164 AyncuUiiral Gazette of .V.>S'.lf. [Mar. 2, 1920. 



The land at Warialda was prepared witli the sprinjx- tooth cultivator in 

 February, and again in May for the late sown \'arieties. The late wheats 

 were sown on 20th May, and the quick growers on J 2th June. The final 

 figures were very much reduced by an unusually heavy visitation of [)arrots. 



Pallamallawa. — 'J'he early maturing varieties here would have returned 

 up to four bags per acre had not the parrots caused so much damage. The 

 wheat had to be harvested before being properly matured to get any grain 

 at all. Sunset, Florence, Bunyip and Canberra proved the best, anrl about 

 two bass oer acre were harvested from each. The rainfall here was 

 extremely low, and 8unset matured a fair crop on 112 points of rain from 

 the date of sowing. It was sown on 10th June and harvested early in 

 October. All the varieties were fed off with sheep, for they made very 

 rapid growth in June and promised well. They would have yielded fair 

 returns had this been omitted. The land was ploughed for the plots early 

 in .January and disc-cultivated early in May. .Sowing took place on 8th 

 May with all varieties, excepting Sunset. 



All the other plots sown were fed to starving stock when it was seen the 



prospects were hopeless. 



Conclusions. 



Valuable conclusions can be drawn from the results from those plots 

 harvested, and especially those in the Tamworth district. In every instance 

 where it was adopted, the working of the land after the rain gave growth 

 and returns superior to that worked only prior to the rain and while the 

 land was dry. The value of a properly compacted seed-bed was again very 

 plainly demonstrated in the long and short fallowing plots at Tamworth, and 

 the May preparation with the spring-toothed cultivator only. The use of 

 superphosphate with a quick maturing variety on the long and sliort 

 fallowed land is unnecessary. 



The goo<l yields on the long fallow at Tamworth plainly demonstrate the 

 value of that system in the north-west, and should be sufficient to induce 

 more fai-mers to adopt it. The results at Tamworth explain why good crops 

 «an be, and were, grown side by side with failures undei- the same rainfall. 

 When farmers appreciate the reason more fully, and adopt more thorough 

 methods, superior yields will be harvested, and the idea that some farmers 

 are " very lucky " will be exploded. 



Possibly others besides a recent Port Macquarie correspondent have medi- 

 tated the possibilities of a large gal vani zed-iron tank for the making of silage. 

 The capacity of that of the correspondent was 1,000 gallons, and the crops 

 to be ensiled Sudan grass, sarcaline sorghum and broom millet. 



The tank mentioned would be quite useless for making silage, as cro|)s 

 cannot be ensiled satisfactorily unless in fairly large quantities — say from 

 70 to 100 tons. Under such circumstances, we would advise cutting the 

 crop and endeavouring to cure it for hay. — A. H. E, McDonald, Chief 

 Inspector of Agriculture. 



