10 



almost magically." I have come to the conclusion that, except in too> 

 dry districts, an early and medium dressing of superphosphate, although 

 containing sulphuric acid, may be fairly safe to use, and give a good 

 profit in an average season ; but another phosphatic fertiliser, 

 Thomas phosphate, can be used without fear in larger quantities, 

 even in dry districts, and any surplus is stored for future corps. A 

 dry September or October frequently injures here crops by excessive 

 evaporation of too luxurious/ crops caused by water soluble phosphoric 

 acid ; they are thus unable to fully support the winter growth and 

 the sulphuric acid in such fertiliser must greatly add to the injury. 

 This occurs chiefly if the crop is in bloom, with several days of hot 

 winds. I find also that such a good farmer as Mr. W. Correll, of 

 Minlaton, Yorke Peninsula, had noticed that crops manured with 

 superphosphates containing an excess of sulphuric acid were more 

 liable to be scorched by hot winds than those grown with fertilisers 

 not so soluble. And the Caltowie Bureau agrees with this view. 

 Against the damage of crops by blighting after a long dry spell, 

 when hot winds occur exceptionally early, while the wheat is in- 

 bloom, must be set that fertilisers accelerate ripening, and thus give 

 the distinct advantages of escaping later hot winds 

 that are more frequent and of higher temperature. 

 The Premier of South Australia, Hon. F. W. Holder, stated lately 

 also that several Northern farmers had complained to him that, 

 larger doses of superphosphate had seriously damaged their crops. 

 The quantities used I could not ascertain. Mr. Holder now says, 

 in a letter dated February 18, 1901, addressed to me: "I noticed 

 the blighting over considerable areas always on the land with a 

 northern or north-eastern aspect where the drill had been used. The 

 appearance was as if the wheat had been grown upon an old sheep 

 camp. The farmers remarked that the hot winds then experienced 

 hail not been so severe, as they had often known the whe<at plant to 

 stand without injury before, but the wheat plant appeared to have 

 been specially susceptible this year, and they assured me it was be- 

 cause of an over-use of some fertiliser/' Some Branch Bureaus 

 who enquired into this matter could not find any instance of 

 serious injury to crops through which Mr. Holder 

 had passed. 



I may here insert what M. Toulouse Camille, 

 Laureat of Agriculture, says, as applied to France, 

 in his text-book for teachers on the employment of chemical 

 manures : "Thomas phosphate at an equal expense will always give- 

 better results for all cultures and all soils. It presents over the 

 very soluble superphosphate an enormous advantage, if used for 

 perennial plants. Containing also lime and magnesia, lands poor 

 in lime receive besides from 15 to 22 per cent, of phosphoric a-cid ; 

 also from 45 to 50 per cent, of lime. And as regards the growth 

 of cereals, he says that Thomas phosphate gives more rigidity to the 

 straw and resistance to rust, while the grain is larger and richer 

 in gluten. Potash salts give surprising results in soils rich in lime- 

 and poor in potash." In our wetter districts dressings should bo 



