40 



CJ. Ricks, of Cherry Gardens (over 30 in.), had another crop of Cob 

 bett's Corn after cutting it. Mr. T. Searle, of Millicent (29.02 in.), 

 estimated that maize sown in October should yield at the rate of 90 

 bushels. When he fed his cows with maize the value of their milk 

 was increased as from 5 to 9. Mr. T. Carter, of Clare (24.30 in.) 

 sows 60 Ib. ; and Mr. D. Hanna, of Gumeracha (33.04 in.), 2 

 bushels broadcast, 20 Ib. with the drill. Mr. A. Steinwedel, 

 of Balaklava (15.94 in.), manures with good compost or super 

 phosphate, and makes the distances between the rows a 9-tiue 

 scarifier, with the two end tines only down. 



HAY AND PASTURE. There can be no doubt that in Australia 

 pasture lauds have been almost everywhere robbed of a great 

 portion of the natural nitrogen, phosphoric acid, and potash. 

 From 1893 to 1899 inclusive the export of wool is said to have 

 been 2,111,863,834 Ib., containing as much nitrogen as in 456,200 tons 

 of nitrate of soda, as much potash as is found in 11,320 tons of 

 muriate of potash, or 45,256 tons of kainit, which latter is contained 

 in the grease of the wool and near its roots. During the above 

 years 46,088,677 sheep and 1,009,187 lambs have been exported, or 

 nitrogen equal to 298,341 tons of nitrate of soda, and the phosphate 

 of lime in the above animals was equal to about 141,034 

 tons of Thomas phosphate. Such being the case, 

 our farmers, at all events should follow the ex- 

 ample of Mr. Schickert, of the Schniftenberg Farm, described by 

 me in our "Journal" of December, 1898, to apply phosphoric acid 

 and potash manures in large quantities to enable them to keep 

 twice the number of cattle and horses, or else sheep. Mr 

 Schickert's farm was quite exhausted by former tenants, full of 

 weeds, and the land itself, 960 ft. above the sea, was by nature 

 poor of humus, one-half stony or sandy, the other a tough clay. 

 Now it has become the place for pilgrimage of hundreds of the 

 most intelligent farmers. By the application of potash and 

 phosphates the number of pea-flowering plants will rapidly increase, 

 and draw nitrogen from the air, which in turn nourishes the 

 grasses and other herbs. Mr. Cameron, the agricultural editor 

 of the "Dundee Advertiser," said at an agricultural dinner on 4th 

 January, 1900: "By and by lighter stocking would have to be 

 practised. . . . But the keeping of cattle was almost out of 

 the question. Artificial means should be taken to restore the 

 balance of phosphates and potash so plentifully taken off the land 

 in the framework of animals, and in wool. There was no more 

 generally useful phosphatic top-dressing than Thomas phosphate, 

 which ought to be applied at the fall of the year, and that application 

 could be very advantageously followed in early winter by a good 

 dressing of potash, the cheapest source of which was kainit." 



According to Professor Wright, potash salts alone, whether 

 in the form of kainit or muriate, give a considerable increase of 

 crop (of grass hay), and when due allowance is made for succeeding 

 crops, and the increased development of leguminous herbage spring- 

 ing up on the land, the use of these manures is distinctly profitable 



