lo Feb., J910.] Rape Fallow versus Bare Fallow. 119 



The exact effect of the alteration of the unit values, on superphos- 

 phates of equal quality, in this year from those in 1908 (no values were 

 fixed during 1909) is as follows : — 



'ixvperyhosphate 19u3. 



Phosphoric Acid, Water Soluble . .. .. 17% @ 4/9 = £4 9 



ao. do. Citrate ,. .. .. .. 1% (a- 4/- = 4 



do. do. ,, Insoluble .. .. .. 2% @ ]/- = 2 



Total Phosphoric Acid . . 



Supeyphogphate — 1910. 



Phosphoric Acid, Water Soluble 

 do. do. Ciirate ,, 



do do. ,, lusoiuble .. 



Total Phosphoric Acid . . . . 20% =£460 



In other words, the portion of the manure usable bv a crop (water and 

 citrate soluble phosphoric acid) is worth ^4 4.S. 9d. in 1908, and only 

 ^4. OS. 6d. in 1910. 



It is impossible under the present Artificial Manures Act to now alter 

 the values fixed by the Acting Chemist for Agriculture, but it is tht in- 

 tention of the Minister of Agriculture, when Parliament meets, to intro- 

 duce a Bill, which will give the ofiicer administering the Act wider powers 

 to check any tendency towards falling off in the quality of a superphos- 

 phate. 



Another point of interest to the farmer is the date of publication of 

 the unit values in each year. At present, the values do not appear until 

 the bulk of the manures have been sold and despatched to the country, 

 delivery in many cases having been taken by farmers during the season of 

 wheat carting. By a much earlier publication of the values in each \ear, 

 farmers will have more opportunitv to study the quality of superphosphate 

 offered and decide upon the brand offering the most advantage for the 

 monev. 



RAPE FALLOW VERSUS BARE FALLOW. 



Mr. P. F. Cloonan, Crown Lands Bailiff at Sea Lake, when forward- 

 ing the following letter, adds that the results obtained by Mr. Cathcart 

 strongly support the advice given by Mr. Temple Smith at the Agricultural 

 Classes held at Sea Lake last vear : — 



" The following goes to show that much may be done to better the 

 splendid returns that have followed the adoption of improved methods of 

 cultivation in these districts. It has been argued that the limited rain- 

 fall makes the use of bare fallow, as opposed to rape fallow, a necessity 

 in the scheme of rotation that has done .so much for the Mallee agricul- 

 turist. 



With a view to testing the question, Mr. J. J. Cathcart. a successful 

 farmer near Sea Lake, last .season sowed rape on 30 acres of a large pad- 

 dock of fallow. Off those 30 acres he has harvested 24 bushels of Dart's 

 Imperial wheat of prime sample — a plump, good coloured grain — for 

 which he received id. per bushel over the ruling price, while the adjoin- 

 ing portion that had been well worked right through the year, and sown 

 at the same time, produced only the same number of bushels of Federation 

 wheat. 



Mr. Cathcart claims that the result was most gratifving; he not only 

 had 30 acres of rape with which to top off his lambs, but he was saved 

 the extra labour involved in continuous working to conserve the moisture 

 and destroy the weeds." 



The satisfactory result obtained shows what can be done in a year when 

 the rainfall is fairly good. 



