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The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 8, Issue 3 (July 1, 1933)

A Fillip for Wheat

A Fillip for Wheat.

A typical gain for farming is seen in the treatment of wheat lands. During a period of eight years the Department carried on experiments in the use of phosphate, on a field scale, throughout the wheat country. It was definitely proved that the application of 1 cwt. of phosphate to the acre ensured an average increase of yield by five bushels, irrespective of the season or the type of soil.

The success of those field demonstrations naturally impressed farmers, so that, at present, about 90 per cent. of the wheat country has its application of yield-increasing phosphate, with the result that the total crop has a tendency to be 5 bushels higher to the acre than it was 10 years ago.

At current prices this development means that an expenditure of 4/- to the acre on phosphate brings an increase of yield to the value of 24/- —a gain of about £1. As New Zealand uses about 280,000 acres for wheat, the dividend from this one run of research can be 280,000.