3*5 Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [lo Jan., 1912. 



American wheats did radier badly when first introduced, but Mr. Batson 

 persevered with them; and now, having become acclimatized, they are 

 showing up well in comparison with varieties like Federation, Dart's Im- 

 perial and Jumbuck. 



Besides these variety tests, Mr. Batson has conducted manurial tests, 

 and has experimented with forage crops such as rape and barley. This 

 year, he has a fine crop of wheat grown after a rape crop which was 

 fed down with sheep. Though, with Mr. Batson and Mr. H. E. Dahlen- 

 burg, the rape crop has not been too successful, the principle involved 

 in this departure from, the traditional practice of the district is of the 

 very greatest importance. What is needed in the Wimmera is a hardy 

 quick-growing winter forage, which, sown in autumn, will come up with the 

 first rains ; and, maturing quickly, will be available in July and August 

 before the natural herbage has made much growth. Could such a fodder 

 be obtained, it is safe to say that it would lead to great developments 

 in the Wimmera district, and the necessity for relying on the natural 

 pasture and wild oats would be obviated. Further, if such a fodder 

 were of a leguminous character, the additional advantage of increasing 

 the organic nitrogen content of the soil would be gained. 



Barley is not appreciated to any large extent in the district, and this 

 may be due to the fact that most attempts to grow good samples of 

 malting barley have failed. The six-rowed barleys for feed are very 

 drought resistant, especially if suitable varieties are chosen ; and, with 

 proper treatment, they will be found a most profitable adjunct in any 

 system of mixed farming in the drier districts of the State. 



Experimental work, however, is absolutely necessary for the con- 

 tinuous and progressive advance of agricultural practice, and Mr. Batson 

 stands out prominently by his enterprise in testing new varieties of 

 wheat, oats, barley, rye, rape, grasses and lucerne, also in growing those 

 that are most successful on a large scale, as well as in conducting 

 manurial and other trials. 



The system of cultivation, manuring and rotation, adopted by Messrs. 

 Crouch and Dahlenburg, differs very little in detail. Mr. Sanders, 

 besides lengthening the chain of rotation, grows two wheat crops in suc- 

 cession, one of which is on stubble land. It is not a practice, however, 

 which could be generally followed with success ; and, if this season has 

 not fully demonstrated the futility of growing wheat on stubble land in 

 the A\'immera, it has, at least, done so in the other wheat-growing por- 

 tions of the State. 



Cleanest and Best Crops. 

 Many of the crops examined were not nearly so clean as was expected, 

 owing to the prevalence of wild oats. There can be no doubt that the 

 presence of such oats in the vv'heat crops will reduce the yield in the 

 Nhill district by bushels per acre this season. As these oats shed their 

 grain long before harvest, it is safe to assume that the 191 1 crop will 

 leave a legacy of rubbish for future crops ; and, providing that the usual 

 rotation is practised, considerable difficulty will be experienced in ridding 

 the land of this pest. 



In spite of the acknowledged damage done to the crop by wild oats, 

 many wheat-growers solace themselves with the fact that some of the 

 damage done by this pest will be counterbalanced by the grazing value of the 

 wild oats, which spring up spontaneously from the stubbles with the fall 

 of the first rains. In spite of the prevalence of wild oats, some tolerably 

 good crops were seen. 



