8 August, 1907.] i'lftlt Convention, Cliamber of Agriculture. 481 



Stirring the Sub- soil. 

 At the Metropolitan Farm, Werribee, a plough has been in use for some 

 years which stirs the soil to a depth of thirty inches without bringing any 

 of the sub-soil to the surface. To all appearance the land is simply loosened 

 and raised about six inches higher than the former surface of the soil. 

 The cost of the operation is less than ;^i per acre. The Rutherglen 

 vignerons are taking steps to applv the same method to their vineyards 

 before replanting. Xow, I don't suppose that it will be advisable to 

 work the wheat land so deep as this, but if we could stir the northern 

 soils for 15 or 18 inches it is probable that great benefit would result. More 

 of each winter's rain would be absorbed and retained for next season's 

 crop. Just in the same wav as the best crops in a dry \ ear are secured 

 from sandy land, so a deep stirring would put all the land in much the 

 same condition. With a machine like that at the Werribee there would 

 not be much difficultv from old stumps and roots, most of which would 

 be broken or else rooted out bodilv bv so powerful an implement. If 

 further experiment shows that the cost per acre is not excessive, I think 

 the Oliver plough may help to improve our wheat yields. In this connexion 

 the value of the well-worked fallow is becoming more apparent vear bv 

 year. As a means of conserving the moisture and facilitating earlv plant- 

 ing, it is unrivalled, and should it be found impracticable to work it along 

 with the pea crop, then I think the method will be to secure the benefit 

 of both by growing a smaller area of wheat each year. The effort to 

 grow a large area and consequentlv to half work the fallow is largely 

 responsible for our small vields. 



Plain Lands and their Treatment. 



In many parts of the north plain land may be purchased at half the 

 price of the adjacent timber country. While this difference in value appears 

 to correspond with the difference in grazing capacity, it is also a fact that 

 the values of the two kinds for cultivation are not nearly so far apart. 

 Cultivation is the wav to get the best returns from the plain land, the 

 fallow being followed bv wheat and then by oats. If peas are inti'oduced 

 so as to increase the nitrogen (in which the plain land is deficient) and two 

 or three years grazing follow the oats, the probability is that the difference 

 between the twO' kinds of soil will disappear. The use of superphosphates 

 is often blamed for burning the crop and exhausting the soil. These 

 effects are due not to the super, but to bad management. Call in the 

 assistance of a green crop, graze off this with sheep, and adopt some such 

 rotation as that mentioned above, and the land will be kept in better heart 

 for each succeeding crop. It is bv some such system as this that the 

 success of wheat growing in Northern Victoria is assured. 



The Lamb Trade and Fodder Crops, 

 The question sometimes asked, "Which pays best, wool or wheat?" 

 does not admit of an answer in Victoria. Here the one is the complement 

 of the other, and both must be raised if we are to make steadv progress. 

 We have seen how the wheat provides for the sheep in regard to grazing 

 off the early crop and how the rape and peas lead to increased fertility 

 through the sheep. But it is not sufficient to stop at these crops. Wherever 

 possible lucerne should l)e raised for the stock, and in addition oats should 

 be grown and provision made for succulent fodder in the dry weather. 

 Particularly for raising fat lambs the conditions should be ' such that 

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