10 Feb., 1916.] Nhill Crop and Falloiv Competitions, 1915. 79 



NHILL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY ANNUAL CROP 

 AND FALLOW COMPETITIONS, 1915. 



Report of the Chief Field Officer, Mr. Temple A. J. Smith. 



The Secretary, Nhill Agricultural Society. 



SiK, 



It affords me much pleasure to submit herewith my report on the 

 Nhill Crop and Fallow Competition for the year 1915. The elimination 

 of the competition for best farms, owing to the serious drought of 1914, 

 has naturally robbed this function of a considerable amount of its usual 

 interest, and though the Society probably acted wisely under the cir- 

 cumstances, the wonderful recuperative powers of the district, as 

 evidenced by the very fine crops and natural growths seen during the 

 recent inspection, go^ to show that the farms might well have competed 

 again in 1915 without loss of prestige as compai'ed with pi-evious years. 



General Impressions. 



The marvellous recovery in one short season from the greatest 

 drought ever experienced is perhaps the outstanding feature of the past 

 two years. The crops now in the field are exceptionally fine, and the 

 area to be harvested is considerably above the average. The prolonged 

 ripening season just experienced will give the wheat crops every oppor- 

 tunity of filling well, thus causing heavy yields of good plump grain. 

 Oat crops are also finer than usual, and an enormous quantity is being cut 

 for hay. Some idea of the quantity taken off is conveyed by the fact 

 that in many cases over large paddocks of 100 acres and more a ball of 

 twine per acre was required to tie the crop ; on one field of 40 acres 

 no less than 55 balls of twine were found necessary. 



In addition to the oat crops grown for hay a quantity will be 

 stripped for grain, and here a pertinent question may be put with 

 advantage as to the disposal of oats when prices are low, as compared 

 with their value when fed to stock on the farm. The prevailing opinion 

 amongst farmers is that oats will be saleable at anything down to Is. 6d. 

 per bushel. Victoria does not export oats to any extent, consequently, 

 when the supply exceeds the demand values are low. When such condi- 

 tions prevail, there can be no doubt that feeding oats to stock on the 

 farm will pay better than selling at 2s., and some experienced farmers 

 say 2s. 6d. per bushel. The effect of such a practice would be not only 

 to make the greater profit at home, but also to maintain a better market 

 for those who sell. With meat at high prices, and likely to remain so, 

 the feeding of oats to stock is a still better proposition. At the present 

 moment the suj^ply of natural feed is in excess of tlie demand made 

 upon it by stock, but the winter months will tell a different tale. nni\ 

 as every practical man is aware, the prices for fat stock are, geiuMallv 

 speaking, at tlieir iiighest at tliat lime. 



Another pleasing feature was the cutting of wild oat crops on a mucli 

 larger scale tlian previously for hay. Yields of 2 tons per acre from this 

 natural growtli were not uncommon. IMany of the lanes were gnnvine 

 wild oats which would cut 1.^ to 2 tons of hay, and in sonio cases crops 



