Vol. XXXI. Part 2. FEBRUARY 2, 1920. 



Agricultural Gazette of New South Wales. 



Farmers^ Experiment Plots* ^ 



Winter Eodder Trials, 1919. ^^ ve** 

 Upper North Coast District. qarb^n 



W. D. KERLE, Assistant Inspector of Agriculture. 



Arrangements were made by the Department of Agriculture last season 

 for trials with winter fodders in the Upper North Coast district, in co- 

 operation with the following farmers :^ 



F. J. Giblin, Burrapine, Nambucca River. 



Ernest Green, The Risk, Kyogle; 



Ernest Grenier, Ayrshire Park, Coramba. 



Jas. O'Keefe, Wooroowoolgen, via Casino. 



Chas. Oliver, Yorklea, via Casino. 



E. Amps, Camira Creek, via Grafton. 



F. Allard, Brooklana, Eastern Dorrigo. 

 F. T. Johnson, Condong, Murwillumbah. 

 Geo. Forrest, Coraki. 



L. H. Bull, Fairy Hill, via Casino. 

 The season was one of the most disastrous on record, and results worthy 

 of note were only obtained in the first three cases. At Wooroowoolgen the 

 day following sowing the plots were covered by flood waters, which 

 remained long enough to cause the seed to rot in the ground; while at 

 Yorklea, Camira Creek, and Brooklana the plots, which were sown chiefly 

 on poor ground, failed to produce anything worth harvesting, the absence 

 of rain being responsible for a poor, spindly, stunted growth. Sowing at 

 Condong, Coraki, and Fairy Hill was not possible owing to the persistent 

 dry weather preventing the cultural operations necessary for the production 

 of a satisfactory seed-bed. 



As already stated, the season was one of the worst experienced in the 

 history of the district. The drought of 1918-19 culminated in heavy falls 

 of rain in March and the succeeding two months, preventing tillage opera- 

 tions on most soils. From May until the plots last sown were harvested, 

 the rainfall was very light, and the yields were high in comparison. Severe 

 frosts in the winter and an almost rainless spring, with strong, drying winds, 

 contributed largely to the falling off of the yields. 



The amounts of rainfall which could possibly have benefited the crop, or 

 had any efiect on the yield of greenstuff were :— 268| points at Burrapine, 

 467 points at The Risk, and 471 points at Coramba. The soil preparation 

 in all cases was limited by the weather conditions. The experiments at all 

 three places followed a crop of early maize. Only one ploughing was given 

 CD at Kyogle and Coramba, followed by a harrowing, the seed later being 

 ^ broadcasted and disced in. At Burrapine two ploughings were given, and 



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