Survey of the Work, &c., of Victorian Agricultural Department. 799 



Mr. McAlpine tells me that in recent years lie has grown in experi- 

 mental plots over 1,000 different varieties of wheat with the object 

 of finding- out a perfect rust resisting variety, and out of all this 

 number only one, " Rerraf," was found to be an almost rust resisting 

 variety. This was distributed last year to 400 farmers who, as a rule, 

 spoke highly of it. 



You are aware that "take-all" has long puzzled farmers and 

 scientists who could not say positively what was the cause of the 

 disease. After a great amouut of microscopical research, involving 

 the examination of many thousands of plants affected by the disease, 

 Mr. McAlpine discovered that a particular fungus was present in 

 evei-y case. "Take-all" then is a fungus disease, and the next 

 duty of the pathologist is to find out what will prevent it. Experi- 

 ments with this object are being undertaken this year. 



The Vegetable Pathologist has recently announced that the result 

 of experiments conducted by him prove that black spot on apples can 

 be prevented with one spraying in the season. This will be a great 

 aid to orchardists. An article on the subject will be fouud in the 

 July number of the Journal of Agriculture. 



Besides this work in connection with the diseases of plants, the 

 Branch is carrying out useful experiments in testing new varieties 

 of wheat, oats and barley as well as native and imported grasses, 

 together with the newest imported varieties of potatoes. 



The beneficial effect of leguminous plants grown on soils treated 

 with cultures of nitrogen fixing bacteria imported from the United 

 States, is being tried this season. 



Considering that Mr. McAlpine edits the departmental Journal, 

 and has but one assistant, Mr Robinson, I think you will all agree 

 that these two officers do a very good year's work. 



Entomological Branch. 



Mr. French, Government Entomologist, is now writing the fourth 

 volume of his work upon the Insect Pests of Australia. The three 

 previous volumes were highly a])])reeiated, and have been in demand 

 at home and abroad. The first volume has been sold out at a price 

 which covered the cost of production. 



Besides attending to his regular duties as Entomologist, Mr, 

 French acts also as Chief Ins])ector under the Vegetation Diseases 

 Act. Numbers of prosecutions have taken place during the year 

 against those keeping neglected orchards and exposing diseased fruit 

 for sale in the market. 



The Vegetation Diseases Board, whose duty it is to advise the 

 Department, maintains that the law should be more rigorously 

 carried out, and that not only the worst offenders prosecuted as an 

 example to others, but all who sell diseased fruit should be proceeded 

 against. The Board gives as its reasons that the experiments con- 

 ducted by the Department of Agriculture proved that with proper 

 attention, at least 80 per cent of clean fruit could be obtained, and 



