10 March, 1916.] Results of Experiments. 149 



The past season has been fairly favorable for wheat at Werribee, 

 and as the late spring rains assisted the development of the more back- 

 ward plots the response to the differential treatment with fertilisers is 

 less noticeable than usual. The results, both for the 1915 crop and 

 the averages for the last three years, appear to justify the following 

 tentative conclusions: — (1) Superphcsphate is the most profitable of all 

 artificial manures that can b© applied to the wheat crop; (2), the 

 amount that can be profitably apiDlied per acre is considerably in ex- 

 cess of what is applied in general farm practice in the wheat areas; 

 (3), the gross profit per acre over unmanured land steadily incr£ases 

 as the application increases from | cwt. to 1| cwt. ; (4), the highest 

 net profit, however, is obtained by applying 1 cwt. of superphosphates 

 per acre. Thus, taking the average of the three years' tests, \ cwt. of 

 super., costing 2s. 6d. per acre, gave an increased yield of 4 bushels 

 54 lb., which, at 4s., gives a net profit of 17s. Id. per acre over the 

 unmanured plot. A dressing of 1 cwt., costing 5s. per acre, gives an 

 increased yield of 6 bushels 41 lbs., or a net profit of 21s. 7d. per acre, 

 after deducting the cost of the manure. Moreover, the indirect effect 

 of the heavier dressing, in stimulating the subsequent growth of grass, 

 and increasing the stock-carrying capacity of the land, is much greater 

 than that of the lighter dressing; (5), basic slag and bonedust applied 

 either separately or in combination with superphosphates give less profit 

 than the same quantity of superphosphates ap_Dlied by itself; (6), lime, 

 applied either in heavy or in light dressings, has not, so far, profitably 

 influenced the yields of wheat at Werribee; (7), nitrogenous manures do 

 not increase the net profits in ordinary seasons, especially when bare 

 fallowing is practised. Nitrate of soda gave a substantial and pro- 

 fitable impetus to the hay crop during the past season, but its effect 

 on the grain crop has barely covered the cost of application. In view 

 of the high prices ruling for wheat in the world's markets, the questions 

 of quantities and kinds of fertiliser to use are of relatively greater im- 

 portance than in times when low prices prevail. 



The results obtained at Wei-ribee may be considered as typical of 

 what response may ba expected from the various fertilisers in districts 

 with a rainfall of 10 inches to 12 inches during the growing period of 

 tlie wheat. 



PERMANENT MANURE TESTS— LONQERENONO- 



The results for tlie 1915 manurial trials conducted by (he Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture at the Longerenong Agricultural College afford an 

 interesting illustration of the fertility of the Wimmera soils wlien sea- 

 sonal conditions are favorable. 



Twelve different manurial applications were tested side by side, 

 and tlie yields for the past year ranged fri>m 36 to 54 liusliels ])er acre. 

 These yields are iji remarkable contrast to those of 1914, when, owing 

 to the drought, (he yields from a similar series of plots varied from 2 

 to 7 bushels per acre. 



