380 Journal of Agriculture. [8 June, 1908 



getting it ready to crop is being pushed on. Five acres of this ground 

 were i)ut in with rve at the end of March ; the crop is up and looking 

 well. 



The orchard trees have made good growth and appear strong and 

 healthy. The small fruits and vegetable and flower garden were totally 

 destroyed by the bush fire in January, but will be replanted in the spring. 



Grasses. — These continue to do well, and go far to prove that this 

 country will make excellent dairying land. 



Stock. — Five milch cows, ten pigs, and one horse have been bought, 

 and are in good condition. 



Buildings. — A cow-shed and piggeries of bush material and iron 

 roofing have been put up, and an addition of two rooms made to the 

 dwelling-house. 



General. — The growth of all crops has been a wonderful impro\'ement 

 on last year's, and it is anticipated that a further improvement will be made 

 as the ground gets into a proper tilth, which will be hastened by the disc 

 implements just received. The potatoes, maize, swedes and grasses are a 

 great surprise to \isitors, who are now very numerous. 



:..NoTE. — The^eniial a^|iii r of the farm and the returns from the crops this season are so satisfac- 

 tory that a few wonl^ a- i. i. ^iilts may be yiven here. The farm land has now been drained etfieiently for 

 close upon two year^. aii'l aliliMuivh during- the first season many of the crops were disappointing-, if not 

 altogether failures, tlie souiness has already so far l>een remo\ed as to jiermit of crops which would be 

 a credit to some of our finest ayri< ultural lands. That this sweetening- process is not yet complete is 

 obvious, so that further increase in returns may be looked f^-r. Fertilizers have not been used in the 

 farm to an extent }^''eater than the ordinary ])ractice for similar crops elsewhere, so that the g-eneral 

 result of the v\ork is to show successful and profitable settlement of these hitherto despised areas a 

 certainty. 



Stejjs are being- taken to cut >ip, into suitable-sized blocks, the area already ploughed, combining 

 a proportion of timber land along with the grass-tree country. 



s. .iioOffers have been in\ ited for se\eral powerful traction engines with the object of more \-igorously 

 pushing on the reclamation work. As there are at least 60,CKiO acres of grass tree equal to the plain at 

 present being treated, a large field is open for future work.— Editor. 



THE ORCHARD. 



James l^ang, Ilarcourt. 



A break has taken place in the weather since last month, and the con- 

 ditions are nf)w more favorable for orchard operations. An average of about 

 2 inches of rain has fallen throughout the State, but much more is required 

 to give the ground a good soaking, and moisten the subsoil. 



Planting operations will iDe the principal work during the month, and 

 this should be pushed on with during favorable weather. In preparing 

 land for planting fruit trees, it should, be ploughed as deep as possible — at 

 least 8 incht-s. If the subsoil is inclined to be hard or stiff it should be 

 further broken up. To do this take the mould board off an ordinary 

 plough, and follow in the furrow already ploughed to a further depth of 

 6 or 7 inches; this will give a total depth of 15 inches to which the soil 

 has been stirred. The ground should then be harrowed. Where virgin 

 ground is being broken up for the first time, it should be done in the earl} 

 spring, and allowed to lie fallow throughout the summer; this sweetens 

 the soil and ])uts it in much better condition for ])lanting. 



