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Rates Of Superphosphate For Cereal Grain Production In The Under 20 Inch Rainfall Areas, Walter Jacob Cox

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

EVERY year farmers use large quantities of superphosphate with cereal crops to overcome the inherent phosphate deficiency of West Australian soils.

The increase in the average rate used by farmers reflects the increasing amount of new land being cropped.

Good seasons and favourable economic conditions may also have influenced super rates.

The Function And Use Of Sulphur Dioxide In West Australian Winemaking, D Mann

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

THE judicious use of sulphur dioxide is perhaps the most important of the fundamentals of winemaking in a hot climate.

Western Australia's vintage, centred in the Swan Valley just a few miles north-east of Perth, is subjected to some of the highest summer temperatures experienced by a quality wine producing district.

In this environment, it is important to make good use of sulphur dioxide to avoid wine spoilage.

List Of Department Of Agriculture Publications, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

THE following publications are available on application from the Department of Agriculture.

Most of the bulletins listed are reprints from the Journal of Agriculture and are free of charge.

Private Irrigation Systems : Do They Pay?, G D. Oliver

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

WESTERN AUSTRALIA, with 71,000 acres under irrigation, can hardly claim to have an important irrigation farming industry.

However, irrigation is daily growing in importance, especially through private schemes. These account for almost half the present irrigated area.

Winter Beef Production Trial : Wongan Hills Research Station, D J. Barker, H. G. Cariss

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

IN 14-inch rainfall districts most rainfall occurs between May and October. It is d i f f i cult to keep beef animals fattening on summer dry pastures but such areas do have a ready supply of locally grown cereals.

Using these materials as the basis of a supplement it is possible to market prime baby-beef by June-July.

The higher prices obtained for this "winter" beef more than offset the cost of supplementary feed.

Drilled Versus Topdressed Superphosphate For Cereal Production, A Loutit, P. Stallwood, W. J. Cox

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

CEREAL growers in Australia usually use a drill or combine to apply their seed and superphosphate in one operation.

However, during the last few years, there has been a rapid increase in the amount of super broadcast bafore seeding.

Why Australia Needs Plant Quarantine, A T. Gulvin

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

LATE blight of potatoes in 1830, powdery mildew of grapes in 1847, phylloxera in 1861, downy mildew in 1875, and black rot in 1838 . . . It was this grim list of plant disease epidemics in Europe that forced Governments to protect plants by quarantine.

The Spice Finch, John L. Long

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

THE Spice Finch (Lonchura punctulata) is also known as Nutmeg Finch or Mannikin, Spice bird, Spotted Munia, Common Munia, Ricebird and Scaly-breasted Munia.

It is an east and south east Asian species inhabiting Malaya, Singapore, Penang, India, Ceylon, Burma, Indo-China, Yunnan, Formosa and the Philippines.

The dangers associated with such a species being introduced to Western Australia are great.

Production Costs In The Apple Industry : Comments On A Survey, A W. Hogstrom, I. J. Moncrieff

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

IN 1964 and 1965, light and heavy bearing years respectively, apples cost $2.40 per bushel to produce in Western Australia. This figure, to be considered with many other factors, was reached in a cost-of-production survey of 45 selected growers.

Packing and labour costs, in that order, were the two biggest cost-of-production items.

Cattle : And The Ord Irrigation Project, W M. Nunn

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

No abstract provided.

Beef Production In A 14 Inch Rainfall District, D J. Barker, H. G. Cariss

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

Progress report on a farm scale beef-raising investigation at the Department of Agriculture's Wongan Hills Research Station.

A SMALL herd of beef cattle was established at Wongan Hills Research Station in 1964 and the first crop of calves was dropped in the autumn of 1965. The calves' growth rates were recorded and they were marketed as 18-month-old steer beef in November, 1966.

Oat Variety Trials, 1965, J L. Mcmullan, J. A. Parish

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

M l 2 8 , an early midseason fixed crossbred bred at the Merredin Research Station, Avon and P8304, a late midseason fixed crossbred from N.S.W, were the highest yielding oats in last year's trials.

Irwin was the highest yielding oat of early maturity.

Barley Variety Trials, 1965, J L. Mcmullan, J. A. Parish

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

The highest yielding varieties in the 1965 barley variety trials were the two-row crossbred A l l , the white grained six-row varieties Arivat, Gem and Glacier and the recently-named two-row variety Dampier (previously known as W45).

The Art Of Making Jams And Jellies. Part 2, O. Evans Scott

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

IF a jam does not turn out well it is important to nkow why so that the jam-maker can confidently correct the error next time.

Most of the trial and error of grandmother's day has been eliminated by the knowledge now available.

