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"hot winds" that blow about harvest-time; for within the last four years, the land both on the north and the south plains has been manured to advantage, and without in any way increasing the susceptibility of the crop to the sirocco blight.

The present mode of managing farms varies considerably; many of the intelligent monied farmers pay some regard to fallowing, manuring, rotation of crops, &c.. Indeed on some

spots the soil is becoming

exhausted, and

manuring, or trench-ploughing, so as to turn up some virgin soil, is of necessity resorted to. This is particularly the case with the old established farms on the plains of Adelaide. There are, however, other instances where successional crops of wheat have been reaped for ten years, without once fallowing or "heartening up" the soil, which still retains its pristine fruitfulness, and until it exhibits unmistakable symptoms of exhaustion, will, doubtless, be taxed as hard as heretofore; for most Australian farmers pursue the unwise system of growing nothing

but wheat year after year, until the soil is "run out," when manuring, fallowing or trenchploughing becomes indispensable. The following is the colonial mode of fallowing :-From the time the crop is cleared off, which is generally in December or January, the land is left idle without being ploughed until after the succeeding winter; then cattle and horses are turned on to it to eat up the self-sown stuff, after which, it is deeply ploughed, and allowed to stand over until April or May, when it sometimes gets another ploughing, and is then sown for a crop.

The annexed excellent method of keeping the soil in good heart, is now adopted by many intelligent agriculturists. Presuming the land to be cultivated consists of 80 acres; 40 acres are ploughed, and the seed got in by the 1st of June at the latest, and when, after the heavy rains, the ground begins to dry, which will be about the end of September or beginning of October, the remaining 40 acres are broken up, and allowed to stand over until

May following, when they are sown. The 40 acres first sown, after being reaped in December or January, are allowed to remain, without being ploughed, and about 20 acres prepared for hay; that is, all the light grains are strewn among the stubble, and well harrowed in. This produces an excellent crop, which in October (hay season) is cut down and stacked; after which the whole 40 acres are ploughed up, and left in fallow for next season; and so forth in rotation, 40 acres in crop, and 40 acres in hay and fallow, year after year. Those who farm with bullocks do not plough up the first sown 40 acres after cutting the hay, but leave the whole as a paddock for cattle-the feed from the self-sown stuff being abundantuntil seed-time, when it is ploughed one day, and sown the next. This plan of cropping, is evidently more profitable than the old plan of cultivating wheat year after year without fallowing, or in any way stimulating the soil; for the farmers who have adopted it, reap 30 or more bushels per acre without injury to the soil,

per

while, under the old system, 20 bushels acre is the average. Thus by keeping the whole 80 acres constantly under crop, the produce is only increased by a third, while the cost of ploughing, seeds, sowing, reaping, &c., to say nothing of extra trouble, is doubled; and the over-wrought land will sooner or later require protracted fallows and expensive dressings.

Most of the land for growing grain, is ploughed up in May, as soon as the rains have softened it; although some of the old colonists plough in April, be the ground soft or not. Indeed, but for the expense, all farmers would turn the land over when it is hard and dry, as such treatment increases fruitfulness. The colonial plough is generally made of wood, rough, strong, and heavy; it turns up the ground to the depth of about 8 inches, and is commonly drawn by bullocks, two in number, for light land previously tilled; and from six to eight for breaking up new ground. The work is turned out rough, the furrows uneven and badly flanked.

VOL. I.

I

Immediately the ploughing is finished, the seeds are sown-broad-cast, and well harrowed in-nothing more being done until the ripened grain needs cutting. From 1 to 1 bushel of wheat, according to the quality of the soil, is enough to sow an acre; the poorer the soil, the larger the quantity of seed required. The seed, prior to sowing, is separated from the seeds of indigenous grasses, wild oats, &c., by being sifted, and immersed in water, and whatever floats skimmed off; after which, wheat, to protect it from the smut, is generally steeped in a large tub of water, in which is dissolved sulphate of copper, in the proportion of 2 oz. for every bushel of wheat, operated on. After being immersed about three hours, the grain is taken out, spread on the floor to dry, and on the following day sown.

Wheat is a grain chiefly grown throughout the colony; its culture is simple, it succeeds in most of the ordinary soils, and is more profitable, and stands the burning rays of the sun better than any other grain. The farmer

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