WHEATGROWING IN AUSTRALIA. 17 



principle can be accepted in all parts of the wheat belt. On the 

 Mallee the richest parts are denoted by the pines and bull oak trees, 

 while the large and small Mallee marks good and medium loams 

 and clays.. 



The Mallee land is suitable for handling by the man with small 

 means, either on a farm of his own or as a share farmer, as in the 

 first case the clearing is cheap, while in the second he can handle a 

 large area. The scrub is broken down by rollers, and is com- 

 paratively easily eradicated. For a time young suckers come up 

 amongst the wheat crop, but they are burnt off when the standing 

 stubble is burnt after the crop has been taken off, and in time 

 quite cleaned out. The soil is naturally rich in potash, nitrogen, 

 and lime, but requires superphosphate, as the percentage of phos- 

 phoric acid is low. Although the average yield is lower than other 

 parts of the wheat belt, wheatgrowing has proved very profitable 

 in the Mallee country, and there is plenty of evidence of that fact. 



In Victoria the Mallee country is an important part of the 

 wheat belt of that State, there being over 800,000 acres under 

 wheat last season (1913-14) out of a total area for that State of 

 2,786,421 acres. Yet it is only within the last ten years that it has 

 had any reputation for farming, being mostly looked upon as 

 useless. Most of the first settlers were share farmers with little 



CARTING STOCKS. 



