54 



considered it the best phosphatic manure for them. Mr. Wm. Prou.l, 

 of Tod River, near Port Lincoln (20 in.), produced Yellow Stone 

 turnips, weighing up to 10J Ib. At Mount Gambier turnips are 

 sown ^ Ib. per acre with drill during September in drills 2 ft. 

 apart, but even when sown in July or October good crops resulted. 

 Mr. Langberg, of Naracoorte (22 34 in.), considered there was not 

 much waste in feeding turnips off with sheep if put on when the 

 leaves begin to wither. Mr. Sage, of Balaklava (15.94 in.), trans- 

 planted them from seedbed on ordinary mallee land, and some were 

 15 in. in circumference. 



The turnip crop is the most important in the Waikato dis- 

 trict in New Zealand. If it is a failure and a wet winter the mor 

 tality amongst the stock is very great. Frequently sheep must 

 be removed from North to South, or the reverse. On high and 

 dry land the crops are frequently inferior tor want of moisture 

 to germinate the seed. The Auckland district had in 1898 32,485 

 acres under turnips; Wellington, 31,619; Canterbury, 141,898: 

 Otago, 178,393 acres. In 1899 the total for New Zealand wa<? 

 519,945 acres. At the experimental Station at Wyndliam, South- 

 land (N.Z.), the Purple Top turnips were sown on fifty-two plots 

 with fertilisers, and with or without lime. The cost of the manure 

 is given at about 15/ per acre; broadcasting and seed, &c., ll/; 

 but if drilled, &c., .1/18/ per acre. 



The average rainfall at the experimental station is about 45 

 in., with a temperature from 40 deg. to 70 deg. With the Thomas 

 phosphate the tops weighed 5 cwt. more per acre, the roots some- 

 times more, at others less, with equal quantities of manure. Ex- 

 periments made in the Transactions of the Highland and Agricultural 

 Society of Scotland of 1892 were a little in favor of Thomas phos- 

 phate and nitrate ol soda against superphosphate and sulphate 

 of ammonia of the same value. 



At Bingarooma, in Tasmania, as many as 40 tons have been 

 taken from an acre without manure. ElsewITere 10 tons have been 

 harvested with 2 cwt. of Thomas phosphate ; and at Ellendale from 



