Life Sciences Commons^™

Water Storage Has Not Kept Pace With Stock Numbers : South Stirling Survey Finding, A L. Prout

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

RESULTS of a survey on water storage capacity in the South Stirlings area indicate that farm water storage has not kept pace with increased clearing and stock numbers.

This has resulted in many farmers requesting advice on water conservation projects following two consecutive years of low rainfall runoff.

Shed Lambing In The Esperance Environment, T Marshall, F. F. Dixon

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

Neonatal lamb mortality is often high in Western Australia and losses as high as 33 per cent, have been recorded on private properties in the Esperance area. Surveys by Western Australian Department of Agriculture officers have indicated that more than threequarters of such lamb deaths occur after birth. About half these deaths result from the combined effects of weather and mismothering.

Work in Victoria has indicated that lamb mortality may be reduced by intensive lambing systems such as shedding and this trial was established to see if shedding could reduce lamb mortality in the Esperance environment.

Honey Plants In Western Australia, F. G. Smith

Bulletins - 3000 - 3999

Successful honey production depends, among other things on a good knowledge of the plants which produce nectar.

Every apiarist needs to know which plants are of importance to honey-bees, where those plants occur, and when they flower. He also needs to know which plants produce nectar which will result in the production of good quality honey, and which produce unpalatable or unmarketable honey. To maintain the strength of his bee colonies he also needs to know which plants produce nutritious pollen.

The object of this bulletin is to provide the basic information on these subjects in the main beekeeping areas …

Wood Formation And The Concept Of Wood Quality, Philip R. Larson

Yale School of the Environment Bulletin Series

No abstract provided.

Continuous Cropping Trials, M G. Mason

Experimental Summaries - Plant Research

The aims of the trials at Binnu, Chapman, Wongan Hills, Avondale and Merredin were:

1. To determine whether the application of nitgrogen and fertilisers can maintain yields under a "continuous cropping" system
2. To compare the merits of three sources of nitrogen for this purpose.
3. To determine the maintenance dressing of superphosphate under this system and the need for supplementary fertilisers.

Trial 61A2
There have been no great problems with this trial. for a number of years the plots have required chemical spraying to control wild oats which had built up. In 1968 and 1969 some plots were soil sampled to determine …

Pasture Establishment In The Wheatbelt, M L. Poole

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

The value of legume based wheatbelt pastures is so great that considerable care is warranted during their establishment. Without such care patchy establishment or even complete failure is likely to occur.

IN THE WHEATBELT too many farmers still put less effort into their seeding of pasture species than their seeding of crops.

This may be because both compete for the farmer's time in the busy seeding period and it is the cereal crop which possesses the obvious cash value.

However, the total value of a good pasture has to be assessed over a period of several years because of its …

Pasture Improvement In South Western Australia, J W. Malcolm

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

"There is no doubt that Australia's enhanced prosperity in the last 30 years has been dependent in no small measure on the use of legume-based pastures." E. M. Hutron, June, 1968. *

THE LAST 30 years have seen an increased interest in pasture improvement which has transformed much of Western Australia. Large areas have been sown to new and improved pasture species—as a result productivity of both livestock and cereal enterprises has risen.

Wildflowers Of The Stirling Range, Alexander S. George

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

TWO hundred miles south-east of Perth, the Stirling Range rises abruptly from the surrounding plain. About forty miles long, it is a line of semi-isolated hills, rather than a continuous block.

There are many intriguing plants of diverse colour and form. Well over 400 species are known from the Range. A number of these are found no-where else, and some are restricted to one mountain.

Pastures For The Pastoral Areas, D G. Wilcox, K. Fitzgerald

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

The pastoral areas lie generally outside the zone where cultivated crops are grown.

The rainfall is erratic and the basic pastures for sheep and cattle consist of native plants.

In some favoured areas however, and in particular situations, sown pasture species are becoming increasingly important.

