66 Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [10 Feb., 1916. 



harvester. The remaining three plots were sown with firsts, seconds, 

 and thirds seeds obtained from this normal seed by a centrifugal barrel 

 grader. The results were as follow: — • 



Grade I., 28 bushels 6 lbs. 



Grade II., 27 bushels 53 lbs. 



Normal, 25 bushels 27 lbs. 



Grade III., 23 bushels 50 lbs. 

 Thus for the trifling cost of, say, 6d. per bushel an increase of 2i- bushels 

 per acre, worth at 4s. per bushel 10s. per acre, was obtained. 



While possibly the majority of farmers choose the best grown and 

 cleanest of their crop for seed, and a large number regularly submit 

 this well-grown seed to a process of grading, it is safe to say that only 

 a very small percentage of wheat-growers carry the process a stage 

 further and subject the growing seed crop to deliberate, systematic, and 

 continuous selection, with the object of increasing the prolificacy of the 

 variety from year to year. 



Seed " running out." — Little wonder then that we hear farmers 

 complaining that their seed is " running out," and seek a remedy in 

 a change of seed. Such a change of seed may or may not be beneficial. 

 If the seed is secured from a farmer equally careless in the treatment 

 of the crop no material improvement can possibly result. If, on the 

 other hand, the seed is secured from a source where grading and 

 systematic selection go hand-in-hand, such a change will be accompanied 

 by immediate and satisfactory results ; but unless pains are taken to 

 maintain and improve the prolificacy of the seed the benefit arising 

 from the change will only be temporary. 



Long experience and careful experiment have demonstrated that the 

 best results are obtained by developing locally-grown seed rather than 

 relying periodically on changes of seed from localities difl^ering con- 

 siderably in soil and climate. 



There is no reason why seed should degenerate, even though it be 

 ■sown year after year on the same farm. Indeed, by the application 

 of systematic selection, the quality and prolificacy of the seed may not 

 only be maintained, but increased. It is curious to note that whilst 

 farmers are very keen on improving their stock by careful selection, 

 they do not appear to give much thought to the possibilities of improve- 

 ment of their crops by somewhat analogous methods of selection. Cer- 

 tainly the improvement is slow, as with stock, but it is none the less sure. 

 Selection of Otiion Seed and Beet Seed. — Though the wheat-grower 

 may not be aware of the improvement effected by systematic selection 

 of the wheat crop, the same cannot be said of the onion-grower and 

 beet-grower. For many years past it has been a regular practice in 

 raising sugar beets to sow seed obtained by rigorous selection from the 

 very best plants. The raising of selected beet seed is now a most 

 elaborate process, and it is owing principally to the increase in the 

 prolificacy and the percentage of sugar of the beet that the industry 

 has been able to compete with cane sugar grown by black labour in the 

 tropics. Selection has improved the shape of the roots, increased the 

 yield per acre, and raised the percentage of sugar in the beet. 



"With the onion crop rigorous selection is applied. The demand for 

 the highest class of onion seed in this State' is such that a number of 



