lo May, 1909.] 



WJicat hufrovcmcut Committee. 



^75 



Certain varieties of wheat under some conditions produce grain that 

 makes a perfect flour; but, unfortunately, it happens that the same varie- 

 ties cannot be relied on to produce, under other conditions, grain of similar 

 high qualities. Hence, for each zone marked with similar climatic con- 

 ditions, a wheat suitable to it should be selected and grown. If the 

 variety is not in existence it may be bred. The commercial importance of 

 this is manifest in countries where the latitude of the wheat-growing areas 

 stretches over long distances, as the best economic utilization of the grain 

 depends on the proper blending of that from different zone areas. 



Very interesting and important data could be furnished for both com- 

 mercial and scientific purposes were the gluten-content and the quality of 

 the gluten of the F.A.Q. standard wheat determined each season. The 

 demand for the best wheats bv merchants would create competition among 

 them ar.d fostt-r the spirit nf enterprise b«'t\\een growers in the direction 



' ^ 5 



2. A DISSECTED SEMI-DURUM. 



(i) Ear of Semi-Durum (Medeah x Purple Straw) showing one row of spikelets 

 removed. (2) Complete ear. (3) Ear with upper florets removed exposing crease of 

 grain in under set of florets. (4) Hairy rachis with terminal and part of lateral 

 spikelet. (5) One side of ear illustrating the spikelets dissected and arranged in 

 order. (6) Dissected ear illustrating the rachis, and the rachillae alternately arranged 

 on both sides of it. (7) On the left, illustrating the arrangement of the grain on the 

 rachis; on the right, illustrating the rachillse with aborted floret at the end of each. 

 (8) Ear showing the grain after the outer and inner glumes of each row of spikelets 

 have been removed, (g) Side or lateral view of ear. Note the solid straw. 



of growing high class wheats where the factors bearing on success lay with 

 the choice of variety ; and, where thev depend on methods of cultivation, 

 thought would be concentrated in that direction. 



Prolificacy versus Quality. 



The wheat areas of Northern Victoria have been proved tO' be eminently 

 suitable for the starchy wheats. Under present conditions, however, it 

 is useless to attemp<t to grow the Fifes, the wheats that bring fame to the 

 Canadian grower. But it is possible to so improve the varieties naturally 

 suited to the country that they may rival or even out-do the Fifes. The 



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