The Control Of Weeds In Cereals, Geoffrey A. Pearce

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

PRACTICALLY all broadleaved weeds found in cereals can now be killed with herbicides and with most, the farmer has a choice of chemicals.

Two more new products are now available and these have several advantages over other herbicides.

Chemical Ploughing, Geoffrey A. Pearce

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

PROGRESS in the field of chemical weed control has been spectacular in recent years. One field that is attracting interest is the idea of replacing cultivation with chemical sprays.

Linseed Production Survey : Esperance, 1968, R J. Guyton

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

A SURVEY conducted after the 1967 linseed season found that although most farmers understood the requirements of linseed growing there were several crop failures. These were associated with time of planting, soil type and insect control measures.

The Esperance district office of the Department of Agriculture conducted a second survey during December, 1968 and January, 1969

Lupins In Western Australia. 2. Cultivation Methods, John Sylvester Gladstones

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

While lupins are by and large plants of lighter and less fertile soils, important differences exist among them in their soil preferences.

There may also be some differences in climatic requirements. Present knowledge of these differences is summarized in the Table below.

Sheep Drenching Programms, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

Drenching of sheep to prevent build-up of worm infestations is commonly practised on many properties in the agricultural districts of Western Australia. This is called strategic drenching.

The Long Term Effects Of Frequent Cropping, Stanley Thomas Smith

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

AGRICULTURALLY speaking, few Western Australian soils are more than 50 years old. We have the responsibility of preserving them for farming—not for one man's lifetime, but for centuries.

The aim of this article is to demonstrate that cropping and cultural practices do have some effects on the soil, and that these effects should be considered when choosing a farm rotation.

Soil And Plant Water Studies On Wheat Summary Of Results 1969/70, D Tennant

Experimental Summaries - Plant Research

Location

Trials were carried out within a radius of 5 miles of

Tammin on the properties of Messrs P. York and B. Nottage.

Sites represented deep sand, sandy loam, sand/clay and grey

clay soil types.

Saltland Pastures, C V. Malcolm

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

FOLLOWING THE DEVELOPMENT of Agriculture in Western Australia considerable areas of highly productive land have become salt affected to the degree that normal crops and pastures cannot be grown.*

However, species and establishment methods are available which can bring at least some of this land back into production.

Ammonium Nitrate Vs Urea, M G. Mason

Experimental Summaries - Plant Research

Ammonium nitrate is a source of nitrogen containing half

its nitrogen in the ammonium form and half in the nitrate form.

Some properties are set out in comparison with urea in the

following table.

Ammonium nitrate has an advantage over urea in that it can

be topdressed onto the surface of the soil and left uncovered

without a danger of loss of nitrogen to the atmosphere. When urea

is left uncovered on the surface of the soil losses of nitrogen occur

through volatilisation of ammonia during the hydrolysis of the urea.

Such losses with ammonium nitrate are only likely to …

Phosphorus - Sulphur Trials. Higher Rainfall Areas, R N. Glencross

Experimental Summaries - Plant Research

Superphosphate, phosphate and sulphur maintenance, 68BR7.

Superphosphate rate, stocking rate, 62M69.

Progress report on maintenance P x S rate trials, 66NO7, 66NO11, 67BR8, 67BR9, 68B1, 69E9, 68AL3, 68AL4, 68BR5, 68BR6, 68BU1, 68BU2, 68HA1, 68NO37, 69NO5, 69AL2,69AL3,69AL14, 69BR9, 69HA8, 69NA6.

Clackline maintenance P x S trial, 66NO7, 67NO11.

Sources of sulphur, 67B6, 68B3, 68BU3, 68BU4.

Super residual lupins, 68BR29,

Soil And Tissue Testing For Potassium., Department Of Agriculture And Food, Western Australia

Experimental Summaries - Plant Research

No meaningful conclusions can be drawn until the multiple regression analysis comparing soil and plant parameters with level of response has been completed. Similarly it is extremely dangerious to extrapolate results obtained from any one experiement in a particular district to the general farm situation. In addition these results represent only 1 rather atypical season and so need to be verified by additional calibration trials. in 1973 (40) and 1974 (20).

