THe JCUHNAb 



OP 



^fie department of Mgncufture 



OP 



VICTORIA. 



iBRARY 



;iEW YOkl 



BOTANICA 



QAKUJaN. 



Vol. VIII. Part 5. 



10th May, 1910. 



WHEAT IMPROVEMENT COMMITTEE. 



I.— EXPERIMENTAL WORK AT LONGERENONG 

 AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE, 1909-10. 



Mr. J. T. Pridham, Wheat Experimentalist, who is in charge of the 

 wheat plots at the Longerenong Agricultural College, has furnished the 

 Wheat Improvement Committee with the following notes on the work of 

 the past year, 1909-10 : — 



Field Sowings. 



The fallow was clean and free from weeds until tlie last week of 

 April, when the unusually heavy autumn rains set in. The sowing opera- 

 tions were a good deal delayed and it was found impossible to cover the 

 weeds which, early in May, germinated very thickly all over the area. 

 The consequence was that the yields were rather poor although the College 

 Purple Straw variety, which was sown under more favourable conditions 

 than the others, at one time promised to yield 20 to 24 bushels per acre. 

 It suffered severely, however, from heavy winds just before harvest and 

 this was the case with other crops of Purple Straw in the Wimmera last 

 season. 



The following are the yields obtained : — 



Variety. 



Bunyip 



Comeback 



College Purple Straw 



Yandilla King ... 



Federation 



Area. 

 Acres. 



9 



8.8:; 



Sown. 



nth May 

 25th May 

 26th May 

 7th June 

 nth June 



Yield per acre, 

 bus. lbs. 



14 



48 



40 



45 



4 



are- 



15 5 

 Federation, 



The varieties considered most suitable for the district 

 Yandilla King and Bunvip. 



Federation stands up remarkably well, holds its grain very satisfactorily 

 and matures early. Its chief recommendation to* the grower is its heavy 

 yielding capacity. Attention has been drawn lateix' bv .some millers to 



4613. K 



