25 

 20 

 lO 



5 



5 



20 



lo Jan., 1912.] Nhill Farm' Comfetitious, igii. 33. 



NHILL FARM COMPETITIONS, 1911. 



A. E. V. Richardson, M.A., B.Sc. (Agric), Agricultural Superintendent. 



In connexion with the Nhill Farm Competitions for 191 1, entries were 

 received in the following sections : — Large Farms, Small Farms, Crops, 

 Fallow. 



SECTION l.-LARGE FARMS. 



The following scale of points was used in judging these farms :^ 



A. Best system of cropping, r-tation, cultivation ... ... 35 



B. Character^ condition, and value of fami crops ... ... 20 



C. Condition of the fallow, taking area into consideration ... 20 



D. Live Stock — 



[a] Horses 



(b) Sheep 

 \c) Cattle 



(d) Pigs 



[e] Poultry 



E. General farm equipment 



F. Boundary and subdWisional fences and gates ... ... 20 



G. The most complete and eiificient system of water storage ... 45 

 H. Arrangement, character, and condition of farm buildings ... 20 

 I. Best kept and most suitable orchard and vegetable garden ... 10 

 J. Best provision of reserve fodder ... ... ... ... 20 



K. Best efforts in direction of tree planting ... ... ... 5 



E. Farm and live stock insurance ... ... ••• ••• 5 



Details of Judging. 

 System of Cropping, Cultivation, Rotation, and Manuring. 



The general scheme of rotation and cropping varied within very small 

 limits among the competitors in all sections. In most instances, the 

 general plan followed was a four-course rotation in which wheat, pre- 

 ceded by a bare fallow, headed the series. The wheat stubbles are 

 usually burnt off ; and, after a preliminary discing, oats, either with or 

 without manure, are sown as the second crop in the series. These oats 

 are invariably stripped ; and, during the third year, the self-sown oats 

 are grazed with sheep. Finally, the rotation is brought to a close with 

 a season of bare fallowing, which .serves as a preliminary to the next 

 wheat crop. Under such a scheme of rotation, it is apparent that only 

 one- fourth of the holding is under wheat and one-fourth in bare fallow, 

 whilst the remainder is either grazed or partially devoted to oats. On 

 the larger holdings, the rotation is still further extended by interposing 

 two years of grazing between each successive round of wheat crops. The 

 rotation is thus a five years' course, comprising i, wheat; 2, oats; 3, 

 grazing; 4, grazing; 5, fallow; 6, wheat; i.e., one wheat crop in 

 five years. 



In other cases, two wheat crops were taken off in succession, thus 

 necessitating one wheat crop being placed on stubble land — a very risky 

 practice in a dry season — and the rotation then worked out as follows : — 

 I, wheat; 2, wheat; 3, oats; 4, grazing; 5, grazing; 6, fallow. 



Whatever may be the merits of these various practices, it must be 

 clearly apparent that they may only be profitably practised when land 

 values are comparatively low, and when each individual holder has a 

 relatively large area of land. With a considerable rise in the price of 

 land, and the inevitable increase of population that mu.st be ahead of 

 Victoria, these practices must undergo considerable modification in favour 



] 7862. B 



