112 



Agricultural Journal of Victoria. 



It will be seen that four comparisons liave been made on each class 

 of soil. That is the yields of the nnmanured sections in each case 

 have been compared, the yields of the manured sections, the maximum 

 yield and the minimum yield. In the case of every crop tried on the 

 poor and medium soils, the average yield of the manured sections is 

 larger than that of the unmanured, in most cases appreciably so. The 

 extent to which manures have acted on these soils becomes more 

 evident on comparing the yields of the unmanured sections with the 

 maximum yield, in every case a manured section. This comparison is 

 made in the following figures : — 



YIELDS PER ACRE IN TONS. 



The increased yield shown by the maximum return over that of 

 the unmanured sections is in both soils very considerable and 

 certainly justifies a liberal use of fertilizers on such soils. These ex- 

 periments I think open a new chapter of possibilities in regard ta 

 large areas of country in Gippsland at present considered worthless. 

 The soil classed as poor is typical of a very large area extending, I am 

 told, from the Tambo to the Snowy River. The prevailing vegetation 

 is stringy bark, honeysuckle and bracken. Yields of over 9 tons to the 

 acre of maize and teosinte have been obtained from this soil. Lucerne 

 gives promises of doing well and rape has afforded as a first cut over 

 5^ tons of valuable forage to the acre. 



The Effect of Manures on First-class Soils- 



This will vary a good deal owing to a number of circumstances. 

 The earliness of the crop, the retentive power of the soil for moisture, 

 and the rainfall, will all exert a large iniluence in this direction, larger 

 perhaps in the case of the better class soils owing to the heavier yields 

 and their larger moisture requirements than in the poorer. In- 

 stances were fi-equent last year on many fields where certain manures 

 up to a given period had produced great differences in growth even on 

 what might be considered first class soils ; but at a later period when 

 the moisture reserve from the winter rains had diminished, it was 

 these crops especially showing the extra growth which appeared to be 

 the most seriously affected. Weights taken from such plots after 

 receiving the check in growth were in many cases considerably behind 

 those from adjoining plots, which a week or fortnight before had shown 



