EXPERIMENTS CONDUCTED WITH A VIEW TO CONTROLLING DISEASE. 71 



E. IRRIGATION EXPERIMENTS. 

 16. AT BACCHUS MARSH, VICTORIA. 



Owing to the very dry season and the scarcity of water for irrigation purposes, the experimental 

 plot of Sturmer Pippins at Bacchus Marsh was a complete failure. The trees blossomed freely, and 

 they were all irrigated once in October, but as a result of the long drought, heat, and Thrips, there was 

 no crop in this particular variety. 



The rainfall for 1914 and the past three months of 1915 shows the nature of the season. 



January 



February 



March 



April . . 



May 



June 



1914. 

 Inches. 



1-75 

 03 

 91 



1-69 



1-14 

 94 



1915. 

 Inches. 



1-34 

 40 

 26 



July . . 



August 



September 



October 



November 



December 



1914. 

 Inches. 



1-12 

 35 

 83 

 38 



1-16 



4-30 



Total for 191 4 14-60 Inches. 



The average rainfall for the past 35 years is 20 51 inches, the highest, in 1 9 1 1 , being 29 23 inches; 

 and the lowest, in 1898, being 12-54 inches. The past season is the second lowest on record. 



RESULT OF ANALYSES OF SOILS FROM MR. COWAN'S ORCHARD, BACCHUS MARSH. 

 SAMPLE No. 1 HEAVY SOIL. SAMPLE No. 2 LIGHT SOIL. 



The samples on analyses were found to contain : 



Nitrogen parts per 100,000 



Phosphoric acid ,, 



Potash ,, 



Lime ,, 



Magnesia ,, 



Chlorine ,, 

 Reaction 



Stones 

 Fine gravel 

 Coarse sand 

 Medium sand . . 

 Fine sand 

 Very fine sand 

 Silt .. 

 Clay . . 



Moisture 



Loss on ignition 



Humus 



No. 2. 



A Good Soil should 

 contain : 

 150 

 150 

 250 

 500 



Not more than lime content. 

 Not more than 35. 

 Neutral. 



V 



/o 



1-67 



7-25 



8-53 



16-54 



16-59 



13-75 



25-83 



3-66 

 6-18 



82 



Judging from the content of plant food found in these soils, I should say that neither is in any 

 immediate need of any particular fertilizing ingredient. They are very similar in composition, except- 

 ing that the light soil contains a higher percentage of sand ; otherwise they might be considered to be 

 one and the same soil. Both may be expected to produce good crops of fruit. 



