Life Sciences Commons^™

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.

Antibiotic Residues In Milk : The Farmer's Responsibility, N Ingleton

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

THE LEVEL of antibiotic residues in commercial milk supplies has been steadily increasing over the past few years.

These residues find their way into the bulk milk as a result of milk from cows under antibiotic treatment for mastitis or other infections being included in the bulk milk for sale.

Powdery Mildew Of Cucurbits, R F. Doepel

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

Powdery Mildew is one of the most damaging fungal diseases of cucurbits in Western Australia.

Disease development reaches epidemic proportions in most years and results in reduction in yield and quality of crops.

Regular applications of fungicides give economic control on susceptible varieties.

Good Pasture On A Problem Soil, R Sprivulis

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

The acid peaty sands of the South-West have always been problem soils, and are often considered useless.

But, by following recommended establishment methods, farmers like Mr. F. E. Bellanger, of Nornalup, have shown that it can carry valuable pasture.

Honey Flora Calendar For January, R S. Coleman

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

A look at flora available in January.

Selecting And Culling Sheep Flocks, H E. Fels

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

SHEEP flocks are culled and selected for two main reasons—firstly to get immediate improvements in the present generation and secondly, to improve future generations.

Rust Of Snapdragons, O M. Goss

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

RUST caused by the fungus Puccinia antirrhini is possibly the most destructive disease attacking antirrhinums or snapdragons.

In Western Australia, the disease first appeared in 1955 and since that time has become very prevalent and widespread, frequently with devastating effects.

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.

Reclaim Salty Soils With Bluebush, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

BLUEBUSH (Kochia brevifolia) is an Australian plant which can produce good yields of excellent feed when grown on grown well drained salty soils in the 12 to 15-inch rainfall districts of Western Australia.

Bee Farming : Maintaining Productive Stock, R S. Coleman

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

EVERY bee hive must be a productive unit, headed by a young vigorous queen, to to make sure of the greatest possible return from capital invested in the commercial apiary.

The Control Of Grasses With Chemicals, G R W Meadly

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

GRASSES are among man's greatest assets and usually he tries to encourage their growth.

The cereals, rice and many other grasses supply him with basic items of food and they are also important components of pastures which provide grazing for sheep and cattle.

Lambing Problems In Summer Rainfall Areas, H Suijdendorp

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

LOW lambing percentages have become a serious problem in the summer rainfall areas in the North-West of Western Australia.

Largely as a result of poor nutrition of the lambing ewes, lamb marking figures have fallen to the stage where keeping up stock numbers is extremely difficult.

Post Dipping Lameness In Sheep, I J. Miller

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

LAMENESS can be a most distressing feature at any time of the year, bat when It coincides with the early onset of hot weather and fall-off in nutritive level of the feed, results may have a far reaching effect on the flock.

Vitamins And Their Relationship To Animal Health, J Shilkin

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

NUTRITIONAL problems are assuming more and more importance in stock as the years progress and while much stress is sometimes placed on the role of vitamins in nutrition, one should not lose sight of the fact that they are only part of a balanced ration which should include other constituents, such as proteins, carbohydrates and fats in suitable proportions.

Honey Flora Calendar For March, R S. Coleman

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

A look at flora available in March

Castor Beans : Ricinus Communis Linn, T Pavy

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

MANY people have seen the wild castor oil plants around the metropolitan area, growing in rubbish dumps, and waste lands.

But they have not realised that the demand for castor oil has been increasing over the last 15 years.

Although one of its main uses is in the lubrication of jet engines, it is also used in plastics, special low temperature lubricants, hydraulic fluids, paints, varnishes, textiles and pharmaceutics.

Cover Spraying For The Control Of Celery Leaf Spot. Part 2, S C. Chambers

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

SEVERAL additional cover spray schedules for the control of leaf spot in winter celery, have been evaluated during the past two years.

The most satisfactory of these is one in which Bordeaux 4 : 4 : 40 is replaced by Ziram for the last two applications before harvest.

