Life Sciences Commons^™

New Danger From Hoary Cress, G R W Meadly, R. D. Royce

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

HOARY CRESS is undoubtedly one of the worst weeds introduced into Australia. It is a vigorous deep rooted perennial which competes strongly with crop plants and seriously decreases yields.

The importance of three recent discoveries of this weed in Western Australia therefore need hardly be stressed.

G. R. W. Meadly, Offlcer-in-Charge of the Weeds and Seeds Branch, and R. D. Royce, Offlcer-in- Charge of the Botany Branch, report on two recently found infestations of hoary cross in the Great Southern, and one at Jerramongup.

An intensive eradication programme is under way.

Special Seeds Help Weeds To Spread, Robert Dunlop Royce

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

PERHAPS the most important characteristic of a plant which establishes it as a weed is that it serves no useful purpose under the circumstances in which it occurs.

Bare Patch And Poor Emergence Of Cereals. 3. Crusting Of The Soil Surface, S C. Chambers

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

In some seasons extensive bare patches occur in cereal crops sown on the heavier wheat belt soils.

Experimental results from Beverley indicate that the poor emergence in some of these plantings may be due to crusting of the soil surface.

Working the surface with light harrows may destroy the crust and improve emergence.

Tests For The Determination Of Milk Quality, H Maslin

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

Foolproof tests devised to determine the quality of milk delivered to the factories can detect sub-standard milk with accuracy.

They have an important place in helping achieve a high standard of quality in our dairy products.

Care Of Autumn And Winter Tomato Crops, W H. Kooyman

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

I N recent years there has been a considerable increase in plantings of autumn and winter tomatoes in the Perth metropolitan market garden area.

Bird Problems And Control In Western Australia, John L. Long

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

ALTHOUGH wild birds are mostly beneficial in Western Australia, there are certain species which are damaging to agriculture and the home gardener.

List Of Registered Stock Foods And Stock Licks : 1962-63, H G. Cariss

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

All foods for stock sold in Western Australia are required by the Feeding Stuffs Act, 1928-1955, to be registered annually with the Department of Agriculture.

For the purposes of the Act, "Food for Stock" includes stock licks, which in turn embrace all preparations claimed to supply or primarily intended to supply mineral matter to stock.

Rearing Healthy Calves, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

NOW is the time to consider some form of grazing management and supplementary feeding for early born calves, especially in the butterfat zone.

The calves are now two to three months old and beginning to forage for themselves, This can be a critical period in their development.

Water For Agriculture. 1. Water For Agricultural Purposes In Western Australia, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

THE total soluble salts content of a water is the most important characteristic in determining the suitability of Western Australian waters for stock, irrigation or general use.

Other quality characteristics are of secondary importance.

Pullorum Tested Poultry Flocks : 1962, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

THIS year's pullorum tests of poultry flocks have revealed the lowest incidence of reactors since the tests began.

Results are recorded below.

Honey Flora Calendar For June, R S. Coleman

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

A guide to flora available in June

Marketing Export Grapes, W R. Jamieson

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

IN RECENT years there have been many changes in the buying power and of the availability of fresh fruit on our principal overseas grape market, Singapore.

The market has become highly competitive and trade acceptance today demands that only grapes having a large berry size for the particular variety be exported, and that the grapes arrive in sound condition.

The Coolgardie Honey Flow, R S. Coleman

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

DURING October-November, 1961, a new area for honey was found in the Coolgardie district. Many hundreds of tons of honey were extracted.

This honey had a choice flavour, and was light amber in colour—in fact it was honey of very high export grade.

The Cape Gooseberry, K T. Whitely

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

THE CAPE GOOSEBERRY — which is quite different from the English Gooseberry — is a popular berry fruit which is in good demand on the local market.

Registered Stock Foods : 1961-62, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

The following list of registered stock foods and stock licks is supplementary to the list published in the November, 1961 issue of the Journal of Agriculture.

Weaning And Weaner Management, R J. Lightfoot

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

MOST of Western Australia's Merino flock owners wean their lambs in the months of August, September and October.

Too often this is done indiscriminately to fit in with other operations, or lambs are left on their mothers for long: periods until the ewes are remated.

The Papaw : A Fruit For The Tropics And Sub-Tropics, K S. Cole, M. G. Hawson

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

TOE fruit of the papaw (Carica papaya) has a unique flavour and is a welcome addition to any diet.

In the tropics and sub-tropics the papaw is quite easy to grow and is adapted to a wide range of soils and climate.

Water For Agriculture. 2. Plants For Salty Water, C V. Malcolm

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

ALL natural water supplies contain dissolved salts. In wet climates these salts are usually not present in sufficient quantity to cause plant damage.

