Life Sciences Commons^™

Strawberry Culture, K T. Whitely

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

WHETHER fresh or preserved, the strawberry finds universal favour and is regarded more or less as a luxury.

For the grower it offers the quickest cash return of all fruits, cropping in the first year. It is, therefore, very useful to a man trying to establish a fruit growing property with limited capital.

Cotton Fireweed : A Native Weed Menace, G R W Meadly

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

INTRODUCED plants have provided most of our weed problems. Cape tulip, double gee and soursob come from South Africa, Saffron thistle, Paterson's curse, wild turnip and wild radish from Europe, mesquite from the southern United States and Bathurst burr from South America.

The relatively few native plants which have become troublesome weeds include Afghan thistle and Sarsaparilla.

Stocking Rate And Pasture Management, B F. Carlin

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

FARMERS west of the Great Southern Railway, raising sheep and beef cattle, frequently associate soil deficiencies with difficulties in holding sub. clover in their pastures.

Field observations and some trials in those districts indicate that in many paddocks the problem arises through undergrazing rather than a deficiency in the soil.

Toxic Annuals In Horticulture, Robert Dunlop Royce

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

THE number of poisonous shrubs and trees that are grown in gardens is very great, and several of these species have been discussed in detail.

It is probable that few people realise just how many of the commonest garden plants are in some way or under some circumstances, likely to contain a toxic principle.

Furthermore, this is not confined to the longer lived plants, but it applies equally to the annual plants, both summer growing and winter growing.

Factors In Weed Propagation, G R W Meadly

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

I N crop and pasture plants, seed production and harvesting are of vital impartance.

In a negative way, the formation of seeds by weeds can be equally important.

Avoid Losses From Poison Plants, Robert Dunlop Royce

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

E VERY country in the world has its poisonous plant problems, but in Western Australia we have more than our share.

Farmers in "Poison" districts can avoid serious stock losses if they can recognise dangerous poison plants, and have a knowledge of how the concentrations of toxic substances in these plants change with the seasons.

In this article, R. D. Royce, Officer in Charge of the Botany Branch, outlines the principles involved.

Registered Fertilisers : 1960-61, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

THE FOLLOWING REGISTERED FERTILISERS AND ANALYSES ARE SUPPLEMENTARY TO THE LIST PUBLISHED IN THE JANUARY 1961 ISSUE OF THE JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURE

Carton Packs For Granny Smiths, J S. Bloomfield

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

CONSIDERABLE quantities of Granny Smiths will be exported in carton containers in the 1961 season.

Last season an inaugural trial of tray pack cartons was shipped to the United Kingdom but this year will see the first use of cell pack cartons.

Organic Manures In Commercial Vegetable Growing, T Wachtel

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

AT one time organic manures provided the only means to return the plant nutrients into the soil, which were removed by cropping.

With the rapid increase of mechanisation, these materials have become very scarce, and their cost extremely high.

It is, therefore, necessary to consider whether the benefits gained from their use are sufficient to warrant their high purchase price, or indeed whether the use of manures is warranted at all.

Spray Thinning Of Japanese Plums, J E L Cripps

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

THE hand thinning of Japanese plums is the most tedious work which the orchardist is called upon to undertake so that any method of crop reduction other than by hand should be welcome.

Growers may, therefore, be pleased to know that in experiments conducted by the Department of Agriculture several varieties have been successfully spray thinned. The material used was D.N.B.P. (Dinitro secondary butyl phenol).

Spraying with this material considerably reduces but does not eliminate hand thinning.

Plants And Asthma, Robert Dunlop Royce

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

ASTHMA is defined in the dictionary as being a disease characterised by recurring attacks of difficulty in breathing, and the causes are stated to include the inhalation of dust, or the odour of plants, flowers or animals.

Hay fever is a similar condition and this too, is caused by plants, usually at the time of flowering, when large quantities of pollen are produced.

Shot Hole Of Stone Fruit, R F. Doepel

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

SHOT hole of stone fruit is a serious fungal disease which occurs in orchards throughout the fruit growing areas of the State.

Successful control is based on routine applications of Bordeaux mixture at leaf fall and bud burst.

