2 Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. | 10 Jan., 1918. 



The permanent rotation plots were commenced in 1917, and were 

 designed to test the merits of eight different systems of crop rotation, 

 of which only two are at present practised in the district. It was really 

 a com])arative test of eight different systems of farming. Twenty-three 

 plots, each of half an acre, were dcA'oted to this section. The plots 

 were designed to test whether the cropping capacity of the land could 

 not be increased by more frequent cropping, and the adoption of rota- 

 tions suited to the changing economic condition of the district. Sheep 

 were becoming more and more valuable, and the time was now rapidly 

 approaching, if it had not already come, when it would pay to grow 

 forage croj^s for feeding off with sheep. Such practices would increase 

 the fertility of the soil, increase the stock-carrying capacity of the farm, 

 and should result in higher average yields per acre. We had confined 

 our attention almost exclusively to wheat. It had paid well, but the rise 

 in the price of animal products would gradually lead to an alteration in 

 the existing method of crop rotation — wheat-, pasture, bare fallow. 



The rotations which were being tested at present were the follow- 

 ing :— 



(1) Wheat continuously. 



(2) Wheat after bare fallow. 



(3) Wheat, pasture, bare falloAr. 



(4) Wheat, barley, pease. 



(5) Wheat, oats, pease. 



(6) Wheat, oats, bare fallow. 



(7) Wheat, oats, pasture, bare fallow. 



(8) Wheat, rape, barley, pease. 



Farmers would note that barley and pease were introduced into 

 these rotations. Barley was a very hardy crop, and would thrive in 

 the very driest areas. It was a quick-growing cereal, and would 

 always give 50 to 75 per cent, higher yields than wheat, given equal 

 cultivation. There was, however, no regular export trade for barley, 

 but the surplus barley of the Mediterranean countries was eagerly 

 bought by Gi-eat Britain, and there could be no doubt that, after the 

 war, an export trade would be developed in barley. It could be sown 

 late, and it made excellent grazing for sheep, was ahvays a reliable 

 crop, and gave heavy yields of grain. Yields of up to 70 bushels per 

 acre had been obtained from the College soil. It made excellent silage, 

 and they would see later in the afternoon two silos filled with barlej- 

 ensilage. Over 12 tons per acre of silage was obtained from the barley 

 crop this year. Barley seemed fitted to be the great stock food of 

 Victoria, corresponding to the maize crop of the United States, over 

 2,000,000,000 bushels of which were fed annually to live stock. The 

 six-roAved Cape barleys gave the greatest yield per acre, but the two- 

 rowed malting tyi^es were the most valuable from the maltster's point 

 of view. 



It Avould be noted that peas were introduced into these rotations. 

 Peas were a most valuable crop, mainly because of their renovating 

 effect on the soil, and the fact that they assimilated nitrogen from the 

 air and stored it up in the soil for the use of subsequent crops. It was 

 proposed to feed these pea crops down with sheep when the peas had 

 formed grain. This would enable the harvesting to be done Avith the 



