Agricultural Economics Commons^™

Why Poor Prices For Pigs?, P C. Beck

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

A rapid increase in pig numbers and an unfavourable export situation have precipitated the present depression in the pig industry. Concentration on quality production and a gradual reduction in numbers should bring back a more stable situation, says Dairy Division pig specialist P. Beck. Big fluctuations in the pig population—the basic cause of cycles of boom and depression in the industry—would be avoided if more farmers adopted a fixed farm level policy towards the industry.

The Use Of Nitrogenous Fertilisers For Cereal Grain Production In Western Australia, William John Toms, G. H. Burvill

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

NITROGENOUS fertilisers have so far been little used in Western Australia for wheat, oats and barley grown for grain.

However, profitable results can follow their use under some conditions. Farmers who have seen field experiments are now interested in the use of nitrogenous fertilisers.Further interest will be stimulated by recent reductions in price.

This article answers common questions asked by farmers about nitrogenous fertilisers for cereals. It is based on over 100 experiments conducted by the Department of Agriculture during the past 30 years.

A New Type Of Seed Bed Cover For The Market Garden, R R. Bell, M. Hardie

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

ALL market gardeners use seed beds in their gardening programme. However, the basic design of seed beds and covers has not greatly altered over the years.

The availability of cheap good quality plastic materials has now shown the way to improvements in the design of this type of gardening equipment.

Spread Super For Cereal Crops, T E. Mcdowell, J. A. C. Smith, W. J. Toms, M. D. Carroll

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

THE use of bulk superphosphate broadcast direct on to the paddocks is a new method of reducing fertiliser costs.

But it has long been known that broadcasting phosphate is less efficient than drilling it in with the seed.

The experiment reported here was designed to demonstrate this point.

Some Results With Nitrogen Fertiliser On Cereals At Esperance Plain Research Station, William John Toms

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

ON newly-cleared land at Esperance Plain Research Station the use of sulphate of ammonia on cereals has proved profitable over a number of seasons.

The response to sulphate of ammonia varies markedly with the season.

The Development Of Western Australian Sand Plain Soils For Agriculture, Richard Philip Roberts, F. L. Shier

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

IN a recently published economic survey of the Australian wheat growing industry, it was reported that nearly two-thirds of the farms surveyed in Western Australia were located on lateritic "sand plain."

As a random selection was made of the eighty farms that were visited it is reasonable to conclude that a similar proportion of all the State's wheat producing farms are on that type of country.

This constitutes a remarkable change from the earlier days of wheat belt settlement when the sand plain soils were regarded as virtually useless and by-passed for development.

It is the purpose of this article …

The Geraldton Strain Of Subterranean Clover, A J. Millington

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

THE cereal-growing areas of Western Australia form a narrow triangle extending about 700 miles from north to south, gradually increasing in width towards the south to about 150 miles.

Guide To The Experiments In Cropping Now Running At The State Farms Of Narrogin, Merredin, Chapman, Geo L. Sutton

Grain and other field crops published reports

The publication of this Guide to experiments conducted at the State Farms is deemed desirable, in order that farmers may be made acquainted with the nature of the work and the progressive results obtained, The purpose of the alteration of practice initiated at the State Farms during the past three years is to carry on an original and definite plan for the improvement of agricultural methods, and to this end a series of experiments have been undertaken which would entail too much expense on the individual farmer, or involve a departure from his routine practice before the value of the …