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The Prairie Naturalist Volume 1. No.1. March 1968

The Prairie Naturalist

EDITORIAL: Another Milestone ▪ John T. Lokemoen

NESTING OF THE COMMON SNIPE IN NORTH DAKOTA ▪ Robert E. Stewart and Harold A. Kantrud

SCIENCE WRITING — A PROBLEM ▪ Soren O. Kolstoe

INSECTICIDES: A DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD ▪ Richard D. Urban

NOTES

Why I like the Badlands ▪ Wayne Hecker

White-faced ibis in McIntosh County, North Dakota ▪ Harold F. Duebbert

Cinnamon teal observations in North Dakota ▪ A. T. Klett and John T. Lokemoen

Trumpeter swan in Kidder County, North Dakota ▪ Lewis M. Cowardin and James C. Bartonek

Specimen records of greater scaup ▪ Charles W. Dane and Harold …

The Certified Strains Of Subterranean Clover : Their Origin, Potential Use And Identification, B J. Quinlivan, C. M. Francis, M. L. Poole

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

SUBTERRANEAN CLOVER originated in the countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea and in parts of Western Europe.

Therefore it is not surprising that it grows well in the agricultural districts of Western Australia, for these regions have a typically Mediterranean climate with cool wet winters and hot dry summers.

N-P Compound Fertilisers, M G. Mason, W. J. Cox, R. N. Glencross

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

FARMERS were able to buy the two compound fertilisers N-P Compound Fertiliser 28:14 and N-P Compound Fertilser 24:24 in the 1967 season.

West Midlands Development : The Interpretation Of Lands Department Soil Maps Of The West Midlands Area, T C. Stoneman

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

Before most Crown land in the West Midlands area was released, Lands Department survey parties examined and mapped the soils using a soil classification system based on technical advice from the Department of Agriculture.

West Midlands Development : Development Techniques, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

Most clearing in the West Midlands is carried out by chaining, though the method chosen will depend on the country being cleared and on the resources of the farmer.

West Midlands Development : Fertilizers For The West Midlands, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

FARMING the light lands of the West Midland area would be impossible without fertilisers.

Most light land areas are inherently very low in phosphate and also require nitrogen.

The nitrogen can come from fertiliser for cereal crops, or can be built up by growing appropriate legume pasture plants such as clovers and lupins.

West Midlands Development : Cereals For The West Midlands, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

THE sandplain soils and climate of the West Midlands area are primarily suited to grazing.

However, the place of cereals is receiving a great deal of attention in view of their advantages in the early stages of development, and the need for the diversification of farm production.

Wheat In Development Programmes For New Esperance Farmers, R J. Doyle, G. D. Oliver

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

IN the December, 1967, issue of the Journal of Agriculture, we reported on five development budgets for the Esperance region.

The aim of the exercise was to find out if a new settler concentrating on sheep, with $20,000 available for development after acquisition of land, could make a reasonable living for himself and his family while developing his farm.

West Midlands Development : Pastures For Sandplain Soils, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

TRIALS at the Badgingarra Research Station have indicated that many pasture species will grow in the West Midlands area.

Choice of the species most suited to any particular locality will be influenced by soil type, rainfall, grazing characteristics and possible ill-effects on stock.

The following species have been recommended.

The Phosphorus Fertilisers : How They Compare, Walter Jacob Cox

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

ALTHOUGH 'double' or 'concentrated' superphosphate was first commercially manufactured in 1872 it was not until the 1950's that it became a major commercial fertiliser. In 1965 it accounted for about 15 per cent, of the world production of phosphatic fertilisers.

The Hamel Nursery, K S. Cole

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

A LITTLE known, but highly productive use of irrigation water occurs at the Forestry Department Nursery, Hamel.

Seedlings of trees and shrubs are raised during the summer for sale the following winter.

Sales are made to the farming community and many trees are used by the Forest Department in its reafforestation programmes.

Phalaris Staggers : Prevention By Cobalt Bullets, Bryan J. Gorddard, P. P. Mann, A. J. Hadlow

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

FARMERS in the south west of Western Australia are familiar with the use of cobalt for the prevention of ill-thrift and deaths due to cobalt deficiency in sheep and cattle.

Less common is the use of cobalt for the prevention of chronic phalaris poisoning, known as phalaris staggers.

This condition is well known in eastern Australia, but only isolated cases have been recorded in W.A. no doubt due to the relatively small area sown to phalaris in this state.

Recommendations For The Establishment Of Harbinger Medic In The Northern Wheatbelt, R J. Parkin

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

Harbinger is an early-maturing medic that has met with success on some soil types, especially in the northern wheatbelt.

Similar to Cyprus barrel medic but best suited to different soil types, harbinger adds to the range of pasture legumes available for sowing in under 16 in. annual rainfall areas.

Water Blooms, T E H Aplin

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

WHEN a body of water becomes discoloured with a super-abundance of free-floating, microscopic plant or, in rare cases, animal life, it is said to develop a "water bloom."

