166 Agricultural Gazette of S.S.W. [Mar, 2\ 1920, 



At the end of August, 1918. a similar state of affairs prevailed. Etistv 

 volunteer wheat was plentiful, hut on the leaves of the sown crops, now 

 15 to 18 inches high, only uredo jnistules of spring nist were found. One 

 paddock that had previously been observed to (-arry much rusty volunteer 

 wheat had been ploughed, biit growing up between the furrow slices were 

 many of the wheat plants with both forms of rust on them. 



Towards the end of November, when the harvest was in jn'ogress, these 

 districts were again visited. On the green parts of plants in the crop, viable 

 uredospores of both rusts were found, though practically no damage had 

 been done to the croj). Volunteer wheat, particularly round haystacks, was 

 red with summer rust on all above-ground ])arts of the plants. The field 

 noted as having been ploughed had been re ploughed and cultivated, but 

 straggling volunteer wheat plants carrying viable uredospores of both rusts 

 were still to be found. 



It was not until the end of March, 1919, that the next inspection was 

 made. The summer had been exceptionally dry and very hot ; no second 

 growth had occurred, the stubble having been killed out by the dry weather 

 in most places. A light rain in February had germinated much of the shed 

 grain, but on these seedlings no rust was discovered. Only in one place was 

 rusted wheat found ; this was in a paddock which had been fallow for nearly a 

 year, ploughed a couple of months previously, and attlio time of the visit was 

 being cross-plouohed and harrowed in preparation of a seed-bed for wheat. 

 Here, in the centre of several much-grazed tufts of wheat that had assumed 

 a somewhat perennial nature, were found uredo pustules on leaves, inner 

 surface of sheaths and stems. In the cases examined the rust proved to be 

 the spring rust, but it is by no means inipossible for the summer rust to 

 have also been present in some of the tufts. In an adjoining paddock the 

 early sown crop of wheat was through the ground, but no rust pustides were 

 found in it. Numerous pale ])atches were observed on many of the seedling 

 leaves. 



While these observations are far from complete, they do go to show the 

 importance of volunteer wheat as an agency for the spread of rust by 

 means of the uredos])ores. It is hoped tliat other observers will pay atten- 

 tion to this matter in order to try and complete a chain of evidence. 



A Home-made Rain Gauge. 



A HOME-MADE rain gauge can be made of a kerosene or any straight-sided 

 tin, the open end being carefully cut in order that the aperture may retain 

 the .shape of the bottom of the tin and the sides remain unbulged. This 

 should be set in a cleared s])ot on a flat surface. To ascertain the amount 

 of rain that has fallen, it is only necessary to use the ordinary rule. An 

 eighth of an inch represents about 12| points; ^-inch 25 i)oints; and so on. 

 This is not strictly accurate, but sufficiently so for farmers' pur])oses. — 

 A. H. E. Mf'DoNAM), ("liicf Inspector of Agriculture. 



