10 Aug., 1916.] Lucerne Manurial Tests. 451 



the growth of lucerne leaves little to be desired, and the yields from 

 such soils under irrigation compare favorably with the best lucerne lands 

 in Australia. 



The Werribee Soils. 



The soil at present under lucerne at the State Research Farm, Werri- 

 bee, is similar in character to much of the land in the Goulburn Valley. 

 It consists of reddish clay loam 7 inches to 10 inches deep, resting on a 

 stiff, red clay subsoil. It takes water slowly and hets hard after 

 irrigation. It is naturally deficient in organic matter, and continuous 

 cropping with cereals for twenty-six years prior to the laying down of 

 the lucerne tests had considerably depleted the already limited reserves 

 of this all-important soil ingredient. The land, therefore, was in a 

 similar condition to^ much of the soil in the northern irrigation areas, 

 where wheat-growing had been carried on for at least a generation 

 prior to sowing down with lucerne. 



The results obtained at Werribee justify the view that even on these 

 worn-out lands heavy and profitable crops of lucerne can be grown. In 

 October, 1912, a block of 15 acres was subsoiled 12 inches deep, graded, 

 and sown with Tamworth lucerne. In the following season six cuts 

 were obtained from this area, and the block averaged 6^ tons of com- 

 mercial hay (85 per cent, of dry matter) over the weighbridge. • 



Preliminary experiments with various manures suggested a promising 

 field for investigation, and in Seiptember. 1913, a series of manurial 

 tests were laid down to test the value of different manures on the yield 

 of lucerne. Unfortunately, however, since 1913, there has been a chronic 

 shortage of irrigation water owing to the breakdown of the water 

 supply at Pyke's Creek Reservoir, and the value of the results of the 

 tests has been considerably impaired. 



The Plots. 



The tests comprise trials of nitrogenous, potassic, and phospliatic 

 manures, stable manure, lime, and ground limestone. 



The plots were each 10 chains long and .15 acre in area, and sown 

 on land with a natural fall of 2h inches to the chain, with the plots 

 running along the contour lines and at right angles to the flow of the 

 water. The plots were sown with Tamworth lucerne at the rate of 

 16 lbs. per acre in September, 1913. 



During both 1914 and 1915 the Pyke's Creek Reservoir, upon whicli 

 the Werril:)ee Irrigation Settlement has hitherto de])ended, failed. Each 

 irrigafion season the lucerne received only three waterings during the 

 growing season and this, combined with the deficient rainfall, prevented 

 the lucerne making full development. 



Had a full supply of irrigation water been available, it is certAin 

 that the yields would have been much higher than they were. As it 

 was, only five cuts were obtained in the 1914-15 season, and but four 

 cuts in 1915-16, instead of the customary six and seven cuts in a normal 

 irrigation season. Each plot was cut separatelv with a mower and 

 raked into windrows, cocked, and weighed over the weighbridge. 



A sample of hay was taken from every load and the amount of dry 

 matter determined sf) as to reduce the weights to a uniform basis for 

 comparison. Tn all cases the returns have been calculated in terms of 

 commercial hay (85 per cent, of dry matter). 



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