124 Journal of Agriculture. [8 Feb., 1908, 



shoot again under the influence of the rain which happily fell. Hardly 

 had the green shoots again appeared when a later invasion took place just 

 before Christmas. These seemed bent on destroying what their forerunners 

 had left. Up to the end of the year we had not quite got rid of these 

 Aoracious pests which irretrievably damaged our grafts. 



Besides what may be considered the legitimate work of the nursery we 

 have erected the necessai'y buildings and installed a first class pumping 

 plant for watering the vines. The construction of buildings, laying of 

 the pipes, fixing engine and pump, erection of tank stand, &c., were all 

 undertaken and successfully carried out by the College staff. The pump 

 will raise 200 gallons per minute and as we pump direct from the Murray 

 we have an unlimited supply to draw from. 



Boys. 



The work of training the lads sent for the purpose proceeds steadily 

 but none the less sureh. Excellent opportunities are afforded them to 

 become proficient in the various branches undertaken here. Judging from 

 reports of those sent out to situations we have not been altogether without 

 success. 



During the term under review we had 23 boys in residence at the 

 College. They materially assisted in the grafting as well as the planting 

 out of the vines, and did the greater part of the disbudding among the 

 mother stocks. Their conduct is on the whole good. Many of them show 

 an increased interest in their work. The senior boy left in Movember to 

 lake a situation on Mr. Campbell's orchard, near Stawell. 



On the 20th December, the second annual distribution of prizes was 

 held. The subjects for which awards were given were varied, consisting 

 of agricultural, viticultural, and general topics. The work done, both 

 theoretical and practical, was highlv creditable, and bore eloquent testi- 

 mony to the value of the training, to the attention paid to the lectures 

 delivered, and to the character of the information retained. 



|^W"yuna Irrigation Farm. 



G. H. Tolley, Manager. 



Crops. — As anticipated in the previous quarterly report, the crops 

 where not irrigated, were mostly failures. Whilst the district yearly 

 average is 26 inches, the rainfall for 1907 amounted to 12.06 inches only. 

 This total was exceeded in 1906 during the last 6 months. In the case 

 of 84 acres of timber land (42 acres sown with Purple Straw wheat, 28 

 acres Algerian oats and 14 acres Cape barley) which previously carried a 

 heavy crop of rape, only a few acres were fit to cut for ensilage and the 

 stock were turned into the remainder. Five acres of Prairie grass on 

 virgin land failed completely and 5 acres of Federation wheat sown late 

 on similar land yielded a little for ensilage. The yield from 43 acres 

 sown to Federation wheat on plain land previously fallowed with rape 

 was about a bag to the acre of very good grain. (Most of this will be 

 made available to Wyuna settlers for seed). Great care had been taken 

 in sowing this plot, varying quantities of manure being used ; it is a 

 disappointment that the results have been vitiated bv the season. To 

 draw definite conclusions from these results would be idle but it is certain 

 that the crops following the rape fallow were far inferior to those on 

 bare fallow. 



