92 Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [lo Feb., 1912. 



As long as the wave of expansion continues in Russia, Canada, Argen- 

 tine and Australia, enormous supplies will be raised for many years to 

 come under pioneer conditions — under conditions of extensive farming — 

 and it is owing to the capacity of these countries during the last genera- 

 tion for raising cheap wheat that wheat is being displaced from its position 

 in the rotation systems of highly farmed and densely populated countries. 



An additional reason for its popularity lies in the fact that for wheat 

 there is always a ready market, and that, unlike many agricultural pro- 

 ducts, it does not suffer by storage or transportation over long distances. 

 Moreover, it is a most reliable crop, especially when treated in a rational 

 manner, and, being more resistant to drought than any of the other 

 cereals, it is more likely to succeed under arid Australian conditions than 

 other crops. 



Finally, during the last decade, prices have been most satisfactory, 

 and the standard of efficiency in wheat cultivation has been considerably 

 raised by the recognition of the value of fallowing, judicious crop rota- 

 tion, rational soil cultivation, and systematic manuring. The wheat 

 farmer has, therefore, greater confidence in the future, for he feels that 

 he knows more of the essentials for successful cropping than he did a 

 decade ago. 



In subsequent art'cles, some of the more important phases of the wheat 

 industry will be discussed, including problems relating to the cultivation 

 and manurial requirements of the crop, seeding and harvesting operations, 

 crop rotation, wheat improvement, and experimental and research work. 



To pave the way for future discussion, it would be well to indicate 

 in a general and elementary manner the position of our staple crop in the 

 vegetable kingdom, and the nature and structure of the grain under con- 

 sideration. 



Classification. 



Wheat belongs to the great family of grasses {Graminece), which are 

 characterized by the possession of hollow stems, closed joints, alternate 

 leaves, with sheaths split on the side opposite the blade. 



Wheat, rye, barley and rye-grass all belong to the tribe Hordecc of this 

 order. In all these, the flowers are arranged in what botanists call 

 spikes, and each spikelet is one or many flowered. Other important farm 

 crops are included under the Gramiitca:. and the following rough classi- 

 fication shows in simple manner the more important members of the order. 



/ Maydejt . . . . Maize. 



Spikelets 1 Andro pogonea? . . Sorghum. 



(One Flowered) ^Panice;e .. .. Millet. 



' Oryzeie . . . . Rice. 



Graminere . . \ ( Phalaride;^^ . . . . Canary Grass. 



Spikelets \ Avenett . . . . Oats. 



I (Many Flowered) JFestucea? .. .. Fescue, Brome Grass. 



' Horde;e . . . . Wheat, Barley, Rye. 



Although the number of varieties of wheat in the different wheat- 

 growing countries of the world runs into thousands, all these varieties 

 are included in the one genus — Triiiciim. It is generally admitted thnt 

 there are eight general types in cultivation, with differences sufficiently 

 great to enable them to rank as separate species or sub-species. Hackel,* 

 however, recognises but three true species, and classifies the remainder as. 

 sub-species. 



* Die Naturlichen Pflamen famiUen. 



