152 



Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [lo Mar., 191 i. 



Seed of the fourth generation. — Some crossbreds from the late \S . 

 Farrer's collection were sown and of these the most promising is a Fife- 

 Indian wheat (366/ S) which should be persevered with. 



Imported India)! varieties. — Over 90 samples were received through 

 the Agent-General from various parts of India and sown last season. 

 They had a short slender straw for the most part and held their graii> 

 well. Many of them were of the macaroni wheat type with strong awns 

 which are objectionable in harvesting. However, a few of the beardless 

 types are likely to prove u.seful, especially Nandero No. 6, which has a 

 brown, dense head with attractive looking, white, rather translucent grain. 



Samples of varieties imported bv Senator McColl. — These were sown 

 and compared with Federation which is our best wheat at present. The.se 

 varieties are too late maturing for the most part for our conditions, 

 though Chul is an exception. Two crosses were mad'' on this wheat which 



BRLEDiNG PLOTS AT LONGERENONG, CROSS]:.U HEAD.S SHOWING. 



appear to be prolific and hardy though its awns are an objection. It is 

 earlier than Dart's Imperial, but not .so early as Federation. 



Wheats other than crossbreds. — One or two selections from Australian 

 Talavera yield well, hold their grain, and have straw of satisfactory 

 strength. ' \\'orld"s Wonder, probably the same as Barcota \\'onder, seems 

 a prolific wheat and yields better than Dart's- Imperial. Its flour strength, 

 however, is not likely to be superior to that of the latter variety. A few 

 selections from Purple Straw, received from Mr. P. Pilgrim, of Nhill, 

 proved to be too liable to shake. The windy harvest season has thoroughly 

 tested the capabilities of the wheats grown to hold their grain. A number 

 of varieties from Federation were planted. These all came true to type; 

 some club headed and some with short awns, but all having the brown 

 coloured ears and type of grain characteristic of that variety though some 

 samples of grain were larger than others. None of the varieties appeared 

 to be more prolific than the strain now^ grown by us. These from their 



