462 



Agricultural Gazette of N,S.W. 



[July 2, 1920. 



Sulphur as a Fertiliser for Wheat. 



In view of reports from experiment stations in other parts of the world, it 

 was decided in 1915 to conduct a series of tests with sulphur as a fertiliser 

 for wheat at Cowra Experiment Farm. The results have been negative, 

 slight increases having been obtained in certain cases, but at such a cost as 

 to make the treatment unprofitable. The plots were ^ acre in area. 



Results of trials for four years 1915 to 1919 (1916 a failure). 



Treatment. 



Yield 

 per acre. 



Increase. 



Value of 

 Increase.* 



Cost of 

 Increase.t 



Net 

 gain. 



Net 

 loss. 



Superphosphate, 66 lb. ... 



Sulphur, 28 1b 



Superphosphate, 56 lb., and sul- 

 phur, 28 lb. 



Sulphur, 56 lb. 



Superphosphate, 56 lb., and sul- 

 phur, 56 lb. 



Untreated ... 



s. d. 



"'e'o 



7 6 



18 6 



19 



* Wheat valued at 58. per bushel, t Superphosphate valued at 5s. per cwt., and sulphur at 383. per cwt. 



Horse Radish as a Crop. 



HoRSK radish requires a deep well-drained soil, and will not grow well on 

 shallow or wet soils. It is propagated by cuttings from the smaller roots, 

 straight pieces 5 or 6 inches long and ^ inch or less in thickness being most 

 desirable. Propagation from old divided crowns is not advisable, as they 

 give crooked and branched roots that are undesirable for marketing. These 

 root cuttings should be set upright in the soil, 12 to 18 inches apart, in rows 

 3 feet apart, and covered with about 3 inches of soil. Sowing should take 

 place in March or April, and the crop should be treated as an annual, being 

 ploughed or dug the following year in winter, and fresh roots transplanted 

 to another place. If allowed to grow as perennials in the same spot, the 

 plants become troublesome as weeds. Long straight roots should be trimmed 

 and washed preparatory to marketing. It is difficult to obtain a good 

 market. ^ — A. H. E. McDonald, Chief Inspector of Agriculture. 



How TO Mix Manures. 



In making mixtures of chemical fertilisers, the ingredients should be 

 thoroughly incorporated in small quantities. Lumpy manures, before mixing, 

 and the mixture when made, should be passed through a sieve, and the 

 remaining lumps carefully broken up. If the mixture is not to be sown 

 immediately, it should preferably not be bagged at once, owing to its tendency 

 to set immediately after mixing, but should be allowed to lie in a heap for a 

 few days, after which it may be broken up, turned through a riddle or harp, 

 and then bagged. After this treatment the mixture should not readily set 

 or become lumpy, and may be kept for weeks. The most important point is 

 always to mix systematically in small quantities. — Journal of the Ministry of 

 Agriculture, London. 



