]o Feb., 1910.] Farm and Crop C ompetiiions, 1909. 



91; 



FARM A^^D CROP COMPETITIONS, 1909. 



Results of Competitions held under the auspices of Agricultural 

 Societies during 1909. 



F . E. Lee, Agricultural Superintendent. 



The regulations relating to the allotment of the Government subsidy to 

 Agricultural Societies requires that " the Society shall provide and ofEer 

 a substantial prize (not less than £5) for improvements in farm practice and 

 management, or the cultivation of special crops in the district." 



Numerous Societies, in compliance with the foregoing, have offered 

 prizes for either farms or crops. 



The schedule of points under which these competitions were carried out 

 was published in the December Journal. The competitions mentioned here 

 have, in all cases, been judged by officers of the Department, at the request 

 of the Society concerned : — 



Farm Competitions. 



* See details in next Table. 



Analysis of the Awards. 



It is highly interesting, both as a measure of the average attention shown 

 by farmers towards the specific details of farm management in each locality, 

 as well as an index of the general farm practice throughout the State, to> 

 note how the above awards appear when compared with one another. 



The total percentage of maximum points awarded for all sections of the 

 competition is as under : — 



Euroa, 80.6 ; Mansfield, 74 ; Jeparit, 60.9 ; and St. Arnaud, 60.6. 

 The points which the following analysis makes evident are — 



(a) A want of appreciation of the benefits of fodder provision in one 



form or another. 

 (6) Some further attention to the efficiency and maintenance of 



out-buildings, 

 (c) The necessity for an adequate and easily accessible water suppl}^ 

 for stock. 



