710 Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [15 Dec, 1919. 



There was a tendency among the competitors to favour a bushel of 

 wheat and 50 lbs. of superphosphate as giving better results than the 

 usual 45 lbs. of seed and 30 lbs. of manure. At the experimental plots 

 conducted at Cowangie and Carwarp by the Department of Agriculture 

 it has been shown that 60 lbs. of superphosphate is the most profitable 

 dressing. 



Oats are not very popular in the Mallee, but sooner or later farmers 

 will have to grow them in rotation with wheat as a preventative of 

 takeall; they can be successfully grown Avhen given proper treatment. 

 A particularly good crop of 65 acres was gro-vvTi this year by Mr. N. 

 Vallance; it stood quite 2 ft. 6 in. high, and was very well headed, 

 though loose smut was present. Advantage had been taken of the early 

 rains to plough the land in February and early March. It was har- 

 rowed and drilled immediately with 40 lbs. of Algerian oats and 45 

 lbs. of superphosphate per acre. The crop Avas fed off to sheep during 

 May and June, and subsequently renovated with the harrows in August, 

 which gave it a fresh start. There is no doubt that this harrowing 

 considerably benefited the crop. 



Mr. Lang, another of the competitors, is strongly in favour of har- 

 rowing after the crop is up, in the case of wheat — that is, on any of 

 the firmer soils. 



Fallows. 



The dryness of the season and consequent shortage of grass had 

 interfered with the normal fallowing operations. Two competitors 

 had no fallow at all. Mr. Vallance had 200 acres; it was ploughed in 

 June and July, subsequently it was harrowed twice. There were a few 

 weeds, and the moisture content was fair. 



Mr. Harmer's fallow, comprising 180 acres, had been similarly 

 treated. Many weeds were present which another stroke of the harroAv 

 would have eliminated. 



The best fallow was shown by Mr. R. C. F. Gniel. There was, how- 

 ever, only 70 acres. The moisture content was excellent, having been 

 preserved by a splendid mulch some 2^ inches deep. The paddock was 

 ploughed in July to 4 inches with a mouldboard plough ; it was sub- 

 sequently harrowed twice, then scarified. 



The average rainfall of the Mallee is not sufficient to grow maximum 

 crops of wheat. Careful fallowing is the method by which the rainfall 

 of any one year can be supplemented. If, after every inch of rain, the 

 surface is kept. lightly stirred with the harrows, the springtooth, or the 

 scarifier, if necessary, the loose soil acts as a blanket, and evaporation 

 is reduced to a minimum. 



It has been proved that 4 inches of rain can be conserved in this 

 way. In the Mallee every inch of rain available to the j^lants means 

 a couple of bushels of wheat extra to the acre. Care must be taken, 

 however, that light sandhills, which are liable to drift, are not unduly 

 worked; if the sand is very loose, there is no necessity to work it, except 

 for the purpose of killing weeds. 



Improvements and Conveniences. 



Mention has been made of the fact that some of the farms are sur- 

 prisingly well improved. In these cases the home, farm buildings, and 

 conveniences, though unpretentious, have been erected on a plan at 

 once attractive and utilitarian. 