This article discusses some aspects of the appearance of water blooms, particularly those caused by algae, and with the effects that certain toxic algae have on livestock.

Land Grading In South West Irrigation Areas, 1966-67, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

Land grading in the South West Irrigation Areas with modern earth moving equipment first commenced in 1949.

The advantages of land grading are well recognised by farmers and this season grading operations were carried out on 208 farms.

The Australian Field Cricket, J A. Button

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

THE Australian field cricket, or the black field cricket as it is sometimes known, is a native of Australia and is widely distributed throughout the south western, south and south eastern sections of the continent.

Isolation Of A Toxic Substance From Centaurea Repens, Merton E. Sprengel

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

A poisonous steroid-type compound was isolated from Centaurea repens. After extraction with absolute ethanol, removal of the solvent, addition of 2% HCl to precipitate the pigments, and filtering, the pH was adjusted to 9 with aqueous anunonia. This solution was exhaustively extracted with chloroform, evaporated to dryness, and extracted with ethyl ether.

This fraction was chromatographed on silica-gel plates, using 10:1 1,2-dichloroethane-methanol as the developer. The band at Rf 4.2 was removed and found toxic to mice. Labored, slow, gasping respiration and frequent involuntary muscular contractions became apparent within a few minutes following the intraperitoneal injection into each animal. Death …

Summer And Autumn Rainfall In Relation To Epidemics Of Wheat Stem Rust In Western Australia, W A. Shipton

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

High summer and autumn rainfalls, followed by rust infection of volunteer plants and favourable conditions during late winter and spring, lead to rust epidemics.

WIDESPREAD outbreaks of wheat stem rust are rare in Western Australia.

Leaf Scorching, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

DURING the summer months, leaves of many plants develop browning and scorching which progresses inwards from the leaf margin or downwards from the leaf tip.

The affected parts become dry and brittle and may break away from the remaining green areas.

Irrigation In The South-West : Report On Government-Controlled Areas, 1965-66, G Gauntlett

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

LARGE scale irrigation in the south-western part of Western Australia is confined to the coastal plain, west of the Darling Range where the three irrigation districts of Waroona, Harvey and Collie have been established.

Diurnal Distribution Of Phytoplankton From A Single Station At The Mouth Of The James River, Harold G. Marshall

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Eight sets of water samples were taken to a depth of 36 ft. during a 24-hr. period. A homogeneity was found in the vertical distribution of the total phytoplankton in samples from 7 of the 8 hydro-casts. Skeletonema costatum and Asterionella japonica were the most numerous phytoplankters in every sample, with the majority of their counts each exceeding 500, 000 cells per liter.

Cultivation : Does Haste Mean Waste?, H M. Fisher

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

Many farmers believe that increasing the speed of cultivation and seeding implements will cause deterioration of soils and reduced crop yields.

In a three-year trial on clover ley land at Wongan Hills higher cultivation speeds tended to increase rather than decrease wheat yields. There was some deterioration in the physical structure of the soil.

1964 Drought In Connecticut, The, Byron E. Janes, Joseph J. Brumbach

Storrs Agricultural Experiment Station

No abstract provided.

Specialized Weather Information For Arkansas Agriculture, Donald A. Downey

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Kimberley Research Station Progress Report, 1964 : Soil Fertility And Plant Nutrition, D B. Parbery, R. Wetselaar

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

BEFORE 1963, very little work, other than that described in Burvill's original report, had been done on the analysis of Ord soils, nor had their fertility status been clearly defined.

Seed And Pasture Rates For New Dairy Pastures, F E. Ryan

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

THE success or failure of pasture establishment on new land often depends on the interaction of rate of seeding and rate of superphosphate application.

Every year large areas of virgin land are cleared and sown to pasture in the higher rainfall areas, and all-too often the new pasture is not as successful as it should be because too little super is applied, and, in some cases, too little seed.

Leaf Scorch Of Apple Trees, N H. Shorter

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

BEFORE the 1964-65 fruit season, sections of a number of orchards in the Donnybrook district were converted to systems of permanent overhead sprinkler irrigation.

In several cases, however, leaf scorch occurred where these overhead sprinklers were used during the day time.

Wheat Quality Surveys In Western Australia. 2. Variation Between Seasons And Localities In The Production Of High And Low Protein Wheat, J A. Parish

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

Although the protein content of West Australian f.a.q. wheat averages only 9.4 per cent., often substantial amounts of comparatively high protein wheat are contained in this mixture.

However the quantity varies widely from year to year and is obtained from widely scattered areas of the wheatbelt.

Contour Planting For Hillside Orchards. Part 1, N H. Shorter

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

FRUIT growers intending to plant an orchard on sloping land, would be well advised to consider the suitability of the block for planting on a contour system.

Puccinellia : Outstanding Saltland Grass, C V. Malcolm, S. T. Smith

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

"Puccinellia" is a tussocky perennial grass with an outstanding ability to survive salty and waterlogged conditions.

Considerable areas of saltland in Western Australia are suited to its growth.

Seed is now available commercially and in this article the conditions to which the grass is suited are described and establishment and management methods are suggested.