Variety Tests of Wheat. 125 



likely to be sucli a valuable aduition to our profitable vvheats, that a 

 soinewhat full account is given. 



Rerraf 



In 1898 Mr. Farrer sent nie, among the wheats which he annually 

 supplied for trial, a small packet of Rerraf. It was derived from a 

 "sport" or natural crossbred he obtained, in 1894, in a drill of Blount's 

 Lambrigg, and is not one of his numerous crossbreds. On account of 

 its origin special attention was given to this "sport." It was divided 

 into two distinct types, one of which pioduced soft grain, and had 

 characteristics considerably resembling those of Purple Straw. This 

 type was speed ilj' discarded. The members of the second type pro- 

 duced harder grain, which in some at first yielded very strong flour, 

 but as they settled down to their enviionment the flour-strength of their 

 grain appeared to diminisli. Some of the members of this second type 

 appeared to be highly rust-resistant, and others exceedingly rust-liable. 

 Reriaf was selected because it a])peared to be a good rust-resister, and 

 because its scanty foliage an<l eailiness appeared to make it likely to 

 suit the Mallee country. After it had been received Rerraf was at 

 first planted in the single seed plots, sufficient seed being thus ol)tained 

 not only to grow it on a larger scale in 1899, but to send out small 

 parcels for trial in different parts of Victoria. Tiiese trials showed it 

 to be a remarkably promising wheat, with clean straw, practically free 

 from rust, only about 2 per cent, of the harmless spring rust occur- 

 ring on the flag. 



In 1000 it was grown in a large plot of 1^ acres at Port Fairy, and 

 yielded at the rate of 31 J bushels per acre. It maintained its 

 character as one of the best rust-resisting varieties. There were 

 patches here and there of poor plants which reduced the yield, but the 

 best ears were selected from the best plants for seed for the next 

 season. 



It was also grown at Myrniong, a noted rusty district, along with 

 others, where it showed itself to be the best hay-wheat, and was e.- 

 markably free from rust. 



In 1901, when the season was very favourable to rust in such dis- 

 tricts as Poit Fa iry,Renaf again showed itself to be one of the mostvalu- 

 able varieties as regards lust-resistance. In addition to. being clean 

 and an excellent hay-wheat, it is earl}', has stiflE" straw, holds its grain 

 well, while the yield was at the rate of 40 bushels per acre of tine 

 plump grain. In the Mallee, at Waitchie, near Swan Hill, this wheat 

 gave the best yield of the season, the total rainfall at that place for the 

 year being only 8 inches, and 5"93 inches was all that fell between the 

 dates of sowing and ripening. A Mallee farmer who had been growing 

 it wrote to me in regard to it as follows : — "Very few faiiuers will get 

 an average yield of 4 bushels per acre, while some are barely getting 

 back the quantity of seed sown. I got 10 bushels per acre of Reri-af 

 off an exceptionally good two-acre piece of fallowed land, and this is 

 the best yield I have yet heard of." 



