lo Jan., 1912.] N/ijIl Fanu Competitions, igi i . 



47 



Does it then require mucli faith to believe that wheat — our staple crop 

 — can be vastly improved, both in quality and in prolificacy bv the 

 aiDplication of those scientific principles which ha\t^ proved so useful 

 with other crops and with live stock? Will it be admitted for one moment 

 that this degeneracy of type, which has been observed in the crops, cannot 

 be counteracted? It is a ccnimon saying amiOng farmers that such and 

 such types of wheat are '' running out." This will be the fate of Federa- 

 tion unless some entei-prising individual takes it in hand, and prevents it, 

 by a rigorous systematic course of selection, from falling with ever- 

 increasing momentum t(j the low le\el of mediocritx . 



With these preliminary oliservations we mav pricenl to examine the 

 results of the competition. 



Points A-icardcd. 



Mr. G. Parkin secures the highest marks in this .section. His was a 

 magnificent crop of Federation .standing 5 feet high, almost perfectly 

 level and remarkably free from weeds. He. also secured the maximum 

 for yield. 



Mr. Greenwood was second with a good sample of Federation, which, 

 in comparison with other crops, was very true to type. 



The figures for the apparent yield are proportional, but not equivalent 

 to, the estimated yield per acre. 



Crops Grown os Mallee Land. 

 Points Aicardcd. 



SECTION IV.— FALLOW LAND. 



The competition in this section was very keen ; and. with one or two 

 exceptions, the fallowing was very thoroughly done. The principal 

 object in bare fallowing is, of course, the conservation of soil moisture, 

 and fallowing is successful just in proportion to the amount of moi.sture 

 conserved. The amount that may be thus conserved i« governed by the 

 moisture present in the soil at the ccmm.encement of fallowing operations, 

 and by the amount of moisture that sub.sequently falls as rain. The 

 ideal is to conserve all the moisture that falls. That ideal, however, can 



