Vol. X(XI, 



Part 9. 



SEPTEMBER 2, 1920. 



Agrieultural Gazette of New South Wales. 



"LmRART 



Farmers^ Experiment Plots* ^oZl^^^ 



Lucerne Top-dressing Trials, 1919-20. ^AjiUf^ 



Murrumbidgee Irrigation Areas. 



A. N. SHEPHERD, Assistant Inspector of Agriculture. 



The urLdernientioned farmers co-operated with the Department in the 

 above trials during the past season : — 



J. Hetherington, Farm 338, Leeton. 



H. D. McKellar, Farm 327, Leeton. 



The season was most trying, absence of rain and prevalence of dust and 

 wind marking it throughout the year. Very satisfactory results were 

 obtained on both areas, clearly demonstrating the profit to be derived from 

 top-dressing the lucerne paddock. 



The rainfall registrations were as under : — 



19191 

 May ... 

 June ... 

 July ... 

 August 

 September 

 October 

 November 

 December 



Farm 338. — The lucerne here was sown in 1914. The soil is a red sandy 

 loam, and may be said to be of the better class land of the area. It was 

 top-dressed with | cwt. of superphosphate in the autumn of 1918. In the 

 autumn of 1919 the different kinds of fertiliser were applied through a 

 wheat drill, with tubes loosely adjusted so as to have a broadcasting effect. 



The fertilisers used were superphosphate, basic superphosphate, and P7 

 mixture (equal parts of superphosphate and bonedust), each applied at the 

 rate of 2 cwt. per acre. After the application of the fertiliser the land was 

 cultivated with a narrow tine rigid-tooth cultivator, to work the manure 

 into the soil. Unmanured plots, similarly treated as to manner of culti- 

 vation, were used as checks. 



On inspection in August it was noted that the growth on the manured plots 

 — especially on that treated with basic superphosphate — was much stronger. 

 This was more fully evident on the secord inspection in October, the plot 

 treated with basic superphosphate showing more height ard leaf, although 

 the stalk may also have been a little coarser. 



