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3 tons to the acre of surface soil from an old sulla field should be scattered 

 over the surface of the field in cloudy, moist weather. I may add that for 

 some years past we have grown sulla on a small scale on the Roseworthy 

 Agricultural College Farm, and have as yet experienced no particular trouble 

 in this direction. 



There are said to be several varieties, or perhaps even species, of sulla. 

 So far as can be seen, however, the differences adverted to do not appear 

 greater than might be expected from a general change of environment. 



Sulla is stated to be normally in Tunisia biannual, or even at times annual. 

 Our experience of it at Roseworthy would tend to show that it is perennial 

 so long as it can be maintained alive through the summer months. 



A field of sulla may either be grazed or cut for hay. It makes a rather 

 coarse hay, which needs very careful handling, because of its tendency to 

 lose its leaves on drying, as is the case with lucerne hay. The hay yields 

 appear to vary within fairly wide limits, from a little over a ton to the acre 

 to 4 tons and 5 tons in very favorable conditions. 



Sulla appears to be grown fairly regularly in both Malta and Southern 

 Italy, and for some years past French landowners have been endeavoring 

 to find a place for it in the rotation of Tunisian crops ; as yet, however, 

 its position does not appear to have been definitely settled. Thus some 

 would sow sulla in a cereal crop, very much in the same way as red clover 

 is sown in England in a spring barley, or as lucerne is sometimes sown by us 

 in a cereal crop. Others again, following the usual Maltese practice, prefer 

 sowing it on a cereal stubble. 



Connected with the position to be given to sulla in ordinary farming opera- 

 tions are certain germination difficulties which can be most conveniently 

 dealt with here. Sulla seed is enclosed in an outer shell or husk, endowed 

 with strong powers of resistance to the ordinary agents of decay, whence 

 arises a very tardy and irregular germination. So much is this so that it 

 is said that for successful growth sulla in the husks must be sown a year 

 in advance of actual requirements. Thus, if sulla seed in the husk be sown 

 in an autumn cereal it will not germinate until 12 months later in the stubbles 

 of the cereal crop. This fact naturally represents a serious difficulty in the 

 handling of the crop, and various attempts have been made to overcome it, 

 some of which may be quoted. 



It would appear that Maltese and Sicilian growers are in the habit of storing 

 away the seed for 12 months in an air and water tight pit, in which a sort 

 of fermentation sets up, with the result that the grain, when sown, germinates 

 fairly freely. M. Schribaux recommends boiling the seed. According to 

 him seed and husks immersed for 5min. in boiling water will show a 95 per 

 cent, germination as soon as brought in contact with moist earth ; whilst 

 lOmin. immersion gives rise to a 75 per cent, germination. The seed should 

 be sown within 48 hours of treatment. M. Wartelle has modified this treatment 