Worms In Poultry, H D. Seddon

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

WORMS occurring in poultry in Western Australia include both round worms and tapeworms.

However, the intestinal round worm (Ascaridia galli) which is found in the small intestine and duodenum is by far the most important and its effects the most serious.

Castor Beans In Trial Plantings : Bundidup Research Station, Wokalup, 1959-60, T Pavy

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

THE main producing countries of the world are Brazil, India, U.S.S.R. and U.S.A. This means Australia has to import her supplies of castor oil, which has led to great interest in the possibility of growing castors in Australia.

Since the turn of the century, this interest has been increasing, and has accelerated in recent years, but it has never passed the experimental stage.

Dwarf Fruit Trees, Frank Melville

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

IN this country where most fruits and particularly apples and pears are grown without irrigation, heavy crops and summer stress restrict tree size.

The aim of most growers therefore, has been to grow larger trees and little interest has been shown in trees with dwarfing tendencies.

However, in countries with ideal conditions for growth, trees tend to grow too big and become uneconomic in terms of labour costs.

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

Bordeaux Mixture, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

BORDEAUX mixture is still proving a most effective spray against many serious plant diseases in this State despite the increasing use of the newer organic fungicides.

When properly made and applied it adheres to the plants with great tenacity and strongly resists the weathering action by rain.

Incubation, R V. Vagg

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

TH E artificial incubation of eggs is not a recent innovation. For many centuries, some species of birds—our mallee-hen being a typical example—have hatched out their eggs by the heat generated in mounds of decaying vegetation.Furthermore, they have shown considerable skill in maintaining the mounds at uniform temperatures throughout the hatching period.

A number of reptiles employ similar methods to hatch their eggs, although in these instances there does not seem to be the same need for carefully-controlled temperatures

Bare Patch And Poor Emergence Of Cereals : Factors Under Investigation. 1. Seed Treatment And Moisture Content, S C. Chambers

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

UNDER the relatively dry climatic conditions of Western Australia, over-dosages of organic mercury dusts had no apparent ill-effects upon wheat emergence, irrespective of the initial moisture content of the seed.

However, seedling counts were significantly less, with seed of a high moisture content.

Is Your Water Supply Safe?, D C. Mickle

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

THERE can be no doubt in anyone's mind that the need for a clean, safe and adequate water supply is essential for the production of high quality milk and cream.

It naturally follows, that, even though every possible care has been taken in an endeavour to produce clean, germ-free milk and cream, contamination by bad water can render these efforts void.

Insect Pests And Their Control, Clee Francis Howard Jenkins

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

METHODS of insect control are sometimes classified under the following four headings— Quarantine, Cultural Methods, Biological Control and Chemical Treatments.

Each method has its own particular part to play in preventing the spread and multiplication of insect pests and it is essential for maximum results that everyone— whether he be a commercial grower or a backyard gardener—has a general understanding of the principles involved.

Points On Producing Better Pigs, P C. Beck

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

THERE are many factors to be considered in the production of quality pigmeat which today is the demand of the housewife.

Poor quality means two things, bad advertisement for the industry and low returns to the producer.

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.

Time Of Lambing Experiment : Merredin Research Station, 1959-60 (Progress Report), W L. Mcgarry, I. K. Stott

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

FOLLOWING upon the Time of Lambing Experiments at Esperance Plains Research Station (Journal of Agriculture, May, 1960) it was decided to carry out similar work with Merino sheep under the relatively harsher environment at Merredin Research Station.

Chemical Poisoning In Animals. 1. Arsenic, H D. Seddon

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

ARSENIC is poisonous to all animals and to man in quite small amounts and exposure to poisoning is often a result of human carelessness.

It is present in many chemical dips used for control of insect parasites on stock, and in agricultural fruit sprays and weed killers whose relative cheapness makes their use economical.

However, their potential danger and the economic loss they may cause are a disadvantage.