140 



./oanutl of Agriculture, Victoria. 1 10 Makcu, 1!» 10. 



The renuiiniiig crops were all iirowu on winter fallow, practically none 

 of which received the same care in preparation as those of the two lead- 

 ing crops. An interesting case of the value of a light harrowing after the 

 crop was up, in removing weeds such as poppy, was to be observed in 

 Mr. Peter Bone's crop, where the diiferenoe between treated and un- 

 treated strips showed plainly. There was evidence of take-all in most 

 of the crops, and flag-smut was particularly bad this year. Ball-smut 

 was noticed in two of the crops. Flag-smut, so prevalent in this and 

 other districts this year, has resulted in considerable loss, which may 

 be put down as averaging quite .") per cent., though it often passed 

 unnoticed, the thinning of the cro]) being put down to dry conditions. 

 Flag-smut is due to a fungus wliioli lives on the wJieat flag, and is 

 cai)able of iiersisting over the seasons on the straw. It cannot live on 

 oats. The treatment is to thoroughly burn the stubbles of badly infected 

 crops, and care should Ibe taken not to feed infected hay to horses while 

 working u[) the land, as the spores or seeds of the fungus may pass 

 through them unharmed. 



The treatment for ball-smut is too Avell kiiouii to need comment; its 

 presence usually arises through not pickling In a definite way; the 

 strength of the pickle is guessed at; it should he made up by weight. 

 The time of inunorsion may not be carefully checked, seed in which 

 smut balls are unnoticed may not be immersed in the pickle, or sufficient 

 care may not ibe taken to skim off the smut balls, which are almost 

 sure to cause reinfection if allowed to remain. The standard strengths 

 of pickle are — 



Bluestone, li lbs. to 10 gallons of water, immersed 3 to 5 minutes. 



Formalin, 1 lb. to 45 gallons of Avater, with tlie same time of 

 immersion. 



Xo. 2. — Mallee Crop xot less than 100 Acres. 



Mr. Roediger exhibited what was certainly a model field of throe 

 varieties, viz., Penny, Yandilla King, and Federation, nil from select- 

 bred pedigree seed. The cro]) was extremely level and even throughout, 

 quite free from disease, and there was a complete a'hsence of weeds 

 under foot. The straw was strikingly clean and mellow, the flag having 



