480 Journal of A\^ncidiurc. [8 August, 1907. 



one acre in five is under cultivation, but for the most part the development 

 of our resources is only in the earliest stages. In Gippsland and most of 

 the Western district the amount of land that has been brought under the 

 plough is insignificant. Yet it has been abundantly proved that land 

 which in its natural state will only run a sheep to the acre will carry three 

 or four times that number when brought under a good system of rotation 

 of crops. At the present time 260 acres of land near Dandenong are 

 carrying 1,500 sheep. 



The Question of Over-production. 



With increasing wealth and better wages throughout the Northern 

 Hemisphere there is little danger of over-production in any of our staple 

 products. Great Britain alone has averaged importations to the amount 

 of ;^224,ooo,ooo in each of the past six years. The average contribution 

 of the whole of Australia has only been about 10 per cent, of the whole. 

 The list is as follows: — Value of importations into Great Britain in 

 millions sterling. (Average of last six years.) Wheat, flour, 38; dead 

 meat, 38; butter, cheese, milk, 31 ; other grains and meal, 25; sugar and 

 farinaceous foods, 25; wool, 24; fruit and vegetables, 14; live animals,, 

 for food, 10; cattle and horse food, 9; hides, horns, tallowy 6; rabbits,, 

 poultry, eggs, 4. Total, 224. With such a market in one country alone, 

 I do not think there is much danger of a sudden slump in prices. On the 

 contrary, our true policy lies in increasing the production of wheat, wool, 

 butter and lamb. The prices of all these commodities are ruled by the 

 London market. In comparison with the world's production Victoria pro- 

 duces so little that a few million bushels or a few hundred thousand 

 carcasses will make no appreciable difference. In wheat there are a number 

 of varieties that have consistently given good results in our experimental 

 plots. While the average yield for the State is less than 12 bushels, we 

 have ten varieties which last season gave from 18 to 24. Our averages 

 in the Mallee and the North-east have been 50 per cent, better than 

 the average of the surrounding farms on the same class of soil. Then, 

 again, it is evident that we want a general improvement in farm methods. 

 The choice of a good variety and careful grading of seed may help ; 

 superphosphates are undoubtedly another very important help, but besides 

 these we want to get into a system of rotation, to change the sequence of 

 the crops and to admit of increased grazing. More sheep will not only 

 mean more profit, but the manure from the animals will restore the huimus 

 to the soil and increase the fertility of the farm. 



Rape and Peas. 



Rape is rapidlv coming into favour for this purpose, but in districts 

 where rape cannot be relied on I would call attention again to the points in 

 favour of the field pea as a fallow crop. Rape requires early autumn rains, 

 peas may be sown up to July. Rape occasionallv fails to flourish, while peas 

 succeed in nearly every district in Victoria. Rape may not be ready to graze 

 till there is abundance of green fodder in spring. Peas may be left in the 

 field till January or February, when the sheep w'ill readily eat the whole 

 crop, including any grain that may have fallen on the ground. In ad- 

 dition, peas increase the nitrogen supply of the soil, while rape does not. 

 Yxova. experience in South Australia and from small plots in many parts 

 of Northern Victoria, I am inclined to think that a hundred acres of peas 

 would be a good experiment for most of you to try on vour farms at once. 



