10 Feb., 1916.] Ensilage. 99 



Mr. Harvey supplies the following figures as the cost of production 

 and other charges. 



£ s. d. 

 9 acres of land, at £20 per acre, for three raontlis, 



at 5 j)er cent. . . 

 9 acres, ploughing, at 8s. per acre . . 

 9 acres, two strokes of harrow, at Is. jjer acre 

 9 acres, rolling, at Is. 6d. per acre 

 9 acres, sowing, at 2s. 6d. per acre 



2 bushels of seed, at 5s. per bushel 



3 times cultivation, at 3s. 6d. per acre . . 

 Harvesting, carting, and filling silo, labour, cutter, and 



engine hired 



Total . . . . £26 6 



Thus we see that the approximate cost of the silage was 7s. 6d. per 

 ton, and this includes 3s. 4d. per ton for harvesting, carting, and filling. 



The acreage of land under fallow in 1898 was 399,535 acres. This 

 increased to 1,738,572 acres in 1914, but showed a decrease of ap- 

 proximately 400,000 acres m 1915. — Victorian Year-Book 1D14-15. 



Last year in Victoria the number of farmers who used artificial 

 manure was 31,874, as compared with 21,586 in 1905, and 7,318 in 

 1898. 



The area on which artificial manure was used represented only 7 

 per cent, of that under crop in 1898, but since then the proportion 

 manured has rapidly increased. In 1901 it was 19 ner cent.; in 1903, 

 36 per cent.; in 1905, 56 per cent.; in 1909, 66 per cent.; in 1911-12, 

 74 per cent.; in 1913, 77 per cent.; and in 1914, 81 per cent. 



Only 19 acres in every 100 under crop in 1901 was treated with 

 artificial fertilizer, but last year the acreage fertilized was 81 acres in 

 every 100 cropped. 



The num])er of tons of artificial fertilizer, at least 85 per cent, of 

 which would be superphosphate, used in Victoria in 1901 was 23,526 

 tons against 117,935 tons in 1914 — truly a remarkable increase over the 

 short period of thirteen years. 



The average dressing per acre in 1901 was approximately 91 lbs. 

 against 70 lbs. in 1914. 



Approximately 25 per cent, of the fertilizer used was imported, the 

 remainder being the product of Victorian industry. — ]'irforiiin Vrtir- 

 Book, 1914-15. 



Paint for Outhuihlings. — A corresiiondont n.sks for a recipe ftir a 

 cheap, durable paint for outbuildings. Mr. P. Oliver. Foreman Painter. 

 Public Works Department, Wellington, to whom the matter was re- 

 ferred, states that if the colour does not matter the following is about 

 as cheap and durable a paint as it is possible to make up:— To 5 gal- 

 lons of ])oiled oil add 1 cwt. oxide <-f iron; let soak twenty-four 

 hours; add 15 lbs. patent driers and 2 gallons kerosene, and mix well 

 together. The colour of this paint is dull red. — Journal of At/rirul- 

 fitre, .\(ir ZtahnnJ. 



