233 



11. Ill case i)f contai;i()us diseases in the house, such ;is typhoid, 

 scarlet fever, or diplitheria, return no milk bottles to the milkman 

 without the permission of the health officer. 



ADVANTAGES OF GOOD GULT1J\ITI0N. 



]\Ir. B. G. Brooks, Instructor in Agriculture, has contributed the 

 following article to the Oiiccjtslaiid Agricultural Journal of Feb- 

 ruary, 1913 : 



In the successful raising of farm crops the management of the 

 soil is of the greatest importance. It is only necessary to observe 

 the variations in the yield of similar crops on adjoining fields to 

 find that, were up-to-date methods more generally practised in 

 the preparation of the soil, the returns per acre would be mate- 

 rially increased. 



When a crop fails the cause is, unfortunately, too often set 

 down to adverse climate conditions. Although the weather has 

 undoubtedly a very important bearing upon crop production, yet 

 it is not always responsible for the poor returns. 



In my travels throughout the various districts of the State, I 

 have ample opportunity of studying the respective methods prac- 

 tised in the raising of cro]:)s and the results obtained thereby. 



It is not an infrequent occurrence to come across a fanner har- 

 vesting a very heavy crop on one side of the fence, while his 

 neighbor on the other, on similar soil, is reaping practically a 

 failure. It is, therefore, necessary to look to some cause other 

 than the weather for this disparity. Perhaps there is some truth 

 in the remark made by the farmer who was harvesting a fine crop 

 while his neighbor was reaping a poor one. When asked the 

 reason for the difference, his reply was, "I cultivated my soil — 

 my neighbor irritates his." 



The problem relating to soil fertility and crop production has 

 received much attention from agricultural scientists during recent 

 years, and although much has been achieved, there still remains 

 a very large field for investigation. Much prominence has been 

 given, both in Australia and America, to the raising of crops with 

 a minimum amount of rainfall, and it must be admitted that mar- 

 velous results have already been secured by the adoption of the 

 methods advocated. 



The foundation stone upon which the success of the drv-farming 

 system rests is fallowing- — that is, keeping the soil cultivated and 

 onlv taking a crop every alternate vear. 



So far, fallowing has received little or no attention in our State. 

 On the other hand, the practice of securing two crops during the 

 year is quite a eeneral one, and this is undoubtedly, to a large 

 extent, responsible for the low average vield obtained from some 

 of our staple crops. I find that one of the most important factors 

 in successful crop production is the early preparation of the land. 



