232 Agricultural Gazette of N.S.W. [April 3, 1920. 



Rice Culture in New South Wales^ 



[The Experiments Supervision Committee, under whose supervision these experiments 

 are being conducted, in making these results public draws attention to the fact that 

 final conclusions cannot yet be drawn from these trials.] 



Trials with rice were first conducted in this State in 1892, but the results 

 were not encouraging, and, after several years of experimentation, they were 

 discontinued. The subject was revived in 1911 at Grafton Experiment 

 Farm, when several varieties, imported from the Central Provinces of India, 

 were grown under the natural rainfall conditions. They were tried again 

 the following year, but on neither occasion with any great success. 



In 1915 a good deal of publicity was given to the results obtained with 

 rice under irrigation at Swan Hill, Victoria, by a Japanese resident, Mr. 

 Takasuka. On inquiry it was learned that this gentlemen had be§n experi- 

 menting with the crop since 1906, and, after trying a great number of 

 varieties from Japan, he had at length obtained, by selection and improve- 

 ment, a strain which he called " Takasuka," and from which he had harvested 

 1 ton of grain per acre. 



This variety was grown under irrigation at Yanco Experiment Farm in 

 1916 and 1917, but hot winds about the time of flowering resulted in a very 

 poor crop. 



The 1917-18 crop was practically destroyed by locusts, though sufficient 

 seed was obtained to sow the following year, when, owing to very bad 

 germination, the crop was a comparative failure. 



In 1919, Takasuka, together with .three varieties from California, was 

 sown, and in this year arrangements were made for a continuous sujiply of 

 water during the growing of the croj). At Yanco this results in a very 

 heavy growth of weeds (barnyard grass and stickweed), and eaily in January 

 the rice appeared in danger of being choked out. 



The prices obtained in California, on almost identical soil to that at Yanco, 

 and the present price of rice (£45 per ton, with the prospect of it reaching 

 £60 in the near future) render it advisable that trials of the crop be 

 persevered with. 



Weeds are a problem with any summer crop at' Yanco Experiment Farm. 

 Rice is not a rank grower, and, under the continuous irrigation method, no 

 cultivation can be carried on, so that the weeds have every opportunity. 



The remedy seems to be, either tlie selection of a piece of vii-gin soil for 

 future trials, or the fallowing and cleaning of a piece of land in preparation 

 for the following season's experiment. 



