1G8 



Agricultural Gazette of N.S.W. 



[Mar. 2, 1920. 



Mr. H. Ross. Manager of Wagga Experiment Farm, supplies the following 

 figures for wheat after various fodder crops at that farm : — 



In other cases where wheat and oats are used exclusively for winter fodder 

 on the coast and tablelands, and for hay fur farm use in some of the wheat 

 districts, there is room for the inclusitjn of field peas in cultivation with these 

 cereals to the extent of saving at least a quarter or a half of the cereal seed, 

 and at the same time securing a heavier growth of 1)etter balanced and moiv 

 nutritious fodder or hay. 



On many parts of the coast and tablelands there are numerous soils not 

 naturally fertile which are being cro[>ped with summer and winter fodders 

 alternately without any legumes — -a system which must inevitably lead to soil 

 exhaustion very quickly, and render the profitable growth of such crops 

 ab.soluteIy dependent on a good rainfall and the use of increasing quantities 

 of fertiliKer.s. The present shortage of wheat and oats will really be a boon 

 to these farmers if they will replace the cereals wholly or in part by tield 

 peas and utilise the growth for feeding off as much as possible. 



Varieties. 



Very few varieties of field peas have been tested in New South AN'ales ; 

 and there is room for improvement on the varieties known here, according to 

 tlie une made of the crop — whether for green fodder, hay, or green manuring 

 — in different districts. By the courtesy of the United States Department 

 of Agriculture, over fifty varieties are now under trial on the experiment 

 farms in this State, and the Department here hopes to establish the best in 

 the moRt suitable localities. There is a wide difference in fodder-producing 

 capacity and also in time of maturity; and varieties will be founti to suit the 

 maturity of different wdieats and oats which are grown for green fodder, so 

 that the peas can be used in combination with the cereal — both reaching the 

 right stage for fodder together. It seems as if the varieties with small seeds 

 will be the most desii-able, pi-ovided they produce the growth of fodder, 

 becansi> they considerably cheapen the cost of seeding — less seed being 

 required of them to sow an acre. Se\eial of the new varieties are more 

 promising in this respect than the kinds we already know. 



The chief varieties recently tried in New South Wales are Grey, l>lu<', 

 Canada^ and Egyptian or Dun. These may be considered to be broad 

 classifications based on colour of seed more than anj'thing else. Grey and 

 Blue are practically tie only ones obtainable from .seedsmen. 



