82 Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [10 Feb., 1916. 



soils are much in need of. Nitrogen in the available form would be 

 stored up at a greater i-ate, and phosphoric acid released in greater 

 quantity than where the land is thrown out only. The cost of seed, 

 cultivation, and manure would be less than 20s. per acre, and from the 

 mixture, fat lambs, to the number of three to ten, according to the 

 growth of the crop, could be turned off. Taking the value of the lambs 

 at 12s., and the minimum number fattened at three per acre, this would 

 leave a net balance of 16s. per acre. The land would be left in better 

 condition to produce the next wheat crop, and would also be more 

 friable and easily cultivated, which in the case of the red land especially 

 would be a .great advantage. Where such crops are grown as a rotation 

 they should not be allowed to ripen, but should be fed green, and 

 ploughed under in the late spring. Manure should be used to stimulate 

 a better growth, and so help to bring about a further beneficial residual 

 effect. Rape and peas are also useful rotation crops for wheat, and also 

 the clovers where they can be successfully grown. 



The extended use of water for irrigation would enable many new 

 crops to be grown in the Wimmera in the shape of millets, sorghums, 

 and clovers, which would enormously increase the carrying capacity of 

 the land. Lucerne under irrigation would not only yield large returns, 

 but if satisfactorily established would increase the value of the land 

 suitable for its production from five to ten times its present estimate. 



That better cultivation methods could be more universal is evidenced 

 by the crops themselves, and in the annual returns obtained by certain 

 farmers in good and bad seasons. The good farmer will get the better 

 return simply owing to his improved practices, and for the sake of 

 another stroke of the harrows or cultivator very often an extra 2 or 3 

 bushels per acre is lost, and it is the extra bushel that is all profit. 



In seed selection there is a great future for improved yields. Graded 

 seed in the tests at tlie different Res?arch Farms shows a difference in the 

 returns of 14s. per acre when comparing the best grade with the worst. 

 How much more might be expected from carefully selected seed from 

 the most prolific plants, true to tvpe, and persevered with for several 

 seascns. Small plots of 3, 5, or more acres used as stud plots each year 

 from which the best seed was selected for the next year's stud plot, and 

 the bulk sown on the main crop, would not entail much work, and would 

 lead to increased production and bigfger bank balances. 



Where larger quantities of manure have been in use than the aver- 

 age, heavier crops have been harvested. There is a limit, under some 

 circumstances, to the amount which gives the most profitable return 

 and this will vary according to the quality of the soil operated upon. 



Where the soil and water supply is capable of producing a 30-bushel 

 crop per acre, the amount of nitrogen taken by such a crop is a little 

 over 40 lbs. This special food can be obtained by early fallowing, and 

 the growth of the rotation crops mentioned ; and a continual supply can 

 be taken from the atmosphere year after year in the same way. With 

 respect to the next most important food, known as phosphoric acid tl^ 

 case is different; no supplies can be drawn from the air, and the whole 

 requirement of the crop is taken from the existing fund in the soil. A 

 30-bushe] crop takes over 20 lbs. of phosphoric acid for its development. 

 When we apply 50 lbs. of super, we contribute just half the phosphoric 

 acid required, and so must relv on the soil store for the balance, and 

 if that is not there in the available form a 30-bushel crop is impossible. 



