174 Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [10 March, 1917. 



General Impressions. 



Having had the opportunity for the third time of judging in the 

 Nhill Farm Crop and Fallow Competitions, in normal, and also in 

 abnormally wet and dry seasons, mv impression of the soundness of 

 your district has been considerably enhanced. Other parts of this Stat© 

 and Southern New South Wales have suffered severely from fungoid 

 diseases iu the crops this year, while such is not the case in the 

 Wimmera. Sheep are reported to be suffering from lung troubles and 

 foot rot also elsewhere, which, however, is not the case here. 



Several new comers t>o the district expressed themselves as hi'.;h' 

 sat-sfied with their choice of a farming district, and some of these were 

 men with wide experience of the Stale. Older residents continue to 

 make further improvements to their holdings, and, generally speaking, 

 an air of prosj>erity is observable everywhere. 



Suggestions for the Future. 



One fact stands out prominently in the present season in connexion 

 with farming pursuits, and that is the necessity for more sheep. Many 

 cases were noted where the operation of fallowing had been more or less 

 wasted owing to the scarcity of sheep for feeding off the sprouted oats, 

 (fee. For successful wheat farming, sheei-i in the proper proportion are 

 indispensable, apart altogether from the ])rofit iu the sheep themselves, 

 and an effort should be made by Wimmera farmers to increase the 

 carrying capacity of their land :n this respect. This can be done by 

 conserving more fodder for bad times, both wild oaten hay and ordi- 

 nary hay. Oats alone fed to sheep are worth more than the average 

 market pries paid for them; i to | lb. of oats fed per sheep per day 

 will keep them going well. Immense quantities of hay are wasted 

 every good year by being allowed to rot on the ground, which it 

 would be an actual advantage to cut on the green side for the sake of 

 the wheat crops to follow. 



Additional fodder could be provided in small lucerne plots wherever 

 suitable, which could be still further augmented by the growth of 

 sorghums, especially where small quantities of water for irrigation are 

 available. Wool and mutton are likely to remain at high prices for 

 many a year, and make the prospect of lamb raising and sheep breeding 

 very good. All the leading farmers are unanimous in res,pect to the 

 necessity for something in this direction, and a few are taking steps to 

 further the carrying capacity of their holdings. 



Early fallowing has proved advantageous in both dry and wet 

 seasons, and should be a practice more generally followed ; increased 

 crops, less disease, and greater security in getting a crop in bad seasons 

 would result. 



Heavier manurial dressings should be used, and instead of 40 to 

 60 lbs. per acre, 75 to 100 lbs. would tend to larger profits. There will 

 be many 30-bushel crops this year, which means that phosphoric acid 

 will be removed from the soil equal to the amount contained in at least 

 1 cwt. of superphosphate. Moreover, to starve the soil or crop for its 

 necessary complement of super, is limiting its producing capacity, and 

 lessening the probability of a full return for the labour and expense 

 involved in fallowing, sowing, &c. 



The growth of onions, tomatoes, and other vegetables, in many of 

 the gardens visited, opens up the question as to whether it would be 



