526 PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION G2. 



attacks of the pernicious rust parasite, his object being neither for 

 fame nor for gain, but for the sole benefit of his fellow beings in 

 Australia. 



At that time the wheats in general cultivation were notoriously- 

 weak, or low in their gluten contents, but no attempts whatever, so 

 far as I can discover, had been made to improve them before Mr. 

 Farrer began the work. 



Being fully aware of the remarkable differences which exist in 

 the climates and soils of the various districts and localities of the 

 Colony, he aimed at making wheats of the desired qualities for the 

 several wheat-growing districts. He obtained from various parts of 

 the world varieties of wheats for the purposes of experiment and 

 observing their pecularities, to select those which showed desirable 

 qualities and to cross them with Australian wheats, or to make 

 crosses amongst themselves. His correspondence became ex- 

 tremely voluminous, and the task he set himself, although congenial, 

 became a heavy one, and became more so as the years passed on. 



In 1889 the effects of rust attacks on wheat crops were dis- 

 astrous in New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Queens- 

 land. It was estimated that the losses sustained in South Aus- 

 tralia amounted to £1,500,000, Victoria £200,000, New South Wales 

 £100,000, and Queensland £10,000, totalling about £2,500,000 

 altogether. 



In consequence of this alarming state of affairs the Govern- 

 ments of the various colonies decided that a conference of officials, 

 experts and others, should be held, and in 1890 a start began in 

 Melbourne. The questions of cure and preventions were discussed, 

 and plans proposed for investigations and so on, to be made in the 

 various Colonies. 



Next year a conference was held in Sydney, which Mr. Farrer 

 attended as one of the New South Wales delegates, and he was able 

 to supply much valuable information relating to experiments he 

 had initiated many years previously, and which were in progress, 

 and his experience enabled him to express something definite as to 

 the best means of treating the pest. He said : — 



" That after having for many years given much thought to the rust-pest 

 as it affecis the wheat-plant in this country, I have been led to the conclusion 

 that the best manner of combating the pest appears to be to give special 

 attention to the securing and creating of resistant varieties of the plant of 

 such a character as our special requirements demand. — arieties possessing 

 together with high milling quality, such a measure of physical and constitu- 

 tional resistance to the pest as to have great value on that account. According 

 to my belief the contagion of rust is generally — to all intents invariably — 

 conveyed to the wheat-plant through the air in which the germs are always 

 present during the warmest months of the year. It matters comparatively 

 little whether the contagion is more or less abundant. If it be present at all, 

 as it practically always is during the hot weather, infection is pretty sure 

 to take place if the plant be susceptible to it. We may indeed do something 

 to diminish the contagion ; but according to my views, and I hope to be able 

 to show in this paper, we are likely to be able to do far more towards diminish- 

 ing the susceptibility of the plant to the contagion and to work with greater 



