TO May, 1910.] Wheat Imfroiement Committee. 285 



The wheats recorded in the table were sown on 28th June, 1909, and 

 generally produced a clean crop, with the exception of Spelt wheat which 

 was badly rusted, the rust even appearing on the ears, and the Polish 

 wheat which was also rusty with a little on the ear. The germination 

 was so uneven, however, that no definite conclusions could be drawn as to 

 relative susceptibility. 



Of the 21 different varieties or selections sown on 30th June, 1909, 5 

 were received from Utah, 2 from Sweden, 2 originally from France, 6 

 from New South Wales and 6 from Mr. Pye, Principal, Dookie Agri- 

 <-ultural College. 



The wheats from Utah were sent through the United States Department 

 of Agriculture and grown the.re under typical arid conditions. The 

 Station is located in the Rocky Mountains, at an elevation of 6,000 feet, 

 and the average rainfall is 15.6 inches. When grown here they were all 

 rusty, some very slight and others bad. Those varieties which were only 

 slightly rusty had very poox ears and were rejected along with the others. 

 The two Swedish wheats were sent from the Experiment Station at 

 Ultima, where they were practically immune towards the Yellow rust 

 (Puccinia glumarum) for some years. This rust, however, does not occur 

 in Australia. Both varieties were tcK^ late and developed rust, one of 

 them being badly rusted on stem, flag and ear. 



The two French wheats were received from Vilmoiin in 1908 and 

 grown in the plots that year. They were retained for further trial and 

 sown again in 1909. Rieti is a bearded wheat and was free from just, 

 but weak in the straw. Red Egypt is also a bearded wheat and practi- 

 <:all\ clean but inferior to Rieti. There were six varieties sent direct 

 from Mr. Sutton, Wheat Exjjerimentalist of New South Wales. Of the.se 

 Thew, Cedar and Warren were practically clean, while John Brown and 

 Upper Cut were very slightlv affected. White Loaf was such a poor 

 wheat, that although practically free from rust, it was rejected. 



Six selections from crosses made bv Mr. Pve were sjjecially tested for 

 lust. All had rust more or less, but two selections from Tripola x 

 Tardent's Blue were retained. No. 4 selection was practically free, hav- 

 ing only a few specks, but No. 6 selection, although it was slightly rusty 

 on the stem, was the best wheat of the lot. 



As the result of the tests during 1909, there was only one absolutely 

 clean varietv. viz., Rieti, and there were five practically free, viz., Red 

 Egypt, Thew, Ceda.r, Warren and Selection No. 4 of Tripola x Tardent's 

 Blue. 



Smut Resistance. 

 Just as it is neces.sarv to test different varieties in order to discover .1 

 rust-resistant wheat, it is equally so for a smut-resistant wheat to be used 

 as one of the parents in crossing. There is a great variation among 

 different varieties in their susceptibility, under the same conditions, and 

 different species as well as different varieties were tested. 



Diferent species and suh-sfecies of Triticum. — The seven cultivated 

 forms already referred to, together with ordinarv wheat, were sown 

 alongside each other, one portion of the seed being dusted with the spores 

 of Stinking smut and the other clean. On account of the imperfect 

 germination, in most of the plots, the results are not comparable, but 

 in the case of Triticum compactum. or Dwarf wheat, there w^as decided 

 su.sceptibility. The .seed was quite fresh, as it was grown at Burnlev 



