366 



Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [10 Jun'e, 1919. 



Mr. Williamson has made every effort to ascertain the variety of 

 turnip and potato best suited for the Heathniere soil and climate, and he 

 has tried 20 sorts of turnips and 60 kinds of potatoes. From an early 

 spring sowing the Early Wonder turnip stands out from the others. Sheep 

 appear to prefer the leaves of the Purple Top Mammoth, and this alone 

 makes it a variety desenang attention. 



Very careful attention has been given to surface drainage, and a fine 

 example set for the settlers to follow. The land has a good slope, is 

 fairly even, and by means of a delver and horse team effective drains 

 have been made very cheaply. Drainage is a very important part of the 

 scheme for reclaiming the Portland heath land, and it could be carried 

 out in the case of smaller holdings with light teams by co-operation. 



Turnip Field at Heathmere. 



Seventy acres are sown down in various grasses, which seem to be 

 making fair headway. This year's sowing looks well, but the three-year- 

 old fields are scarcely satisfactory. Experimenters should be careful 

 not to overdo the search for a suitable grass. It is one thing to obtain 

 a grass pi exceptional root vigour and solvent and assimilative power, 

 and another (and it must be guarded against) to obtain a grass which 

 will grow luxuriantly, but which is lacking in some of the elements 

 essential for the health of stock. 



Hand in hand with the selection of plants must go the building up 

 of a defective soil. In sandy soils plant foods go deep or wash out into 

 the hollows or into the streams. If, after the growing of root crops, 

 that are fed off, organic matter and minerals are supplied to the surface 

 soils with light annual dressings of basic phosphate, a good sward can 

 be developed. 



