Journal of Agriculture. [8 Feb., 1908. 



lucerne hay from five acres of land in each of the parishes of the Rodney 

 Irrigation and Water Supply District ; in the Irrigation and Water Supply 

 Districts in the country around Kerang (excluding Swan Hill) ; and in 

 Swan Hill, for the year beginning ist April, 1908 ; and, if there is sufficient 

 interest shown the first year, to continue these prizes each successive year 

 for four vears. The conditions to be as follow : — 



1. There must be not less than five contestants for each prize. 



2. Those wishing to take part in this competition must notify the Acting 

 Secretary of the State Rivers and Water Supply Commission on or before ist 

 April, 1908. 



3. The competition in 1908 will be restricted to land seeded after ist March, 

 1908. The land should be located along a public highway if possible; but in 

 any case its location must be definitely stated in the notice of competition. 



4. The award will be made on or about ist May, 1909; and will be based on — 

 {a) The total weight of hay cut and stacked between the time of planting 



in 1908 and ist May, 1909. This to be determined by weight or 

 measurement as the Committee on Awards may decide. 



{fi) Where two competitors tie for a prize so far as weight of hay obtained 

 is concerned, the one using the least water shall have preference. 



(<r) The hay when cut must be stacked by itself near or on the plat where 

 grown. 



5. No conditions will be imposed as to the method of seeding, watering, tillage, 

 or cutting. Each competitor will be left to use his knowledge and experience to 

 the best advantage. But each contestant in the Rodney District must notify the 

 District Engineer at Tatura, and each contestant in the other Districts must notify 

 the District Engineer at Kerang, five days prior to each cutting of the crop. 



6. The prize in each parish in the Rodney District and in Swan Hill will be 

 a silver cup or a cheque for ;^5. In the Irrigation and Water Supply Districts in 

 the country around Kerang (excluding Swan Hill) because of the large area included, 

 the prize 'will be a silver cup of a value of at least £\o, or a cheque for that 

 amount. 



7. The Committee on Awards will be : — 



The Minister of Water Supply. 



The Director of Agriculture. 



The Chairman of the State Rivers and Water Supply Commission. 



And two others to be announced later. 



The Commission has prepared the attached form of Notice of Intention 

 to Compete for these prizes, which may be obtained from the Acting 

 Secretary of the Commission in jNIelboiu-ne or from the District Engineers 

 at Tatura and Kerang. If the number of the notices of competition 

 received show sufficient general interest to warrant it, the Commission will 

 arrange to hold public meetings at Tatura, Kyabram, Wyuna, Swan Hill, 

 and Kerang to explain more fully the details of this work. 



The Commission has been promised the co-operation of the State Irri- 

 gation Farm at Wyuna in carrying out experiments and demonstrations of 

 the tillage and watering of lucerne for hay. This farm has now several 

 sample plots of lucerne which show different methods of watering, and 

 these will be supplemented by additional plots to be seeded hereafter. The 

 Commission will, if satisfactOTy terms can be arranged, also endea\our to 

 acquire control of 10 or 20 acres of land adjoining the towns "of Tatura, 

 Kyabram, and Kerang to illustrate the methods of preparing land for 

 irrigation and to test the methods followed in important lucerne growing 

 districts elsewhere. A practical irrigator familiar with these methods will 

 be emploved who will superintend the preparing of the land on these 

 experimental areas and in addition, so far as his time permits, give advice 

 and direction to individual irrigators. 