The Indian Crow, John L. Long

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

THE Indian crow occasionally reaches the shores of Australia from southern Asia via ships travelling between Indian and Australian ports.

A Comparison Of Nitrogenous Fertilisers For Cereals, M G. Mason

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

THE use of nitrogenous fertilisers has become an important aspect of cereal growing in many districts and farmers now have a number of sources of nitrogen from which to choose.

Special Field Days For Merino Breeders, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

More than 200 Merino stud breeders attended special stud breeding and fertility field days arranged for them by the Department of Agriculture recently.

Breeders attending represented some 40 per cent of the State's Merino studs.

Which Cereal Gives The Best Return?, H M. Fisher

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

IN 1966 farmers in the cereal areas of Western Australia sowed approximately 6.5 million acres of wheat, 1.2 million acres of oats, and 0.4 million acres of barley (mainly six-row).

The extent to which these cereals were grown in the various statistical divisions of the State, together with the average yields is summarised in the Table below.

Varieties And Time Of Sowing, H M. Fisher

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

THE extent to which seasonal conditions favour the various stages of plant development has a marked effect on cereal yields. Because varieties differ in their development they react in different ways to a particular seasonal pattern.

Cereal Yield Tests In 1966, H M. Fisher

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

FARMER'S main guide in his choice of a cereal variety is its capacity to produce high overall yields of saleable grain over many years in a particular district.

The Art Of Making Jams And Jellies, O. Evans Scott

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

JAM-MAKING is a traditional art of Australian country homes and has its reward in economy and a supply of food with extra appeal.

It can also provide items otherwise unobtainable, such as quondong jelly or rosella jam if you are lucky enough to have access to any of these delicious jam-making fruit.

The Effects Of Shearing Time And Stocking Rate On Wool Production, R J. Lightfoot

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

THE results of the first experiment comparing "autumn" versus "spring" shearing over a two-year period were published in 1960.

In this experiment the autumn-shorn ewes cut heavier greasy fleeces (even though they also reared considerably more lambs) with less tender wool, resulting in a higher average return per head from this group.

The autumn-shorn wool carried more seed, was less attractive and contained relatively more pieces than did the spring-shorn wool.

Recommended Cereal Varieties, 1967, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

THE wheat varieties Claymore, Gabo and Wagin have been withdrawn from the list of wheat varieties recommended by the State Wheat Advisory Committee for sowing this season, mainly because of their lower yield performances.

THE varieties Avon, Fulmark, Irwin and Kent are recommended for sowing in 1967 by the Coarse Grains Advisory Committee and the Department of Agriculture. The areas where satisfactory crops of these varieties can be grown are given in the map and table.

THE varieties Prior and Beecher are again recommended for sowing in 1967 by the Coarse Grains Advisory Committee and the Department of Agriculture.

Warning : Another Dangerous Webworm Season Possible, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

Heavy webworm moth flights in most wheat-growing areas during April, and favourable conditions early in the season, have made this year a potentially hazardous one for webworm infestations in cereal crops.

What Is The Difference?, F C. Wilkinson

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

A lesson to be learnt - a dose in time saves the line.

Agriculture In Western Australia : Past, Present And Future, A W. Hogstrom

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

THE post war period has seen very rapid growth and changes in the agriculture of Western Australia.

Almost every industry and region of the State has contributed to the growth of rural production which in turn has been responsible for much of the development in other sectors of the economy.

Thrips Damage Of Grapes, A N. Sproul

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

IN mid-December, a few bunches of Semillon grapes were submitted for examination from a Caversham Vineyard.

Damage to grape berries by thrips has not been recorded before in Western Australia.

Good Management For The Springers Pays Dividends, J Y. Langdon

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

This article gives a striking example of the advantages of calving cows in good and rising condition—and explains why condition around calving time is so important.

ALTHOUGH most farmers know that cows calving in good and improving condition will give higher yields than those calving in poor condition, few use this knowledge to improve the production from their cows.

Stocking Rates On Cyprus Barrel Medic In The Northern Wheatbelt, R J. Parkin

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

IN May 1963, some three weeks after germination, a 4th year stand of Cyprus barrel medic was stocked with Merino wethers.

These same sheep are still grazing the area after three years.

Twinning Increases Production, K P. Croker

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

Many breeders claim that twinning causes too many losses among Merino lambs and does not favour breeding for twin lamb production.

But recent experiments have proved otherwise and agricultural scientists now agree that . . .

TWINNING INCREASES PRODUCTION

THE low marking percentages regularly recorded for Merino flocks suggest that the Merino is a relatively infertile breed.

Certainly, lambing percentages are low when compared with those of most British breeds of sheep.