616 Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [15 Oct., 1919. 



Chaff-cuttins;, attention to live-stock and dairy herd, fence renovation, 

 and general farm routine. 



Poultry pens and plant still in course of erection. 



Irrigation of 240 acres of lucerne and sown grasses. 



Plantations attended to, young trees and shrubs replaced where missing. 



Seeding of mother sugar beets and general attention to experimental 

 areas. 



Fodder Reserves. 



The extremely dry season has brought before the flock-owner and herdman 

 the great necessity of storing fodder for emergency, and those producers 

 who have not put by reserves will probably learn a bitter lesson. Attention 

 should now be given where possible to the growth of summer fodders. In 

 this district on the dry areas both rape and Japanese millet do well if given 

 good seeding conditions when sown in the spring. 



At the Farm this month 60 acres of early ploughed fallow has been worked 

 up with a disc cultivator and sown with 5 lbs. of dwarf Essex rape and 56 lbs. 

 superphosphate to the acre. This seeding will aid us in carrying the sheep 

 and cattle through the dry months of November to February if the summer 

 rainfall is at all favorable. 



Japanese millet sown now at the rate of 12 lbs. per acre with 56 lbs. 

 superphosphate should give excellent results on lighter sandy loams. Of 

 course very heavy yields of maize, sorghums, millets, and Soudan grass can 

 be obtained quickly if offered irrigated conditions. 



To those producers, who may intend to adopt the suggestion of spring 

 rape seeding, it may be pointed out that superphosphate has a very destructive 

 influence on germination, if mixed with the seed for any length of time prior 

 to sowing. 



Our practice has always been to take the fertilizer and seed separately 

 to the field and mix in correct proportion immediately before sowing through 

 the fertilizer box of the ordinary seed drill. This practice does not interfere 

 to any great extent with the germination powers of rape seed, as the contact 

 is of such short duration. 



Even that balance which sometimes may be left in the drill over night 

 should be m.ixed again in the morning with a fresh supply or germination 

 will be unsatisfactory. 



Preparation of Land for Lucerne. 



During the past few months a field of 100 acres has been prepared in the 

 following manner for lucerne seeding : — 



The land was first ploughed to a depth of 7 inches in September of 1918. 

 Subsequent cultivations during the summer and autumn of 1918 and 1919 

 were given to insure a fine tilth and the destruction of pest weeds. 



The contour plans of the area were first obtained and the directions of the 

 greatest fall were noted. 



A drainage channel of 60 chains in length was excavated in July to insure 

 the surface drainage of the area. 



Buck scrapers were then used to fill up any crab holes or large depressions 

 that were not shown on the 3-in. contour plan. 



The check banks were then marked out 44 feet apart with a single-furrow 

 plough in the direct line of the greatest fall. 



Each marked bay was then levelled with the aid of an Austin road grader, 

 and the side fall w^as reduced consistent with a practical irrigation scheme. 



