IMPROVEMENTS IN WHEATS. 537 



certainly the most popular wheat in Australia to-day. It was 

 purposely produced to suit the Australian method of harvesting 

 with the stripper. 



Since its introduction to the farmers in 1902-3 its cultivation 

 has spread by leaps and bounds. This has taken place as the 

 result of sheer ability to yield well, and despite an unattractive 

 appearance in the field. No other variety has, up to the present, 

 been found to give such uniformly good results in all parts of 

 Australia. 



So general is its cultivation in some of the wheat districts, 

 that the aspect of the landscape at harvest time has actually been 

 changed. No longer can the poets in such districts write about the 

 "golden harvest tint." When "Federation" is ripe it imparts 

 the brown or bronze colour of its ears to the landscape. 



Such a transformation is probably unique in the history of 

 wheat growing. A striking instance of the change effected was 

 furnished last harvest. Mr. W. A. Gullick, our Government Printer, 

 required for Great Britain some colour photographs of the '' golden " 

 harvest fields of New South Wales. To obtain these he sent his 

 artist to take harvest scenes in the Cowi-a-Grenfell district. When 

 the pictures in their natural colours were thrown on the screen to- 

 test them, it was found that the harvest fields in that district, due 

 to the presence of " Federation," were no longer " golden," but 

 " brown." 



The British farmer is accustomed to a golden harvest. Pic- 

 tures of a brown harvest would hardly convey to him an idea of 

 fruitfulness. They would rather give colour to some of the extra- 

 ordinary ideas which are said to be prevalent about Australia. 



The rapid increase in the area planted with " Federation "' 

 in the district referred to is typical of what has taken place in other 

 districts. It can, in consequence, be referred to in detail. 



At the time the photos were taken, it had only been known in 

 the district for five years. It was first grown at " landra " in 

 1904-5, when 20 bushels of seed were obtained from the Wagga 

 Experimental Farm, and were sown on the farm of Mr. Rentz. 

 At harvest time its appearance was so much against it that it was 

 deemed unsuitable for the district. It. however, yielded better 

 than it looked, and produced some 24 bushels per acre. Because it 

 yielded so much better than its appearance indicated, Messrs. 

 Freebairn Bros., on the same estate, planted some, about 84 bushels 

 oi seed and planted 130 acres in comparison with one of the best 

 of the old varieties — " Farmers' Friend." From the 130 acres 

 planted, 1,166 large bags (4 bus.) were harvested, and about 15 

 tons of hay. This crop was fed off until end of June. Just before 

 harvest the appearance of " Farmers' Friend " indicated that it 

 would outyield the new " Federation." After harvest the results 

 indicated that the new " Federation " had outyielded the old variety 

 by some 8 bushels, the yields of the two varieties being respectively 

 about 37 and 29 bushels per acre. After such a victory "Federation"' 



