26 
SHEEP ON THE WHEAT FARM 
A practical sheep farmer in South Australia has 
stated that:— 
“He looked upon sheep as the cheapest, the best, 
and the most efficient agricultural implement a 
man could have on his farm, as they worked of their own 
free will, and paid for being allowed to doso, . They cleaned 
up the fallows and weeds, and fertilised theland at the rate 
of about 316$. of liquid and solid manure a day per sheep. 
“It was a much happier and more economical plan to let 
the weeds walk to market as mutton than to chase them 
round the paddock with a cultivator or hoe.” 
The “Pastoral Review” writing on the subject 
bays:— 
“The present policy of wheat and bare fallow is placing 
all the eggs in one basket. We fail to see how wheat- 
growing can be established as a permanent industry under 
the present system.” 
“ Natural pasture of great virgin richness is ploughed up 
and sown with grain. А liberal dressing of superphosphate 
is put in with the crop. The crop is harvested and carted 
off the farm. Not a particle of fertilising element 
is returned to the soil, and the exhausting process is 
repeated. In the course of time the fertility of the soil will 
give out, because nothing has been done to replace it. 
Humus is a vital constituent of the soil, and it is all the more 
vital where the necessity for conserving moisture is greatest. 
The wheat and bare fallow system exploits this constituent 
and makes no recompense. Here is where the sheep 
come In. If instead of bare fallow the land can be made 
to produce crops which can be fed off by temporarily 
stocking with sheep, valuable constituents would return to 
the soil, and if properly worked, the sheep would pay a 
handsome profit over and above the permanent good they 
- doin the way of restoring the humus." 
eS CR 
an E 7 T ee 
