WHEAT GROWN I\ SURREY. 543' 



characteristics as regards quality of grain or straw, or 



habit of growth, which would render it valuable as a 



parent in Professor Biffen's work of hybridizing and 



selection on Mendelian lines. 



In the course of this work I had grown wheats obtained from 



France, Germany, Hungary, Russia, Roumania, Canada, United 



States and other countries ; but had not sought to test Australian 



wheats, for we knew that the Australian wheats imported into 



England are not strong according to our definition of the term 



strength, and it seemed to me improbable that varieties suitable 



for Australian conditions would be suitable for England. However, 



in the late autumn ot 1907 Mr. A. D. Hall received samples 



of several Australian varieties, and a request that they should 



be tested in England. He wasunabletosowthem atRothamsted,so 



asked me to undertake the work. I therefore included them in 



the series raised for the Home Grown Wheat Committee at 



Addlestone, Surrey. 



The soil is a light, sandy loam, over gravel, in a district marked 

 on a geological atlas as " Upper Eocene, Bagshot Beds." The farm 

 is situated in the Wey valley near to the Thames. The climate is 

 relatively equable, the winters very rarely severe ; the rainfall 

 moderate. For the calendar years 1908 and 1909 it was 22^ 

 and 24 inches respectively. 



For the periods of later growth and maturation it was as follows : — 



In 1908. In 1909. 



May 1-71 



June 1-72 



July 2-61 



August , , . . . . . . 2 • 40 



8^ 



The figures as regards shade temperature taken about 4 ft. 

 above ground are as follows, in degrees Fahrenheit : — 



May, '08. June, '08. July, '08. Aug. '08^ 



Average maximum . . . . 671 74 75 75 



Average minimum .... 47 50 52 51 



Mean .. .. 57 62 63^ 63 



Highest reached 

 Lowest reached 



Average maximum 

 Average minimum 



Mean 



Highest reached 

 Lowest reached 



