FEEDING OFF WHEAT CROPS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2281, 17 November 1891, Page 3

FEEDING OFF WHEAT CROPS.

The advantages of feeding off early wheat crops are being discussed by th( farmers of South Australia, and it is not surprising that opinions are very mud divided upon the subject. It is certain enough that early forward crops are benelitted by being eaten off by sheep in an ordinary season, but there is. considerable risk in carrying out the treatment after the month of August. There is always the possibility of a dry spring setting in, and it is this possibility that makes late feeding off risky. As a rule it is easy to decide during the month of July whether a crop is forward enough to be benefited by feeding off, and later on it is better not to run the risk. The same danger is not incurred by late cultivation. Rolling may be carried out upon most of the northern crops during this month, and spring harrowing, which is even more beneficial, can be done without risk when the crops are a foot in height. The conditions which would be fatal to late feeding off would be favourable to securing the special advantages of late harrowing. The surface is stirred, and the soil is prevented from setting or forming a hard surface, after the winter rains. It would be well for farmers to roll and harrow portions of their crops and leave other portions untreated, so that the results could be seen at harvest time. Such practical demonstration would be much better than following the lead of others, and the results would be found so satisfactory that spring cultivation of grain crops would become general in the northern areas. Australasian.