Fertility Build-Up In Wheatbelt Soils, M D. Carroll

Experimental Summaries - Plant Research

Areas of loamy sand from Wongan Hills Research Station, which had carried subterranean clover for varying numbers of years, were sampled at five depth intervals to 60 cm. Wheat yield and a range of soil properties were related to numbers of years under subterranean clover. (W56H)

Time Of Application Of Solid Nitrogen Fertilisers., M G. Mason

Experimental Summaries - Plant Research

The current recommendations for time of application of soild nitrogen fertilisers such as urea, ammonium nitrate and sulphate of ammonia are:

Zone A: These fertilisers should be applied as close to seeding as possible.

Zone B: As for zone A except on very sandy soils which are very prone to leaching, where application can be delayed 2-3 weeks.

Zone C: Applications should be delayed about 3 weeks after seeding.

1969 Results Of Field Experiments, Tony Albertsen

Experimental Summaries - Plant Research

Determination of rates of P and S required for maintenance of optimum pasture growth on old land, using individually grazed plots.

The Fate Of Nitrogen In N-P Compound Fertiliser Urea And Ammonium Nitrate., M G. Mason

Experimental Summaries - Plant Research

Trial: 69WH4

Aim of Trial : to follow the movement of nitrogen in the soil and to follow the chemical changes of the nitrogen applied as N-P compound 24 :24, urea and ammonium nitrate. Also to follow the pattern of uptake of this nitrogen by the plants. To compare the effects of these fertilisers on the yields of wheat and to relate differences to changes in the nitrogen fractions in the soil and to nitrogen and phosphorus in the plants.

The Effect Of A Large Reservoir On Local Government Revenue And Expenditure, Clyde T. Bates

KWRRI Research Reports

Development of a large multi-purpose reservoir within the area of their jurisdiction may affect property ta.x revenue and expenditure of county governments and school districts. Privately owned land sold to a federally sponsored reservoir is not subject to property taxes because of the doctrine of intergovernmental immunity. Local officials often assume that this loss of assessment will reduce their tax revenue and thereby their fiscal ability to provide an acceptable level of government services. They may also expect the influx of construction workers or the disruption of existing facilities to increase the cost of providing these services. The study approaches …

Progress In Weed Control, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

In May, 1967, the "Journal of Agriculture" printed a special issue on weed control, with the emphasis on chemicals for weed control in cereal crops.

This month, just two years later, enough new information has accumulated to warrant publication of another "theme" issue, this time with important articles on weed control in pastures, chemical firebreaks and chemical ploughing, as well as weed control in linseed and cereal crops.

Superphosphate For Wheatbelt Pastures : Rates Of Application, Walter Jacob Cox

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

BECAUSE Western Australian soils are low in phosphorus, frequent applications of superphosphate are required for both crop and pasture production. The recommended rates are determined from the results of field experiments that test different quantities of super and measure the extra yield.

This article discusses the recommended rates of superphosphate in relation to soil type and superphosphate history. Methods of application and time of topdressing are also discussed.

Simulation Of The Growth Of Even-Aged Stands Of White Spruce, Kenneth J. Mitchell

Yale School of the Environment Bulletin Series

No abstract provided.

On Temperature And Heat Flow In Tree Stems, Lee Pierce Herrington

Yale School of the Environment Bulletin Series

No abstract provided.

History Of The State Vermin Barrier Fences, Formerly Known As Rabbit Proof Fences, J S. Crawford

Research Reports

There is evidence of rabbits arriving in Australia as far back as 1788, and it is well known that others were liberated on islands around the coast, including some off the coast of Western Australia. However, they remained localised and it is now generally accepted that the rabbits which did spread originated from a small shipment of the wild type brought on the Clipper “Lightning” in 1859. They were released on “Barwon Park”, the property of Thomas Austin, near Geelong in Victoria, and within three years, had reached pest proportions