33^ Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [lo June, 191 2. 



season. The full benefit of the packing action of the rain, and of the 

 settling of the seed bed by cultivation is thus secured. 



The question frequently arises as to whether the soil should be worked 

 down immediately after ploughing, or left in the rough for some time. 



As a general principle, land should be left rough during the winter in 

 a wet district, whilst in the very dry areas the sooner the land is worked 

 down the better. 



Much, of course, depends on the area one has to fallow and the number 

 and strength of the teams available. In most districts, and on most soils, it 

 will generally be found best to plough a considerable area before working 

 down, especially if an early start is made. With the approach of spring, 

 however, the stores of moisture in the soil must be jealously guarded, and 

 the soil should be worked down with a scarifier or cultivator to make a 

 loose, but lumpy, surface mulch. 



Summer Cultivation. 



Under no circumstances should a hard crust be allowed to form on the 

 suriace. A crusty top will, by aiding capillary action, rapidly drain the 

 subsoil of its reserves of moisture A loose crumbly layer of soil will, how- 

 ever, act as a mulch and reduce the losses by evaporation to a minimum. 

 Such a .soil mulch is maintained by cultivating as often as the summer rains, 

 bring about a consolidation of the surface. Frequently summer cultivation 

 is over done. The soil may be reduced by continual cultivation to the 

 condition of an onion bed. This is a source of trouble on fine clay soils^ 

 and may assist rather than retard capillary activity. 



(To be continued .) 



The fattening ox spends about 77 per cent, of the food digested for 

 heat and work, the sheep 74, and the pig 57. The pig is the most econo- 

 mical meat producer, but it requires a ruminant to deal effectively with hay 

 and fibrous crops. 



