422 Journal of Agriculture. [lo July, 1909. 



the cuws will very soon show how thev appreciate shelter. In the course 

 of three months, 30 cows will deposit approximately 100 tons of liquid 

 and solid manure on this small paddock, which should then be broken up 

 and used for cultivation and another one, similar in extent and equally 

 handy, provided for the stock. In this wav a number of extremely fertile 

 cultivation paddocks can be established close to the homestead. A handy 

 plan is to make use of a few posts with two or three strands of barbed 

 wire as a temporary fence in the corner of a jiaddock and shifting on the 

 temporarv fence as occasion requires. It will be observed that farmyard 

 manure is rich in nitrogen and potash and comparatively poor in phos- 

 phoric acid. In addition to this, phosphoric acid is the chief soil require- 

 ment of all our Victorian lands. Every crop, therefore, should be planted 

 with approximatelv i cwt. per acre of superphosphate, dissolved bones or 

 similar phosphatic manure. 



C. — Culling the Herd. 

 This matter has been dwelt upon to such an extent that everyone 

 should be now familiar with the details of the method. Provided the cows 

 are properly fed, a record of the milk yield, combined with a test for per- 

 centage of butter fat carried out, say everv 3 months, changes the whole 

 position of the dairy farmer from one of guesswork and doubt tO' one of 

 absolute certainty. The first season will divide the great majority of the 

 ■cows into those which are worth keeping and those which are not. A few 

 may be on the border line and require observation extending over a longer 

 period, but once the habit is established, the ease with which it is carried 

 out and the benefits accruing therefrom are suflScient to make it part of 

 every day's routine work. The reason why records are so seldom seen in 

 Victorian herds is chiefly, I think, owing to the fact that the farmer feels 

 that his cows have not been receiving proper treatment with regard to food 

 during certain months of each year, and as to the milk yield a fair estimate 

 can scarcelv be made until the fodder question has received a satisfactory 

 solution. Another important point is that as soon as records are kept the 

 cows receive individual attention as to food and treatment. When hand 

 feeding is the rule it is soon found unprofitable to let the cows hustle after 

 a few sheaves or a load of maize scattered about the paddock. The hea^•v 

 milker requires most food, but very often she is a poor hustler. This is 

 simply another instance of the wav in which intelligent control spells 

 success. 



MAIZE AS FODDER. 

 Departmental Demonstration Plots. 



Those interested in the growing of maize for fodder purposes have 

 recognised considerable variation in the growth of the several varieties ; 

 not only as regards their individual peculiarities of early maturing and 

 stooling out, but also as regards the growth made by each under different 

 conditions. At the beginning of September last it was decided by the 

 Department of Agriculture to make a number of experiments during that 

 sea.son, to ascertain whether any conclusive evidence could be obtained 

 as to which varieties would be the most profitable to grow for fodder pur- 

 poses. 



The seed for the denionstrat'on crops was furnished bv the Field 

 Branch through Mr. F. E. Lee, Agricultural Superintendent. The actual 



