82 Agricultural Gazette of N.S.W. [Feb. 2, 1920. 



The plots at Albion Park, Pambula, and Kangaroo Valley were situated 

 on rather flat ground, whilst those at Milton and WoUongong were on hillsides ; 

 it is generally found that wheat crops do best on the warmer, drier soils such 

 as gentle slopes on hills, whilst oats do best on the stronger lowland soils, 

 which hold more moisture. 



Quick-growing varieties of wheat, oats and barley are of much value to the 

 dairy farmer in sustaining the milk yield during the winter months. As a 

 rule, he is able to provide green sorghum until June, but after that until 

 October — unless he makes silage or grows winter cereals — he has to put his 

 hand in his pocket and purchase chaff and bran. There are now quite a 

 number of farmers who regularly sow early maturing varieties of wheat and 

 oats for green feed, and of late vears — since Sunrise oats was introduced — 

 many farmers have given up growing wheat and confine themselves to that 

 quick-growing variety . of oats. But the practice is not to be commended. 

 Wheat will withstand dry weather conditions better than oats, while under 

 ordinary weather conditions there is not much to choose between the two. 

 Plots of both wheat and oats are recommended. Where farmers mostly 

 make a mistake with wheat for green feed is in letting it get too old before 

 cutting ; it then becomes rather hard in the stem and stock do not relish 

 it, whereas if it were fed to the cattle when the ear has shot it would be 

 found more palatable. Another frequent mistake is the sowing of too large 

 an area at a time; it is far better to make sowings at intervals of a 

 fortnight of areas likely to meet the need, so that a succession of palatable 

 crops may be obtained. 



Wheat Varieties Tested. 



Of the varieties under test, in the wheat section Thew held its own on all 

 plots; whilst not quite as early as Florence and Firbank, it generally yielded 

 better than either of these varieties. At Pambula an excellent cut of over 

 8 tons per acre was obtained ; and at Albion Park, at a time when the district 

 was suffering on account of the dry weather and crops were backward, Thew 

 returned 6 tons 17 cwt. odd after occupying the ground a little over three 

 months. This wheat has now stood the test for over ten years on the South 

 Coast, and can be recommended to the farmers with every confidence, pro- 

 viding the proper care and preparation is given the ground prior to planting. 

 The old " slap-dash " style of ploughing just before sowing, throwing the seed 

 on and harrowing it in is of no use. An early preparation is recommended — 

 in January at the latest. Weed growth must be kept down by cultivation, 

 and another ploughing given in March (not before the middle of that month) ; 

 the seed should then be sown — with the drill for the best results. After 

 germination the crop should be harrowed. 



Florence and Firbank wheats have also been under test for many years, 

 and have proved of liigh value for green feed; like Thew, these are varieties 

 which may be purchased on the open market. Bomen (new to the South 

 Coast) did not mature as early as the other varieties, but proved a very good 



