296 



Journal of Agriculture. 



[8 May. 1908. 



•'■' The soil was light peaty loam, ploughed four times after crop of 

 maize. After tillage consisted of hand hoeing. Manure 4 cwt. super- 

 phosphate per acre. Crop light." 



" r dug in a good deal of stable manure with them ; I tliink it made 

 the ground too open. Crop a failure." 



" The potatoes were a failure, owing, I think, to manuring tlie ground 

 too heavily. The toj)s were thick and hea\\ . Tubers nearlv all small." 



'•' Complete failure, although 1 planted the seed verv carefullv, ])utting 

 bonedust and superphosphate on each set to see which would give the b-est 

 results." 



There is much differencq of opinion as to the best mode of applying 

 farmyard and artificial manures to the land. Some prefer the practice 

 generally adopted in Great Brit^.in (jf applying the manure in the drills 

 when planting the potatoes ; others choose the autumn or end of the winter, 

 when it is ploughed under, allowing it to combine with the soil during the 

 preparation of the land for planting. The application of well-rotted 

 manure in the drills may give satisfactory results in average seasons, but 

 it very often happens that what is termed farmyard manure is merely rotten 

 or partly decayed strawy matter, which, under the influence of hot weather, 

 becomes so much chaff. 



In some seasons the tubers are liable to crack in the centre and become 

 I10II0W inside. In cases like this the condition is aggravated where strawy 

 matter has been applied. In dry seasons it keeps the soil ojjeii and allows 

 the' moisture to evajwrate. This is confirmed by two of the above reports. 

 With artificial manure some growers apply it in the drills Avhen planting, 

 and obtain satisfactory results, others broadcast before planting, and some 

 after j)lanting. More satisfactory results are likely to follow broadcasting 

 before i)lanting, or better still, when the fertilizer drill is used. To apply 

 manure to freshly cut seed, or to place large quantities of it near the sets, 

 whether cut or whole, is injurious. 



RESULTS OBTAINED IN VARIOUS LOCALITIES. 



Name of 

 Varietv. 



Briti-;li Qupcn 



Moderate to light Yields 

 owing to dry Season. 



Campboll's Creek, t Drys- 

 dale,* Elphinstone. Kyne- 

 ion,t Leopold,* I.ongw'ood. 

 Maryborough, Milawa. 



Rosedale,* Sale, Sorrento. 

 *Warrandyte 



Balmattuni. Beaconsfield, 

 Beeac, Birregurra, Camp- 

 bell's Creek, Doncaster. 

 Elphiustone, Gen%rook,* 

 Kyneton, Maryborough. 

 Milawa, Xyora,* Pirron 

 Yalloak. Knsedale,* Huther- 

 glen, Satidringliani, Sor- 

 rento, Vermont, Warraii- 

 dyte, Warniiiiiibonl Soutli. 

 Yarra Glen 



