F&b. 2, 1920.] Agricultural Gazette ofN.S.W. 79 



Cultural Notes and Comments. 



Burrapine. — Soil, alluvial loam, typical of the district's river flats; plot 

 sown, 23rd June; germination satisfactory, but stooling poor, owing to 

 subsequent dry weather. When in ear, the Huguenot wheat was 6 feet high ; 

 Cleveland, Firbank, and Thew, 4 feet 9 inches; Black Winter rye, 5 feet 

 3 inches ; and the vines of Egyptian field peas, 8 feet, Grey field peas, 7 feet 

 6 inches, and Canada field peas, 6 feet in length when in flower. 



Rust did not make its appearance in the crop ; black aphis seriously 

 damaged the head of Skinless barley when "peeping," but confined its attack 

 solely to that crop. The highest yields were obtained from the plots of 

 Huguenot wheat, with Tick beans and Grey field peas respectively. Although 

 the beans produced a greater weight of greenstuff, they are not so satis- 

 factory as field peas, being comparatively coarse and woody, and not so 

 palatable to stock. The efiect of feeding field peas to the dairy herd is an 

 almost instantaneous stimulation of the milk flow; this is not so marked 

 with Tick beans. The varieties of field peas under trial gave particularly 

 good yields. Egyptian — the broad-leafed, luxuriantly growing variety' — 

 proved only slightly inferior to the deservedly popular Grey of approximately 

 the same maturity. Canada (a small podded variety, more of a dwarf, but 

 much earlier) gave a very excellent return, particularly as the season favoured 

 late maturing fodders. The wheat varieties gave very satisfactory returns 

 considering the unfavourable season, Firbank providing early feed for the 

 dairy herd, which was thereafter sustained by Thew, Warren, and Bomen, 

 the late maturing Cleveland carrying the feeding into late November. Black 

 Winter rye also yielded well, but it is not relished by stock to nearly the same 

 extent as the rest of the fodders under trial. 



Coramba. — Soil, alluvial flats of medium fertility and typical of the 

 locality ; germination excellent. The heaviest weight of green fodder was 

 obtained from Black Winter rye, which grew to a height of 6 feet 6 inches. 

 This was closely followed by Huguenot wheat and Grey peas, the legume 

 making particularly good growth. This combination is a much more desir- 

 able fodder than rye ; it is one that usually gives the highest yield in trials 

 on the coast, and is much favoured by stock. Of the varieties of field peas, 

 Egyptian made the greatest growth, and out-yielded the other three. 

 Clarendon, a comparatively new crossbred wheat that is proving its suit- 

 ability to coastal conditions of soil and climate, gave the best results where 

 wheat was sown alone, followed by Cleveland, the latter several weeks later 

 in maturity. The other wheats also did surprisingly well, though Thew 

 gave a lower yield than is usually expected from that favourite coastal 

 variety. Of the oat varieties, Sunrise provided excellent early feed, and 

 gave the highest yield. Ruakura was disappointing, coming into ear when 

 18 inches high, and exhibiting a good deal of rust. The manurial trial with 

 Algerian oats was sown on 15th May, an application of 2 cwt. superphos- 

 phate per acre proving the most beneficial and payable. In such a dry season 

 applications of fertilisers, particularly of insoluble ones like bonedust, do 

 not show such marked increases, owing to a big percentage being undissolved. 



