24 



guano. Where nitrogen is deficient from 1 J to If cwt. of superphos- 

 phate, with J to | cwt. of sulphate of ammonia ; or 2 cwt. of Thomas 

 phosphate, and | to | cwt. of nitrate of soda ; or H to 2 cwt. of bonedusfc 

 and either of the above quantities of sulphate of ammonia or nitrate 

 of soda should be used. Some land may require 2 tons per acre 

 of quicklime, and light lands 3 cwt. of wood ashes or 1J cwt, of 

 kainit. This year's crop of wheat up to 32 bushels of wheat with 

 19 in. of rain proves how correct Professor Lowrie has judged his 

 soil. That heavier dressings of phosphates at all events gave better 

 results, not only as regards crops, but also profits with a fair rainfall, 

 is sufficiently shown by the experiments made at our Roseworthy 

 College Farm, and by not a few farmers. Even with the high prices 

 paid for such manures, to which the cost of cartage must be added, 

 and with the low price of wheat, 1 cwt. of a phosphatic manure secured 

 in 1899 against 6 bushels 21 Ib. without manure ,14 bushels 48 lb., 

 and a net profit of 16/9, and 2 cwt. gave 18 bushels 53 lb. and a 

 net profit of .1/2/10 at Roseworthy" Profits, of course, would 

 be less where the land is already in very good heart; as regards 

 phosphates, and where perhaps nitrogen and potash is wanting and 

 not supplied to utilise any extra quantity of phosphoric acid. In 

 1897 2 cwt. yielded at Roseworthy 22 bushels, and in 1900 30 

 bushels 1G lb. The unmanured block produced 10 bushels 10 lb., 

 and 1 cwt. produced only 3 bushels 14 lb. more. 



Against Professor Lowrie's opinion I will mention that of Mr. 

 A. N. Pearson, the Victorian Chemist of Agriculture, who thinks 

 that Mr. Telford's experiments, made at St. Arnaud, and another set 

 at Jeparit, in dry districts of the State of Victoria, prove! 20 lb. of 

 concentrated superphosphate on one-twenty-fifth part of an acre to 

 ba for those districts .as best paying for wheat, and that the dipping 

 of grain in a tub containing superphosphate had also given favor- 

 able results, although only a few pounds stuck to the grain. This 

 latter plan, however, has certainly not found many followers. 



Dr. Howell, the Agricultural Expert for Victoria, himself con- 

 vinced of the value of commercial manures, is now arranging again 

 for hundreds of experiments in Victoria to show that phosphoric 

 acicl. and next to it, nitrogen, is wanted, which latter might be 

 obtained from leguminous -crops. Experiments containing potash 

 are. however, also to be made. 



The experiments made at the Clare Agricultural School gave 

 on Ifcnd not manured at the rate of 11.1 and 15 bushels per acre : 

 with 120 lb. of each muriate of potash and nitrate of soda, 19 

 bushel? : and with an addition of 400 lb. of Thomas phosphate, 26 

 bushels and 26 bushels 6 lb. ; 400 lb. of Thomas phosphate and 

 120 lb. of muriate of potash gave 20 bushels; and 400 lb. of Thomas 

 phosphate and 120 lb. of nitrate of soda, 25 bushels 3 lb. (rainfall 

 24.30 in.). 



Some of the members of the Nantawarra (15^ in.) Agricultural 

 Bureau recorded interesting results for a dry year. Mr. Jas. Keller 

 had at Mount Templeton on stiff clay .land, with 80 lb. English 

 superphosphate, 11 bushels; with 90 lb. bonedust, 7J bushels; with 



