10 March, 1916.] 



Results of Experiments. 



151 



TIME OF SOWING AND RATE OF SEEDING TESTS— 



WYUNA. 



An illustration of the effect of early and late sowing and the rate 

 of seeding on the yields of wheat in the Northern areas is afforded by 

 the results of experiments conducted at the Wyuna State Farm in 1915. 

 The variety of seed used was Federation, a wheat of moderate stooling 

 powers, and in the tests quantities of seed varying from 30 to 120 lbs. 

 per acre were sown early in May and in the middle of June. The 

 results were as follow: — 



Early Sowing (First Week in May). 



Pkt 1, 30 lbs, per acre 

 Plot 2, 45 lbs. per acre 

 Plot 3, 60 lbs. per acre 

 Plot 4, 75 lbs. per acre 

 Plot 5, 90 lbs. per acre 

 Plot 6, 120 lbs. per acre 



Late Sowing (Middle of June). 



Plot 7, 30 lbs. per acre 

 Plot 8, 45 lbs. per acre 

 Plot 9, 60 lbs. per acre 

 Plot 10, 75 lbs. per acre 

 Plot 11, 90 lbs. per acre 

 Plot 12, 120 lbs. per acre 



Bushels 

 per acre. 



31-4 

 34-5 

 36-6 

 35-8 

 34-7 

 33-2 



28-8 

 27-3 

 31-9 

 340 

 35-3 

 32 I 



The season was very mild and favorable to crop growth, and the 

 difference between the early and late sown cropg was less marked than 

 usual. The rainfall during the growing period was 12.75 inches. It 

 will be seen that even in a favorable season early sowing has consider- 

 able advantages. The highest return from all plots — 36.8 bushels per 

 acre — was obtained by sowing at the rate of 60 lbs. per acre early. If 

 heavier seedings are used the yields rapidly fall off. With the late- 

 sown crop the maximum return was 35.3 bushels per acre, but to get 

 this no less than 90 lbs. of seed had to be used. The early sown plots 

 gave greater crop returns and required far less seed than the late-sown 

 plots. Precisely similar results were obtained at other centres. The 

 results also suggest the reason for increasing the rate of sowing towards 

 the close of the seeding season. 



VARIETY WHEAT TESTS— MALLEE. 



Results of the variety wheat plots conducted by the Department of 

 Agriculture in the nortli-western Mallee are to hand. The centres 

 chosen were Ouyen and Cowangie. At Ouyen six varieties of wheat 

 were tested side by side on the farm of Mr. H. W. Pickering. The 

 results were as follow: — 



Riisli(>ls 

 |i T ftrri'. 



Yandilla Kintr . . . . . . ■ ■ • • . . 20 



Oluyas . . 

 Federation 

 Dart'.s Imperial . 

 Viking 

 Marshall's No. 3 



IT 



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16 



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