27 



had failed for some years, and he had 12 bushels per acre. Without- 

 manure his crop was 2 bushels per acre. 



Mr. Chittleborough at Neuarparr (about 20 in.) harvested from new 

 land for some years 8 bushels per acre ; afterwards only 4. When 

 using Naracoorte guano he had with 2 cwt. per acre 12 bushels, with. 

 3 cwt. 18 bushels. At Boothby (13.75 in.) Messrs. Sims and Robin- 

 son stated that where Thomas phosphate was drilled in the year 

 before, the crops, though sown some weeks later, showed much more- 

 growth than those alongside; and Mr. Mills said that, although he 

 did not derive any benefit from manuring with Thomas phosphate 

 in the dry season of 1896 for onions, the wheat and cabbages planted, 

 in 1897 on the plot were far stronger than those on adjoining land, 

 and last season's manuring was most marked. Mr. Turnbull, of 

 Boothby, thought the Star phosphate most suitable in the sand and. 

 stony ridges of the district. At Port Lincoln (with 20 in.), Mr. J. D. 

 Bruce reaped 18 bushels per acre where he had used 2 cwt. of Island 

 uano at 35/ a ton, against 9 bushels where not manured. At Lipson 

 (13.60) the local guano was not successful. At Bordertown (with 

 21 in.), Mr. G-. Mills used on 5 acres 42 Ib. of seed and 56 Ib. of 

 Thomas phosphate per acre, with a yield of 10 bushels. Where he- 

 used 52 Ib. of seed and 65 Ib. of Thomas phosphate the yield was 12 

 bushels ; 52 Ib. of seed and 80 Ib. of Thomas phospahte increased the 

 yield to 17 bushels upon worn-out soil. Mr. W. Correll, of Mini aton( with 

 17.62 in.), had with 20 Ib. of sulphate of potash mixed with Thomas- 

 phosphate 5 bushels more than with phosphate alone. To show that 

 a, clay soil generally rich in potash (and so in this case) can still 

 derive benefit from potash manures, I would refer to the experi- 

 ments made in pots, without and with 12 grains of potash, by Pro- 

 fessor Wright, of Glasgow, which show the same advantage as the 

 potash applied to sandy soil, which contained but little of it. Too 

 much depends in South Australia on the wheat crops, and the general 

 opinion amongst farmers being that phosphatic manures may be 

 used alone, and give them a good return year after year, I think 

 that I must raise a warning voice again, and state that the continued 

 use of phosphates alone takes all nitrogen and potash from the soil, 

 and the effect will be the same as cropping without manure ex- 

 haustion of the soil. 



It is very pleasing to read the many good reports of the crops 

 for 1900-1. Even in the hilly parts of the Far North of South 

 Australia there have been crops up to 20 bushels per acre where 

 commercial fertilisers had been used. So had Mr. J. McColl, of 

 Quorn, 22 bushels from Dart's Imperial ; and Mr. A. F. Noll 20 

 bushels from Purple Straw with phosphatic manures. 



I will not conclude without mentioning the great advantage- 

 sheep are to our wheatgrowers. Sheep will turn what now goes to waste 

 in wild oats and weeds in to wool and mutton if you divide even a small 

 farm of 300 acres into four paddocks, where the rainfall is fairly- 

 good. Only one of them should be cropped, and the others changed 

 about for feeding perhaps 100 ewes; or where the feed is very good. 



