lo Nov., 1910.] Potato Experimental Fields, igog-io. 



713 



Then came a change in the rotation b\- the introduction of tlie field 

 pea. Heavy yields of these were obtained and the benefit to the land 

 was evident in the heavy crops that followed. The following rotation be- 

 came established: — i, potatoes; 2, barley; 3, peas; 4, wheat or oats for 

 hay, frequently followed by a crop of peas for green manure. This 

 ■system obtained on the volcanic soils along the Dividing Range from Mt. 

 Buninyong in the west to Mt. William, east of Lancefield. The satisfac- 

 tory yields were no doubt due tO' the legumes, but this rotation ultimatelv 

 broke down as a period was reached when the pea crop was abandoned 

 on most of the farms. Since then, the returns from the potato crop have 

 been very unsatisfactory. That the.se decreased yields are not due to the 

 lack of plant fond, is proved by the analyses of the .soils of the three 

 ■fields set out in Tables B and C. These show that even the lowest average 

 may be considered a good agricultural soil. 



The soil and sub.soil of each plot WLte anal\zed. Table B .shows the 

 -chemical analysis and Table ( ' the mechanical analysis. 



T.\BLE B.- Chemical Ax.\lysis. 



Jfitrogen 

 Phosphoric Acid 

 Potash 

 Xime 

 •Chlorine . . 



Phosphoric Acid 

 Potash 



Daylesford. 



Parts per 100,000. 



Subsoil. 



Dean. 



Parts per 100,000. 



372 291 



454 480 



253 197 



500 470 

 5 

 Available in 1 per cent. Citric Acid. 



78 I 66 I 28 I 9 1 



39 25 31 17 



Romsey. 

 Parts per 100,000. 



Soil. 



198 

 259 

 145 

 320 



Subsoil. 



123 

 209 

 112 

 260 



Table C. — Mechanical Analysis. 



-Moisture 

 Loss on Ignition 

 Fine Gravel 

 Coarse Sand 

 Medium Sand 

 Fine Sand 

 Very Fine Sand 

 Silt 



Fine Silt 

 Clay 



Baylesford. 



Parts per 100,000. 

 Soil. Subsoil. 



5.03 



11.70 



.80 



3.19 



1.48 



3.31 



13.39 



10.06 



25.29 



25.73 



5.01 



14.77 



.58 



2.37 



1.16 



4.44 



11.79 



11.07 



23.86 



24.90 



Dean. 



Parts per 100,000. 



Parts per 100,000. 



Soil. 



% 



2.26 



7.46 



.16 



1.71 



1.33 



3.49 



16.24 



12.20 



31.95 



23.14 



Subsoil. 



2.35 



5.98 



.25 



1.56 



1.52 



3.90 



11.08 



15.88 



28.91 



28.45 



It must not be thought that the failure of crops and shortage in yields 

 are entirely due to the .system of farming practised in these districts. A 

 survey of the register of the rainfall (Table D) during the growing period 

 of the potato crop and embracing the most critical period of the pea crop 

 shows that 1909-10 was abnormallv drv. 



