15 Dec, 1919.] Farmers' Field Day at Longerenong College. 751 



oats; (4) wheat, pasture, bare fallow ; (5) wheat, oats, peas; (6) wheat, 

 oats, pasture, bare fallow; (7) wheat, rape, barley, peas; (8) wheat, 

 barley, peas. 



These plots excited great interest. Where wheat was grown con- 

 tinuously the crop was hardly worth harvesting. Wild oats and other 

 weeds had practically taken possession of the land. On the other hand, 

 the wheat alternated with bare fallow was remarkably even, heavy, and 

 promised 20 bushels of wheat per acre. Both of these methods of 

 farming must ultimately prove unprofitable, said Mr. Richardson, for 

 the reason that they precluded the farmer from carrying live stock, 

 and so the fertility of the land must ultimately decline. Wheat growing 

 and sheep farming must be indissolubly linked to achieve the best net 

 profits from wheat. The three-course rotation of wheat, Wimmera rye 

 grass, fallow, created great interest. The Wimmera rye grass was a 

 type peculiar to the Wimmera. It was introduced over 40 years ago, 

 and had become thoroughly acclimatized. It was a different species 

 from either Italian or perennial rye grass, and was especially suited to 

 Wimmera conditions. Its botanical name was Lolium subulatum. It 

 had great grazing value, was permanent in character, and very much 

 hardier than either of the other rye grasses. Sheep and cattle had 

 done well on it this year, and, despite the unfavorable season, the body 

 of grass was considerable. One important point to settle was whether 

 it was possible to get rid of it easily when preparing the land for wheat. 

 That point was being tested. The growth of the Wimmera rye grass 

 on the pasture plot was superior to the growth of oats sown on wheat 

 stubbles. Thus in the rotation wheat, oats, bare fallow, the oats sown 

 on the stubbles were practically a failure. On the other hand, in the 

 wheat, barley, fallow rotation, the barley sown on stubble land promised 

 a good return. The barley crop showed up to much greater advantage 

 than either oats or wheat when sown on stubble land. Where wheat 

 followed peas in a rotation, the crop was much lighter than where wheat 

 followed bare fallow. In a wet year, or in a favorable season, the 

 return after peas would equal, or even exceed, the return from fallow. 



The manurial tests were designed to test the merits of different 

 fertilizers over a series of years. The results of experiments here con- 

 clusively demonstrated that liberal dressings of superphosphate were 

 more profitable than light dressings. On the experimental plots, the 

 most profitable dressing during the past six years was 2 cwt. of super- 

 phosphate. The whole of the cropped area on the farm had been treated 

 with 1 cwt. of superphosphate for the past four years, and the average 

 yields were much higher than those of previous years. Heavy dressings 

 not only fed the wheat crop and gave the heaviest returns the rainfall 

 spould allow, but they also fed the grass which followed the wheat, and 

 so increased the stock-carrying capacity of the land. Wheat farming, 

 to be profitable, must be carried out in combination with sheep. The 

 farmer must look to the carrying capacity of his farm as well as his 

 wheat crop for full profits. Hence the heavy manuring not only gave 

 big returns with the wheat crop, but left sufficient phosphoric acid to 

 'stimulate greatly the stubble grazing, and thus increase the stock- 

 carrying capacity. 



