690 Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [15 Nov., 1919. 



quantity being a little in excess. Ewes with lambs at foot are in 

 splendid condition ; three of them were awarded first prize in pen of fat 

 sheep at the local Show. Lambs, however, are not doing so well. The 

 slow development may be due to lack of pure water, and an endeavour is 

 being made to keep them on paddocks where they will have access to 

 troughs supplied by well at Black Dog Creek. 



Border Leicesters. — These have lambed very irregularly, the lambing 

 period spreading over several months. As in the case of flock ewes, 

 lambs lack the bloom of past seasons! One hundred and fourteen per 

 cent, of lambs were dropped. 



Weaners, which are being fattened on Experiment Field, are doing 

 well; these were purchased at "Wangaratta during June for 13s. lid. 

 each. They returned 6s. worth of wool, and now weigh 90 lbs. each 

 live weight. 



Swine. — Thirty^-seven pigs are now on hand. Ten baconers and a 

 back fatter were sold at "Wangaratta market on 21st; the baconers 

 realized £4 14s. each, and the back fatter £10. A further twenty-five 

 stores are coming on well, and should be saleable within the next two 

 months. The Experimental Plot of artichokes planted near stye are 

 well above the ground, and look very vigorous. 



EXPERIMENTAL PLOTS. 



By T. M. Whelan, Field Officer, Rutherglen Experimental Farm. 



Stud Cereal Section. — This area is looking well and showing a 

 tendency to ripen. Fields in these single rows look very promising, 

 showing the good effect of regular intertillage. 



Rotation S ection.^Wheats in this section were in the early part of 

 the month superior to fallows, but since the 20th, which was a very 

 trying day, they have gone off considerably, whilst fallows continue to 

 make vigorous growth and show no bad effect from the dry conditions 

 prevailing. 



Permanent Fertilizer Triah. — ^The plots manured with stable manure 

 alone show to much better advantage than those fertilized with stable 

 manure and lime, the latter showing a tendency to burn up under exist- 

 ing dry conditions. In all cases where nitrogenous manure has been 

 applied in any shape or foma the crops show to a more marked degree 

 the effect of drought. In Plot No. 8, however, where the nitrogenous 

 element was broadcasted in spring, the effect is not so noticeable. 



The plots given the heavier dressings of phosphatic manures appear 

 to advantage, though the theory is generally accepted that heavy dress- 

 ings of " super " tend to burn the crops during dry seasons. 



Cultural Trials. — In this section the well worked fallow shows to 

 advantage, and is in striking contrast with plot ploughed at seeding 

 time. This latter is a miserable failure, not being equal to farm areas 

 put in under similar conditions. 



Variety Wheat Trials. — In this section early maturing wheats are 

 considerably better than late maturing varieties. Four stand out pro- 

 minently, viz., Crossbred 4, Comeback, Gluyas, and King's Early. 



