Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [ii Nov., 1912. 



WHEAT AND ITS CULTIVATION. 



{('oiifi)ti(cd from page 552.) 



Xo. 8.— IMANURIAL PROBLEI\IS— ro/ffnn/ff/. 



A. E. y. Richardson, M.A., B.Sc, Agricultural Superintcndoit. 



In the September issue consideration was given to the factors 

 involved in Soil Fertility, and to the position of Nitrogen in Victorian 

 agricnltnre. It was shown that soils of the wheat areas of Victoria 

 differed very widely from those of Enrope, in regard to available 

 nitrogen supplies, owing principally to the exceptional rate at which 

 nitrification proceeds under the conditions which obtain in our wheat 

 areas. It is now necessary to consider the requirements of the wheat 

 areas with respect to phosphoric acid and potash. 



T*HOSPIIATIC ^IanTRES. 



Importance. — Phosphatic manures are of the greatest practical 

 importance to the cereal farmer. One striking peculiarity in Australian 

 soils, as compared with these of Europe, is the uniformly low phos- 

 phatic content. 



We need not here enter into a speculative discussion as to the prob- 

 able causes of this deficiency. It is sufficient to note that practical 

 experience and experimental work throughout the wheat belt of Aus- 

 tralia has conclusively demonstrated the value and necessity of 

 phosi^hates in cereal culture. In many of the wheat areas the use of 

 soluble phosphates is absolutely essential to secure a crop. The import- 

 ance of soluble phosphates in Australian cereal culture is strikingly 

 demonstrated by the Commonwealth Statistics for 1911-12. The 

 following table, taken from the Year-Book for 1911-12, indicates the 

 amount of artificial manure (nearly wholly phosphates') used in the 

 four wheat-growing States of the Commonwealth, and the percentage 

 of the manured area to the total area : — ■ 



Sources of Phosphatic Fertilizers. — The most important sources of 

 phosphorus are the minerals apatite and phosphorite, the various 

 deposits of phosphatic guanos, and the widely distributed natural 

 rock phosphates. The inorganic portion of bones contains a large 

 percentage of phosphates of lime, which is the principal fertilizing 

 constituent of bone manures. 



Another source of phosphates is the phosphatic slag obtained in 

 the Bessemer process for making steel from iron ores rich in phosphorus. 



