15 Oct., 1919.] 



Farm Notes for September. 



615 



FARM NOTES FOR SEPTEMBER, 1919. 



STATE RESEARCH FARM, WERRIBEE. 



H. C. Wilson, Manager. 

 The Season. 

 The season has been anything but a favorable one. September has been 

 a record dry month for the district, and following the particularly dry period 

 of April to August, the grain crops are suffering considerably. Many of 

 the hay crops on fields that were not fallowed in the district are now in head, 

 and very little, if any, hay will be harvested on such areas. 

 The rainfall for the vear to date — 



A soaking rain is sorely needed to insure even light crops in favoured 

 areas. 



Early sown crops on well-worked fallow are comjjaratively prominent 

 in growth. 



Two hundred acres of hay sown on fallow in late April and early May 

 has held out particularly well on the farm, and is now just bursting into 

 head. The yields on these fields will not exceed 1 ton to the acre if heavy 

 rain does not fall within the next few weeks. 



Lucerne fields, however, are a smiling feature of the farm this spring, 

 as the early waterings applied in August left their mark and excellent results 

 are now being obtained. 



Cultural Operations. 



The cultural operations for the month were as follows : — 



Fallowing 200 acres (this brings the area now fallowed to 550 acres). 



Cultivation and seeding 60 acres field to dwarf Essex rape, 5 lbs. seed per 

 acre and 56 lbs. superphosphate. 



Filling, levelling, checking, and grading 100-acre field in preparation for 

 lucerne seeding. 



Sowing 10 acres with lucerne (experimental irrigation plots). 



Eenovation of lucerne fields with heavy " tyne cultivator "' and top- 

 dressing with 2 cwt. superphosphate per acre. 



Seasonable Activities. 



Shearing on September 15th and 16th. 1,000 cross-bred ewes and 100 stud 

 Border Leicester, and Suffolk sheep. 



Marketing wool and baled straw. 



Tractor demonstrations 18th to 19th September. 



Royal Show exhibits, live stock and crop production, 20th to 27th 

 SejDtember. 



Farmer's Field Day, 26th September. 



