48 



Mr. Woolley, known as the farmer who produced the great 

 wheat crop of 77 bushels per acre in Skimblescott Farm, had used 

 for many years annually from 40 to 60, or, lately, even 70 tons 

 of Thomas phosphate. More than half of nis 346 acres are LOW 

 left in pasture, and the most remarkable thing was that where there 

 was a general outcry of drought and scarcity of fodder, the fields 

 of Skimblescott were full of grass, literally calf-leg deep, and all 

 his stock 17 horses, 360 sheep, and not long before 90 head of fat 

 cattle -were in excellent condition. Sixteen acres were once in 

 wheat, and the crop valued in 1879 at only <14. By liberal treat- 

 in ent with phosphate, the last being 5 cwt. per acre of Thomas phos 

 phate, this field has so improved that it fed in 1899 70 wethers 

 bought in March and now sold at upwards of 1 per head profit. 

 Mr. Woolley pins his faith on the liberal use of Thomas phos- 

 phate and cake. He can now get this phosphate at half the 

 price it formerly cost him in bones. If it had been introduced 

 ten years earlier he should now be richer by some thousands of 

 pounds than he is. 



In fairly wet seasons as many as 6,751 acres of grass ha/ 

 are mown in Tasmania, yielding 980 tons. As much as 2 ton* 

 per acre was, however, gathered where 7 cwt. of bonedust WAS 

 used; and in North Bruni 1J tons of hay with 3 cwt. of phos- 

 phates. 



The foregoing remarks, although intended mostly for grass-hay, 

 or pasture, are also applicable for our hay, which consists chiefly of 

 wheat and oats, cut before too far advanced towards ripening of the 

 grain. 



The majority of our farmers, however, do not sow these specially 

 for hay, and this would not manure the land, except for either 

 wheat or oats, from which they cut portions for hay for home use. 

 being either too poor or too luxuriant to leave for a grain crop, or 

 too dirty. Where a hay crop is sown it should be manured as* 

 well as for a crop of wEeat or oats. A farmer reported that he 

 carted from a paddock, on which wheat was drilled with phosphate? 

 the year before, quite one-third more hay, as compared with land 

 unmanured last year. Bonedust drilled in at the rate 

 of 1 cwt. per acre gave no apparent result for oats, with wheat, 

 however, half a ton of hay more per acre. Mr. Ruwoldt, of 

 Mount Grambier (31.82 in.), had 1 ton more. Where on 60 

 acres fallow of strong land 1 cwt. of bone phosphate was broad- 

 casted and Tuscan wheat sown, 32 cwt. of hay were gathered, 

 against 24 cwt. per acre from unmanured land. Professor Lowrie. 

 with mostly under 17 in., when using 2 to 3 cwt. 

 of superphosphate or bonedust per acre for hay, at a cost of 12/6 

 expects to get at least a ton more per. acre. One hundred and 

 twelve pounds of guano from Kangaroo Island, with 11 in. rain 

 gave as good a crop as 112 Ib. of superphosphate; that is, 1 ton 

 of wheaten hay per acre, against 10 cwt. where the land was not 

 manured. The same resulted with oaten hay, which had received; 

 3 cwt. of Kangaroo Island guano per acre, broadcasted, viz., 1 ton : 



