Vol. XXXI. Part 12 DECEMBER 2, 1920. 



Agricultural Gazette of New South Wales,^-^ '''"■'''■ 



S^EW MSA- -r 

 lOTAN'r 



Ploughing Experiments at Cowra and 



Nyngan* 



C. McCAULEY and L. G. LITTLE, Assistant Experimentalists. 



These experiments were commenced at Cowra in 1905, and at Nyngan in 

 1911, in each case upon virgin soil. In 1913, those at Cowra were concluded, 

 as it was decided that the results were sufficiently definite to enable final 

 deductions to be drawn. The Nyngan experiments are still being carried on. 



The objects of the experiments were to determine over a series of years the 

 comparative effects upon the resulting wheat crop of — 



1. The continued use of the disc and of the mouldboard ploughs. 



2. Ploughing at different depths with the above ploughs — 



(a) at 8 inches deep to represent deep ploughing. 

 (h) at 6 inches deep to represent medium ploughing. 

 (c) at 4 inches deep to represent shallow ploughing. 



3. Subsoiling the deep ploughing (every second furrow) 2 to 3 inches below 

 the plough depth. 



A detailed account of the conditions under which the experiments were 

 conducted at Cowra appears in Vol. XXII, February, 1911, of the Gazette. 



A number of additional treatments were included in the Nyngan experi- 

 ments, as being possibly advantageous under the dry conditions obtaining in 

 that district ; these comprise re-ploughing just prior to planting, and the use 

 of an implement said to have been used by its inventor (Campbell) with 

 o-reat success in dry-farming in America. It consists of a number of flanged 

 circular plates arranged on an axis, forming a roller, designed, as implied 

 by its name (subsurface packer), to compress the subsurface at a depth of 

 several inches, while leaving the surface loose. 



Apart from the different methods of ploughing, and the treatments men- 

 tioned above, the general treatment of plots at both farms was uniform, and 

 the system of farming adopted was that considered most suited to the district. 

 Thus, at Cowra a two-course rotation (wheat and a fodder crop), and at 

 Nyngan a three-course rotation (wheat, fodder crop, and bare fallow) were 

 practised. This, of course, involved two separate areas for the experiments 

 at Cowra and three separate areas at Nyngan. In all cases ploughing, 

 sowing, feeding-off, etc., were carried out on the same or two successive days.^ 

 Precautions were always taken to ensure that ridges and "clean out" 

 furrows were located at the boundaries of plots. 



