170 Agricultural Gazette of y.S.W. [Mar. 2, 1921L 



however, now stock a pea liarvestiiig attacliment, consisting of guards which 

 protrude forward from the cutter bar of the mower, and Hft the vines from 

 the ground, enabling the mower to pass underneath without obstruction. 



Peas are quite a suitable crop for grazing off with cattle, pigs or sheep. 

 The best way to avoid loss by trampling and spoilage is to stock heavily on 

 a small area at a time, using tempoiary fencing. They have the disadvantage 

 of not being able to " come again '" after grazing like rape, but this defect is 

 overcome by making successive sowings and grazing as suggested. The 

 yields obtained from the subsequent wheat crops at Wagga show that field 

 peas cannot be ignored in the rotation in similar districts. 



From the yields obtained there is little doubt of the advantages of the- 

 substitution (either in part or wholly) of field peas for gieen fodder on tlie 

 coast. Experiments during the last five or six years on farmers' experiment 

 plots have shown that with this substitution the yield from the combination 

 crop or from field peas alone may be lelied on to average from 2 to 3 tons 

 more green fodder than from the best wheat or oats. 



It is not intended to deprecate the praiseworthy efforts of those who have- 

 grown good cereal winter fodders on good land, but to show that there is- 

 room for still further improvement by the inclusion of field peas as one of 

 the farm crops. 



Japanese Buckwheat as a Honey Producer. 



Rkplying to an inquiry as to the virtue of Japanese buckwheat as a hone\- 

 jiroducer, the Senior Apiary Inspector wrote : " AVhen flowering, Japanese 

 huckwheat is valuable for bees, but at the present time it is not extensiveh^ 

 grown in New South Wales. I do not consider that much benefit would 

 be derived from individual apiarists growing the buckwheat for stimulating, 

 the bees in dry seasons, but if farmers could be induced to grow it as a 

 profitable crop as well, a good deal would be done for bee-keeping. This 

 buckwheat is grown fairly extensively in America, where its cultivation, 

 has been found profitable by both the farmer and the apiarist. It is a fairly 

 sure honey producer every season, and an endeavour will be made to. 

 encourage its introduction into our own bee-keeping localities." 



Immature Sudan Grass is Harmless to Stock. 



"I HAVE sown Sudan grass, Feterita and Hungarian millet, but they hav 

 germinated poorly and are at present wilting for want of rain. Do any of th''^ 

 generate pois<m or is it safe to turn the stock on to them ? " 



The foregoing inquiry, which reached the Department recently f'"' '* 

 Trundle correspondent, was re[)lied to by the Chief inspector of Agr^ "'""''' 

 as follows :-" We have known stock to be fed on immature Sue! A'i«<*->s 

 and Hungarian jnillet in a laigc number of ca.ses, and no cases ,,f' **■'*'^"J"r^'■ 

 have occurred. The Department has not heard of poisonin *"^*^" '*"".' ^^ 

 through stock eating Feterita sorghum, but cases liave been P^J. . "^ 

 America, and we tlierefore consider there would Ije some ri>' '^ o«'ing; 

 horses to feed on it." 



