274 Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [10 May, 1916. 



16. In view of the unfavorable weather reports in Europe, India 

 and America, the average yield per acre for the coming crop would in 

 ail probability b© much less than last year 



A shrinkage of one bushel per acre would mean a diminution of 

 240 million bushels. The diminution in the winter wheat yield in the 

 United States this year is estimated to be 164 million bushels. 



17. Thus the statistical position may be expected to turn gradually 

 in favour of producers of wheat. 



18. If the war continues for some time the demand for wheat must 

 increase, and prices must remain at a profitable level in the exporting 

 wheat countries. 



19. If peace is declared, laistorical evidence shows there is a proba- 

 bility of high prices for some years after the termination of the war. 



20. To maintain a favorable trade balance and provide interest on 

 our ever increasing loan obligations, Australia must accelerate her agri- 

 cultural production and increase her exports of wool and wheat, butter 

 and meat. 



21. Our farmers have demonstrated that when appealed to they can 

 produce wheat. 



It should not be beyond the resources of the Commonwealth to find 

 the means for financing the crop. 



SPINACH AS A MEDICINAL VEGETABLE. 



All varieties of spinach are good food products. It has recently 

 become known that spinach contains two kinds of saponins, a substance 

 which is regarded as having a clearing action on the lungs and respira- 

 tory passages, a fact which may become of considerable interest to 

 persons suffering from lung troubles. 



By spinach is meant the ordinary garden vegetable, Avhich the 

 botanists call Spinacia oleracea. 



In preparing spinach fresh from the garden for table use, it should be 

 freed from the seed pods as much as possible, and washed under flowing 

 water in a colander. It may be finely chopped, placed in a pot without 

 any water, put on the fire and cooked. This is possible because nine- 

 tenths of the weight of the substance is water. By proceeding in this 

 way one will obtain a very well-flavoured and very satisfactory vegetable 

 from which nothing whatever is lost. 



The method generally used of scalding the spinach, and then throwing 

 away the blanching water has been objected to by dietitians and food 

 chemists for twenty years. 



Repeated chemical analyses prove that 20 per cent, of the fat, 5 per 

 cent, starch, 26 per cent, sugar, 32 per cent, lime, 74 per cent, magnesia, 

 and 63 per cent, of the phosphoric acid is lost in the blanching process. 



Jiirgensen says the throwing away of the blanching water is as 

 nonsensical as would be the throwing aw^ay of beef broth. 



Among the varieties mentioned are Giant Catillon, Long Leaf Winter, 

 Yellow Swiss, Gandry, Goliath, Flemish, Ideal, Viroflay, Giant Shimose. 

 Triumph, and Victoria. — [Extracts from article in Pure Products, 

 November, 1914.] 



