194 



Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [10 April, 1919. 



final test, are best iinder.-^tood by a consideration of the soils and tlie 

 annual rainfall. 



The Rainfall. 

 The average rainfall at Goroke for a period of eighteen years is 

 20.36 inches — an amount -which, for wheat on ordinary soils, if rightly 

 distributed, is usually considered satisfactory. When, however, the 

 average monthly distribution is examined, it is found that 16.87 inches 

 fall in the period April to November inclusive, i.e., over 3^ inches 

 greater than that received for a similar period at Nhill, in the Wimmera. 

 The April and May precipitation is similar in botb places, but between 

 2 and 3 inches a month are received at Goroke in the period June to 

 October, which is, roughly, an inch a month heavier than at ISThill. On 

 reasonably porous soils this would be ideal; at Goroke it is often an 

 embarrassment. A comparison of the average rainfall at the following 

 centres, viz. : Goroke, Eutherglen, and jSThill, shows that there is a close 

 resemblance between the monthly precipitation of the two first-mentioned 

 places. On similar classes of soils, the results of successful experience 

 at Rutherglen might be worth considering at Goroke. 



Table showing average yearly distribution of Rainfall for 

 Goroke. Rutherglen, and N^hill. 



Total for S months 16.83 in. 



15.67 in. 



13.22 in. 



The Soils. 



The soil types are most varied. The prevailing type is a light silty 

 loam overlying a yellow clay subsoil, and frequently there is a cement}' 

 layer of buckshot in between. There are, however, considerable, though 

 scattered, areas of heavier and very fertile soils. Some of these, as at 

 Minimay, resemble the black soils of the Wimmera plains; others, again. 

 consist of a heavy, though generally friable, clay. This latter country 

 is usually crab-holey. There are also rich hummocks of black sandy 

 loam bordering the numerous lakes, while in the vicinity of the sandy 

 desert, or of isolated sand-hills, free working sandy soils, overlying clay, 

 are often met with. As it is quite a common thing for a 50-acre paddock 

 to contain several of the.se types, the difficulty of making fair compari- 

 sons will be obvious. 



Each class of soil has its peculiarities. The light silty loams, when 

 cultivated, tend to i)uddle down, and on drying set like cement, a condi- 

 tion which is fatal to germinating grain and detrimental to the healthy 



