Life Sciences Commons^™

Honey Flora Calendar For April, R S. Coleman

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

A look at flora available in April

Mulesing Pays, W L. Mcgarry

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

THERE is little doubt that the combined mules and tail strip treatment is still far ahead of all other blowfly control measures.

This treatment can and should be carried out as farm or station routine practice in the same way as are other accepted management practices, such as lambmarking, drenching, etc.

Silage Competition : 1959-1960, H G. Elliott

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

THE Australian Dairy Produce Board Pasture Improvement Committee (W.A.) have sponsored a silage competition in the dairying areas over the past three years and this has been judged by officers of the Dairying Division of this Department.

Fertiliser Trials With Potatoes, Manjimup : 1958-1959, T Wachtel

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

THIS experiment was the third of this type carried out in karri loam soils.

Significant yield responses were obtained from increasing rates of fertiliser applications.

The results appear to be generally consistent with those obtained previously in the area.

Bluebush Seed : Cleaning, Drying And Storing, C V. Malcolm

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

BLUEBUSH (Kochia brevifolia) is a perennial plant which occurs naturally in Western Australia.

In the past it has attracted little attention, but in recent years it has created interest as a highly nutritious and salt tolerant plant well adapted to certain salt affected soils in the wheatbelt.

A previous article (Bulletin No. 2630) by Smith and Malcolm drew attention to its use. One of the problems in establishing bluebush is to obtain seed supplies.

Sclerotinia Rot Of Vegetables, S C. Chambers, M. Hardie

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

SCLEROTINIA ROT, caused by the fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, is now one of the most serious vegetable diseases in metropolitan market gardens.

Over the past decade it has been steadily increasing in prevalence and if present trends continue, many growers may be forced to abandon certain crops.

Although most vegetables are susceptible, the greatest losses are occurring in the autumn planting of beans, cauliflowers and lettuce and in the production of cauliflower seed.

The Dehorning Of Cattle, J Shilkin

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

THE dehorning of cattle, both dairy and beef, has many advantages.

Breeders of stud cattle frequently claim that removal of the horns spoils the appearance of show animals and stress that the practice is cruel.

Whilst both these statements may, to some extent, be true, the advantages of the practice far outweigh any disadvantages.

Honey Flora Calendar For February, R S. Coleman

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

A look at Flora available in February

Virus Pneumonia Of Pigs, J Craig, N. Macintyre

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

THIS disease is widespread in Western Australia and is undoubtedly a most serious source of economic loss to the pig industry.

The effects of virus pneumonia are such that in badly managed herds, widespread pneumonic outbreaks and deaths are common.

By contrast, in well managed herds, there is the more insidious problem of low or nil death rates, accompanied however by an appreciable fall in animal production.

List Of Registered Fertilisers : 1960-61, H G. Cariss

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

IN accordance with the provisions of the Fertilisers Act, 1928-1955, it is required 1 that—with the exception of bulk sales to a manufacturer and those made in accordance with a buyer's written prescription—all fertilisers sold are required to be registered annually, the registration year being from November 1 to October 31 following.

The list of fertilisers registered for the year commencing November 1, 1960, is set out herewith in tabular form.

The House Fly (Musca Domestica), Clee Francis Howard Jenkins

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

MANY insects are so commonly associated with man and his dwellings that they may almost be called domesticated.

In olden days the presence of these insects was accepted as a matter of course, but present knowledge shows that many of them can be important disease carriers while others may cause damage to food and clothing.

Trees Of Western Australia. 83. The Many Flowered Mallee (Eucalyptus Cooperiana F. Muell). 84. The Yate (E. Cornuta Labill.). 85. The Grey Gum (E. Griffithsii Maiden). 86. E. Albida (Maiden And Blakely), Charles Austin Gardner

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

THIS species was described by Mueller in February, 1880, from a fragment with buds and flowers without fruits, collected by George Maxwell in South-Western Australia, without any locality.

It remained imperfectly known until a few years ago when a specimen was collected, again without precise locality, but somewhere between Esperance and Eyre,

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.