However, in Western Australia many natural water supplies contain harmful amounts of dissolved salts.

Root Diseases In Wheat On Clover Ley : Factors Under Investigation. 4. Seed Bed Preparation, S C. Chambers

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

The occurrence of root rots in wheat crops in relation to seed bed preparation was studied in a series of field experiments.

Results suggest depth of cultivation has little effect upon the incidence of root diseases.

Ploughing of the seed bed reduced the amount of root rot compared with scarifying and also gave higher yields.

However, the increased yield appears to be mainly due to better control of weeds.

Lettuce Spotted Wilt, H L. Harvey

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

SPOTTED wilt disease of lettuce was first recorded in Western Australia in 1937.

Only traces of the disease are found in some years but in other years it seriously affects yields and quality.

Spotted wilt is most prevalent in spring and autumn crops.

Cobalt : Its Use To Control Wasting Disease, Laurence C. Snook

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

FOR many years it was assumed that in Western Australia cobalt deficient areas were restricted to a coastal fringe which rarely extended more than 20 miles inland.

This has proved a costly false assumption. During recent years cobalt deficiency has been diagnosed over extensive areas of inland country.

The Pruning Of Fruit Trees : Deciduous Fruit Trees (Japanese Plums) (European Or English Plums), H R. Powell

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

Many varieties of Japanese plums are grown in this State, the main ones being Santa Rosa, Ruby Blood, Satsuma, Delaware, Wickson, Narrabeen, Elizabeth, Beauty and Wilson.

Urea For Sheep And Cattle On Dry Feed, Laurence C. Snook

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

Urea can be a valuable supplement for ruminants which have to depend on dry feed low in protein.

It is not a substitute for good quality conserved fodder.

Urea is extremely poisonous if eaten in excess and great care must be taken when feeding it to stock.

There are a variety of ways in which urea can be fed and these are outlined in this article.

The Department of Agriculture's Animal Nutrition Laboratory is now carrying out trials to determine the most convenient and safest method.

Urea is most effective as a fertiliser; when used in this way it results …

Trees Of Western Australia. 95. Carne's Blackbutt (Eucalyptus Carnei C.A. Gardn.). 96. Cleland's Blackbutt (Eucalyptus Clelandii Maiden), Charles Austin Gardner

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

Named after the late Walter Mervyn Carne, a former Economic Botanist and Plant pathologist of the Department of Agriculture in Western Australia, this species was discovered at Sandstone by the writer in July, 1927, and subsequently collected in August 1961.

Minerals For Livestock : Shotgun Licks : A Waste Of Money, Laurence C. Snook

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

Think carefully before buying proprietary "shotgun" licks, warns Animal Nutrition Officer Dr. L C. Snook in this article.

Many of these licks contain a variety of minerals not needed by stock in Western Australia, and misleading claims are sometimes made as to their value.

Dr. Snook concludes that only three minerals are needed in this State, and gives a recipe for a cheap all-purpose lick containing them.

Yield And Flour Quality Of Early Maturing Wheat Varieties, J A. Parish, J. T. Reeves

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

DESIRABLE milling characteristics have for many years ensured a ready market for Australian wheat. Present demand for Australian wheat is strong and the sale of the 1961 harvest is assured.

Cereal Products Adviser J. A. Parish, B.Sc. (Agric.) and Plant Breeder J. T. Reeves, M.Sc. (Agric.) describe and explain the tests on the results of which wheat variety recommendations are based.

Detailed results of yield and quality tests from early maturing wheat variety trials are included.

Oat Variety Trials On Research Stations, J L. Mcmullan, J. T. Reeves

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

THE oat variety trials on whose results the Department of Agriculture's recommendations are based are carried out each year on research stations in the medium and low rainfall areas.

Results of oat variety trials on Department of Agriculture Research Stations in the medium and low rainfall areas for the years 1957,1958,1959 and 1960

Weed Problems In The Kimberleys, Rijn P J Van

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

AFTER fifteen years of irrigated agriculture, weeds have become a major problem at the Kimberley Research Station.

Since the Station is regarded as a type location for the potentially irrigable areas of the Ord River Valley, a similar problem is expected to arise when the surrounding areas have been under several years of commercial cropping.

An intensive study of weeds was therefore initiated at the Research Station in 1960.

Honey Flora Calendar For April, R S. Coleman

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

A list of Flora available in April

Pigs On The Dairy Farm : Cutting Costs To Meet Low Prices, R A. Bettenay

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

As all dairy farmers know, the market prices of pigs tends to fluctuate, depending on supply and demand, in a manner which is very hard to predict.

At a time when prices are low there are several things which the dairy farmer can do to continue operating, although at a reduced margin.