lo May, 19 io.] Wheat Improvement Committee. 



277 



A few very prolific strains of Purple Straw were isolated, but 

 these, almost without exception, shake badly ; this propensity can be cor- 

 rected by crossing with Indian or Fife- Indian varieties. 



Indian Wheats. — Of these wheats 55 rows were sown from samples 

 obtained from the late W. Farrer's collertion in the possession of Mr. 

 Sutton, Wheat Experimentalist at Cowra, New South Wales. Although 

 they were planted as late as the 5th of August, they vielded a fair crop 

 and came into flower in time for crossing with late-maturing varieties. 

 Their strong points are earliness, ability to hold their grain well, shortness 

 of straw (which, however, is not strong and is too flexible) and, as a rule, 

 the production of grain of high milling qualitv. 



A number of rows were occupied b\ unfixed crossbreds whicli are 

 undergoing a process of selection. 



Imported Wheats. 

 Some Persian va.rieties wer^ grown and found to be almost all of a 

 bearded character with heads unprolTfic in type. Some English and 

 American sorts tried were very late in maturing but mav prove useful when 

 crossed. 



The Past Season's Crossing Work. 

 Over 100 crosses were made by my- 

 self and my assistant, Mr. Tulloh, 

 who is becoming proficient in the 

 operation. Except where very small, 

 late ears were employed ; there were 

 no failures and the percentage 

 throughout was satisfactory, the 

 weather being favourable. The object 

 in view was to secure wheats on the 

 lines of Federation : prolific yielders 

 with compact heads and short straw, 

 assuming from last season's results 

 that a short-straw variety is able to 

 put more of its energy into grain- 

 formation than a wheat with tall 

 straw. The varieties produced must 

 be of satisfactory milling quality 

 and have no defect in the field which 

 would disqualify them in the eyes of 

 the farmer. 



Pedigree or Stud-breeding. 

 Until superseded by a new variety 

 we endeavour to keep the best of 

 the old varieties up to a high standard of yield and quality by propagating 

 from an approved strain, much in the same way as poultry breeders do 

 with fowls, which can be traced back to a single prolific individual. The 

 practice of gathering a number of fine heads in a field of wheat, irrespec- 

 tive of the character of the plants from which thev are taken, can only 

 result in an unsatisfactory mixture. 



Although we have no new ^■a^iet\• as vet which stands out 

 conspicuously from the rest, we have some ])romising material in hand. 

 The work of plant-breeding and improvement is nece.ssarily slow, but its 

 results, if persevered with on sound lines, are none the less sure. 



crossed head of wheat. 