Palatability Of Forage Plants In North-West Sheep Pastures, R H. Collett

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

A DECLINE in carrying capacity has occurred in large areas of the Pilbara district of the North-West, due to the decrease in palatable plants and the increase in unpalatable ones.

The relative palatability of the various species to sheep is therefore a matter of considerable importance to pastoralists.

Potassium Deficiency In Medium Rainfall Areas, William John Toms

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

IT is well known that potassic fertilisers must be used for the successful growth of subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L.) on many soils in the higher rainfall districts of Western Australia.

Recent investigations have shown that some soils in medium rainfall districts are also too low in potassium to grow healthy subterranean clover pastures.

Minor Elements Can Be Overdone, L T. Jones

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

T H E term "minor elements" which is now commonly used and well understood by farmers and gardeners, refers to the five essential plant foods—copper, zinc, manganese, molybdenum and boron.

These five essential plant foods are needed by all plants in minute quantities and it is relatively easy to use them in excess of actual requirements or even in toxic amounts.

In practice this is not usually a problem with cereals and pastures. The important exception is when zinc alone is added to a cereal crop low in copper and the extra zinc accentuates the copper deficiency, and poorer yields …

Banana Cultivation At Carnarvon, J A F Lawson

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

THE banana is claimed by some authorities to be the first fruit ever used by man. Indeed, it is so widely scattered throughout the tropical countries of the world that it is very difficult to name its centre of origin.

For centuries it has been regarded as one of the most useful fruits for treating patients with digestive ailments, and over the last few decades it has been recommended by doctors, particularly for infants.

Although the protein content of bananas is low, the sugars of the ripened fruit are present in a most useful form, and the vitamin content, by …

The Use Of Nitrogenous Fertilisers For Cereal Grain Production In Western Australia, William John Toms, G. H. Burvill

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

NITROGENOUS fertilisers have so far been little used in Western Australia for wheat, oats and barley grown for grain.

However, profitable results can follow their use under some conditions. Farmers who have seen field experiments are now interested in the use of nitrogenous fertilisers.Further interest will be stimulated by recent reductions in price.

This article answers common questions asked by farmers about nitrogenous fertilisers for cereals. It is based on over 100 experiments conducted by the Department of Agriculture during the past 30 years.

Hoary Cress (Cardaria Draba (L.) Desv.), G R W Meadly

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

HOARY CRESS, known also as Hoary Pepperwort or White Weed, is a perennial plant native to t h e Mediterranean region and Western Asia.

It has spread as a weed to northern Europe including Britain, as well as to other temperate countries among which are North America, New Zealand and Australia.

Walnut Growing In The Bickley Valley, E L. Neave

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

WALNUTS require special conditions of climate and soil for satisfactory production and there are few places in this State where commercial plantings have been successfully established.

One small planting of interest is located in the Bickley Valley, in the hills close to Perth. The Bickley Valley is best known for its citrus and stone fruits

Broom Millet In The Market Garden, James P. Fallon

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

WHEN we think of broom millet we usually regard it as a crop for growing either under flood irrigation or in summer moist swamps for the sole purpose of producing straw for brooms.

However, the particular characteristics of the broom millet plant make it adaptable for use in the market garden as an excellent windbreak and rotation crop.

Healthy Pastures, F E. Ryan

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

IN sweeping away forests to make room for pastures we have taken on the responsibility of maintaining these areas in a condition suitable for the growth of pasture plants.

This is done by a choice of suitable species, fertilising, cultivating, drainage, control of grazing and by weed and insect control.

Hay For The Dairy Herd : Quality Or Quantity?, F E. Ryan

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

CONSERVATION of hay on dairy farms has increased in recent years but so far emphasis has been on quantity rather than quality and in some districts paddocks are closed up very early to increase yields per acre of hay.

Recent trials have shown that late closing of hay paddocks on dairy farms gives higher quality hay, more winter grazing and a better balanced pasture. The gain in quality more than compensates for any drop in yield.

Salt Land Management : Too Early To Graze Bluebush, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

M ANY people, including research officers in this Department, have examined bluebush and saltbush plantings in spring, and, finding nothing, have assumed failure.