10 Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [10 Jan., 1917. 



old lucerne was plouglied up iu May last, worked down to a fine stat© of 

 tilth, and sown with j bushel of oats and 6 lbs. of lucerne seed per acre. 

 A luxuriant crop of oaten hay was obtained, and now the young lucerne 

 is coming away nicely. A similar test was made of 10 acres sown with j 

 bu.'^hels King's Early wheat and 6 lbs. of lucerne. The wheat was sown 

 thinly to give the young lucerne a chance to develop. Wheat has the 

 advantage over Algerian oats as a nurse crop in that it can be cut at 

 least a tortnight before the oats. Another block of 10 acres of old 

 lucerne is being renovated by sowing millet as a summer crqp, and re- 

 sowing lucerne either next autumn or spring. A fine stand of lucerne 

 has been obtained by sowing sorghum on ploughed up lucerne, and fol- 

 lowing the sorghum with lucerne crop. 



EXPERIMENTAL PLOTS. 



Among the plots in the experimental fields the selection plots are the 

 most interesting. They have all been sown from hand-selected heads 

 chosen from last year's selection plots, the idea being to gradually im- 

 prove the prolificacy of each variety by the systematic choice of the best 

 plants each year. The general growth, and the size and quality of the 

 heads in these selection plots are phenomenal, especially when compared 

 with ordinai-y seed, thus demonstrating the soundness of a system of 

 selection analogous to that used bj' the experienced stockbreeder. 



Among the selection plots are a number of new crossbred wheats origi- 

 nated by the Agricultural Superintendent, Mr. A. E. V. Richardson. 

 Among these there are two that immediately take the eye — a short-strawed, 

 upstanding variety with compact dark brown ears — produced by crossing 

 Clubhead with Yandilla King. This variety did exceedingly well at Wer- 

 ribee last year, and looks a likely tyjje for this district. Another variety, 

 Indian crossed on Comeback, possesses remarkably clean straw, and 

 dense, well-filled heads. This variety yielded 56 bushels per acre at 

 Longerenong last year, and it promises to be among the leaders this year. 

 A third, variety, Indian and Federation, is early, and shows phenomenal 

 development of the ears, as compared with other varieties. It is unfortu- 

 nately weak in the straw, although scarcely more than half the height of 

 Federation. This drawback may be corrected by further selecting^ 

 These same varieties are also undergoing trials at Werribee, Rutherglen, 

 and Longerenong. ^ 



The Permanent Fertilizer tests should afford information of practical 

 value, as fifteen different combinations of fertilizers have been tested side 

 by side. Heavy and light dressings of super and tests with basic slag, 

 bonedust, sulphate of ammonia, potash, and lime are being tried. 



The benefits of early sowing of slow maturing types like Yandilla King 

 and the advantages of late sowing of early maturing varieties like King's 

 Early are strikingly shown in the name of sowing trials. Here Federa- 

 tion, Yandilla King, and King's Early, sown in May, are contrasted with 

 the same varieties sown in July. In the early sown plots the late variety 

 Yandilla King is easily the best, whilst King's Early has been beaten to 

 the ground. .In the late sown plots, the Yandilla King is vei-y poor and 

 backward, whilst King's Early is much better head and stands well. 



In the rate of sowing trials a series of six plots of Federation sown at 

 various rates are contrasted with six plots sown late. The seedings are 



