9© Journal of Agriculture. [lo Feb., 1909. 



Best Fallowed Land not less than 80 Acres. 



Only seven farmers competed. The reason for such a small entry is 

 hard to find. Twenty possible points was the scale fixed, and the follow- 

 ing are the results : — 



Points. 



K. .1. Ilod'iiiaun ... .. ... ... ... ... 19 



Mis. Uickeiison ... ... ... ... ... 18 



(i. Bitson ... ... ... .. ... ... 18 



G. (Jrouoh ... ... ... . . iS 



W. Sautlors ... ... ... 17 



F O. Allen . ... ... ... ... ... 17 



Walsh aud Wunl ... ... ... ... ... ... 16 



Experimental Work. 



Messrs. Geo. Batson and H. Dahlenburg were the only competitors in 

 this section. The work carried out by those two gentlemen affords some 

 very useful and interesting information. Manurial tests, wheat variety- 

 tests, experiments with grasses, lucerne and rape, and rotation of crops, 

 different methods of pickling, have been successfully carried on ; but the 

 two experiments, or, perhaps I should say demonstrations, which struck 

 me as being of the most practical value are: — ist, a rotation of crops 

 carried on by Mr. Batson : and 2nd, a successful attempt by Mr. Dahlen- 

 burg to make mellow and friable those hard red clay patches with which 

 the northern farmer unfortunately is only too familiar. Mr. Batson. 

 instead of sowing oats after a crop of wheat, put in a crop of barley, with 

 the result that last year he obtained a vield of 28 bushels of English 

 barley per acre. A crop of oats was sown on the bailey stubble, and 

 promises to yield better than any other oats he has in. This year a 

 similar practice was followed with Cape barley, yielding 40 bushels per 

 acre. The methods of Mr. H. Dahlenburg to mellow those red hard 

 patches to which T have previously alluded is to plough in a liberal appli- 

 cation of stable manure. The result from this treatment is that the 

 ground does not run together, and as a matter of fact becomes in all 

 respects et^jual to the surrounding black land. Extensive experiments 

 have also been conducted in cultivation methods. Harrowing the crop 

 after it was up about 3 to 4 inches with light poppy harrows has effectively 

 got rid of the poppies, and also increased considerably the yield of the 

 harrowed portion. Mr. Dahlenburg has conducted this experiment in 

 several paddocks, always taking care to leave a certain portion of the field 

 imharrowed so that the difference can be noted. The different wheat 

 variety tests carried out by this gentleman are rather on a large scale, and 

 should prove a great value to vour district. In making my awards I have 

 placed — 



H. Dahlenburg ... ... ... ... ... .1 



G. Batson ... ... ... ... .. ... 2 



In conclusion. I beg to offer my thanks to those gentlemen who have so 

 hospitably entertained me. and to you for the excellent arrangements made 

 durins: mv stav. 



