Journal of Agriculture, Yiciflria. [lo Sept., 191 2. 



Results Obtained Abroad. 

 While it did not appear useful to carry the moi.sture investigation.s at 

 Sparrovale deeper than 18 inches, there are indications in the above figures 

 that the effect of cropping and fallowing upon water content would be felt 

 at much greater dejJths. l^xperiments conducted elsewhere support thi-s 

 inference. Moisture determinations of the soil under barley and bare- 

 fallow respectively w^ere made at Rothamsted in the dry summer of 1870. 

 Table IV. gives the results, which are stated as percentages of the wet soil.t 



Table IV. 



Similar results have since been obtained by King and, others in America. 

 As the result of three years' trials at Nebraska, Burr reported " that land 

 under summer tillage or thorough cultivation had accumulated from 5.5 to 

 7 inches (557 to 709 tons) m ire water in the first 6 feet of soil than similar 

 land growing a crop."+ 



Effect of Australian Climate. 



While the Rothamsted figures and those quoted from America bear out 

 the general conclusion that water-saving is eTfected to considerable depths 

 by a good fallow, it is probable that they understate the relative advantage 

 to be expected in Australia. P\irther investigations on the subject are now 

 proceeding. Fallowing operations and the formation of mulches are most 

 required where the drying conditions are most powerful, and the result is 

 the same, whether the evaporation is from the soil direct or by influencing 

 the tran.spiration of plants. § From a table published by Hilgard,|| it would 

 seem that the climate of Australia is somewhat unique in causing evapora- 

 tion, and it is primarily to prevent such losses that fallowing is carried out. 

 The figures are given in Table V. The first column states the number of 

 years during which observations were made ; the second column gives the 

 inches of water evaporated from a free surface of water during twelve 

 months. 



Table V. 



t The Soil. Bv A. D. Hall; London. John Murray. 19(13. 



t Univ. of Nebraska, Bui. 114, by W. W. Burr. 



§ Water Requirements of Plants. Jour Agric, Vic. June. 1912. 



11 Soils. By Prof. Hilgard. Xew York. The Macmillan Co. 1906. 



