256 Journal of Agriculture. [8 April, 1907 



are unsatisfactory. We know that the fungus cannot grow upon oats 

 and its reappearance after oats in some cases has led to doubts being 

 cast upon this method of controlling the disease. These varying results 

 no doubt arise from the different conditions under which the crop may be 

 sown and the cleanness of the seed. In the first place the seed of spear 

 grass is present to a greater or less extent in practically all samples of 

 oats. Hence as a rule a proportion of spear grass is sown with the oat 

 crop and as there is already some in the soil of nearly every paddock 

 we are not pursuing a wise course in sowing oats after wheat and then 

 wheat again without an intervening fallow. By all means use oats where 

 practicable but be careful to sow clean seed free from spear gra.ss and 

 preferably after an early fallow and not directly after wheat. Sometimes 

 however it becomes necessary to follow wheat with oats in which case 

 wheat should not again be sown without an early fallow in between. In 

 very badly infected paddocks it is well to replace wheat with oats 

 for once in the ordinary three-year rotation of grass, fallow, crop, the 

 succeeding treatment depending largelv on the nature of the season and 

 the financial requirements of the farmer. 



Take-all on New Land. 



One point alone remains to be discussed and that is why land never in 

 wheat before sometimes gives a crop badly affected bv take-all. There 

 can be only one explanation and that is that the grasses which it carried 

 before must have borne the disease. The necessity for early fallow is 

 again shown and thorough working to prevent the growth of weeds which 

 may carry over the fungus, and to cause the germination and destruction 

 of the spores. 



Conclusions. 



From what has been alrea.dy said regarding the prevalence of the 

 disease on spear grass and barley grass which are practicallv always pre- 

 sent in our crops and on our headlands there would appear to be no use 

 in allowing affected paddocks to remain in grass for one year in three so 

 far as destroying take-all is concerned. It would be a much mo^re rational 

 course to burn off the stubble thoroughlv and fallow early, work the land 

 well and then put in oats to be followed by another fallow and then 

 wheat. The second fallow might be omitted if the season promised well 

 and the autumn rains had been sufficient tO' insure a, good germination of 

 the self-sown oats and various weeds. Of cour.se where rape or any other 

 green crop can be grown with anv degree of success it might be used in 

 place of oats since it would answer as well or better. The only reason for 

 suggesting oats is that on a large section of our wheat lands the growth 

 of any crop but a cereal has been regarded as next to impossible, and this 

 one at least is not susceptible to attack by take-all. 



To sum up as far as our present knowledge goes take-all can onlv 

 be controlled by starving out the fungus which causes it, and this is best 

 done bv fallowing early and working the land thoroughly after rain and 

 for a time i;eplacing wheat with some crop not subject to attack. For each 

 and all of these measures there are sound reasons as we have seen, and 

 the degree of success achieved will depend largely on the care bestowed on 

 the work. 



Note. — Bulletin No. 9 on " Take-all and Whiteheads in Wheat," with 

 illustrations, can be had gratis on application to the Secretary for Agri- 

 culture. 



