. 



NOTE. — While gladly publishing in these columns the views of members of 

 the various Branches of the Agricultural Bureau, it is pointed out that 

 the Department does not necessarily endorse the opinions expressed. 



Bimbaya. 

 A meeting of the above branch was held on 8th November, when an article 

 on mixed farming was read from the Agricultural Gazette, and provoked a 

 useful discussion. Members considered that coastal farmers should run a 

 few sheep on their farms in addition to the stock usually carried. 



Coraki. 



Since the opening of the new year the operations of this branch have been 

 very satisfactory, new members being enrolled at nearly every meeting. 



A meeting was held on 18th November, when the principal matter under 

 discussion was silos and silage, the conditions prevailing on the coast at 



