248 Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [10 April, 191 1. 



such an extent that its market value is greatly reduced. If the first 

 crop, during the growing period, shows rank growth it will be profitable 

 to feed it off with sheep until well into the spring. By this means the 

 new growth of shoots already referred to can be successfully dealt with. 



The third year's operations are similar in character to the first with 

 the exception that it has been found advisable to put in, bv drilling, the 

 same quantity of seed per acre, but with about 10 lbs. more super- 

 phosphate per acre on the lighter soils and about to lbs. less on the 

 heavier soils. If a good burn has taken place the first year there should 

 now be a large number of roots brought to the surface and ready for 

 removal. This can be done at a cost of from 3d. to 6d. per acre. 

 Instead of burning the roots, they should be carted to the homestead and 

 stacked for future requirements. On some of the farms judged there 

 were hundreds of tons of Malice roots, which will be of great value in 

 a few years' time, for firewood. 



After the fourth year's cultivation, on similar lines to the second 

 year's, most of the roots have dried and come to the surface, and can 

 be removed at a nominal cost. By the fourth year the land should be 

 cleared sufficiently to plan ahead, and adopt a reliable system of fal- 

 lowing and the introduction of a three years' rotation crop system. 

 The great mistake made in most of the fallowing inspected was that it 

 had been ploughed far too late in the season. Fallowing should be 

 completed early in the year so that the ground will be in a condition to 

 absorb the winter rains. Successful farmers recommend deep and 

 early fallowing for several reasons — it increases the water-holding capa- 

 city of most soils, admits sunlight and air, extends the root-feeding area, 

 and, by conserving the available moisture, enables crops to successfully 

 withstand long stretches of dry weather. Deep ploughing can only be 

 adopted where there is a good depth of soil and where there is no likeli- 

 hood of the subsoil being brought to the surface. Sub.sequent harrowing 

 should be carried out through the fallow season, and more particularly 

 after each rain for the purpose of effecting a shallow earth mulch for 

 the object of conserving the moisture for next year's crop. 



During the months of April or May, selected, graded and pickled 

 wheat should be disced or drilled in at the rate of 40 lbs. of seed along 

 with 56 lbs. of superphosphate per acre. If a strong growth of wheat 

 comes away early, eat it oft" with young stock or sheep, whichever can 

 be most profitably utilized. After stripping or harvesting, the land 

 should be allowed to be in stubble and pasture for the next eighteen 

 months. Provided the season and rainfall are suitable, rape can be sown 

 on the fallow land after the first autumn rains, at the rate of 4 to 6 lbs. 

 of seed per acre. This could be turned to profitable account by grazing 

 sheep, and at the same time help to manure the land and improve its 

 mechanical and physical condition. By utilizing the fallow in this pro- 

 fitable manner, the farmer is increasing the carrying capacity of his farm, 

 and is has been proved by practical results that the heavier the crop of 

 rape, whether it be fed off or ploughed in, the heavier is the succeeding 

 crop of grain. Wherever rape is sown it is always a wise precaution to sow 

 I rb. of mustard seed with it to prevent bloating the sheep grazed thereon. 



The usual system adopted of working a wheat farm of 640 acres 

 is to divide the area into three divisions, leaving 40 acres for the home- 

 stead requirements ; 200 acres are put under crop, 200 acres fallowed 

 and 200 acres in grass, .so that the cereal crop is always sown on fallow 

 land. Under this system, the VVimmera farmer generally takes two grain 

 crops off the bare fallow land, so that the grazing area for the sheep is 

 increased by their ^kl^'ing the 200 acres of stubble to graze on for portion 



