Journal of Agriculture. [lo May, igop. 



nutrients, which are stored up and made available as soon as rhe stems and 

 flag are ready to complete the work of forming the ears. 



Possibly the reason that the nitrogenous fertilizers as a general rule- 

 act detrimentally in the northern and drv parts of the State is that they 

 tend to produce flag- development and late ripening, thereby increasing the- 

 chances of loss due tO' the action of the hot winds early in November. 

 Doubtless, the natural conditions as regards climate are very favorable to 

 the formation of nitrates, but it is not often that the methods of farming 

 adopted give Nature a chance ; for, during the summer, the lack of mois- 

 ture and organic matter in most of the soils checks nitrification. Where 

 the conditions are favorable for nitrification, the effect of hot winds is not 

 so severe bet:ause, owing to the greater capacity of the soil for retaining 

 its moisture, the root-system has that moisture available to replace that 

 given off by the leaves. 



The Straw. 



The culms or stems, view-ed from a practical standpoint, should supplv 

 the needs of the plant and of the agriculturist respectively. The strength 

 and flexibility of the straw, its length, its fineness, and its feeding pro- 

 perties are, roughly, the main practical considerations that interest the 

 farmer. And on the relative development of these qualities the selection 

 of a variety for any given locality depends. A good hay wheat should 

 have long, fine straw, which is rich in palatable nutritive matter and which 

 possesses the proper marketing qualities as regards co'lour and weight. 

 For silage-making, stems that are solid, or nearlv so, are more suitable, 

 hence the breeding of solid-strawed varieties has been carried out at the 

 College, not only for silage-making, but for grain also. 



Returning to the more important feature of this paper — the prolificacy 

 of wheat.s — and dealing with the question first from the practical stand- 

 point, the main consideration as regards the stems is that they should 

 be strong and flexible in order that they may stand until harvested. On 

 wind-swept plains and where the straw is not needed for fodder, short- 

 strawed varieties should be grown. But where, owing to the lack of 

 moisture, the growth is not sufficient for practicallv harvesting the crop., 

 the use of these varieties is not advisable. 



At the end of January, almost all the straws in the 5,000 plots of 

 wheat grown this season at the College farm, were still standing. There 

 were not 10 per cent, of the wheats with really Aveak straws. Up till the 

 year 1893, when only some 600 varieties were grown, 40 per cent, of the 

 varieties had weak straws. By selection and cross-fertilization, the stiff- 

 ness of the straw of varieties has h^^n intensified and, there being less 

 loss in harvesting, Avhat mav be termed the net prolificacv has been 

 greater. 



The length of the straw is an important factor. Where the rainfall is 

 a fair one. and wiiere the straw is not required as fodder^ a medium length, 

 say from 3 to 4 feet, is, in the case of most varieties, quite sufficient tO' bear 

 a heavy yield. Where the straw- is longer, and, sometimes, even as long, 

 the wind in exposed situations lashes the crop about with such force as, 

 in most varieties, to thresh out much of the grain. For this reason, the 

 making of varieties on short straws has received a good deal of attention 

 here, as it did by the late William Farrer, the father of wheat-breeding 

 in Australia. To him we are indebted for Federation, on^ of the most 

 I>rolific varieties grown to-day. Owing to its short, stiff straw, which is 

 really one of its chief virtues, it is generally not a suitable hay wheat. 

 Some years ago I made a number of crosses with Federation as one of the 

 parents, and T am j)leased to be able to say that this season there is a 



