COMMITTEE ON COLONIAL BOTANISTS REPORT. 13 



65. Would not the rust, if it assail the wheat at an Dr. j.c. Br 

 earlier date, retard the developeraent of the plant, and pre- AugT^T 

 vent its growth ? I cannot answer the question from personal 

 observation, but I hold that in every case the fungoid growth 



must be injurious to the plant. 



66. Chairman.] Are you aware of any greater inclination 

 in the hollo w-strawed wheats to take the rust than in the 

 solid-strawed wheat ? No facts bearing upon this have been 

 observed by me or reported to me until now. 



67. Mr. Pote]. Do you know anything of the nature of 

 the giant wheats ? No, except that Mr. Sheriff, of Mungos- 

 wells in East Lothian, and other experimenters, have gone on 

 selecting productive ears and sowing them in successive 

 years until a sufficient quantity for sale had been produced. 



68. Mr. van BredaJ] Are you aware that if you get seed 

 from any place about twenty miles distant from the place 

 where you intend to sow, neither rust nor any disease have 

 so much effect? It is generally understood that change of 

 soil is favourable to the developement of a stronger plant 

 better able to resist disease. 



69. But would you recommend when no change can be 

 made that they should use other manure than is customarily 

 taken, in order to give the grain what it would get in another 

 place ? It is so difficult to ascertain the material which it 

 would be necessary to supply, and the quantity would be in- 

 finitesimally small. I consider that there would be more expense 

 in the present state of agriculture in the Colony to carry out 

 this measure than could be gained by it, 



70. But I presume you would generally recommend change 

 of seed ? Yes ; and if possible, seed produced in a district 

 where rust does not exist. 



71. Mr Pote.] At what interval would you require the 

 seed to be changed ? - Every year, if possible. And two 

 farmers could easily arrange to interchange seed annually. 



72. For instance, Caledon could exchange with Koeberg, 

 and vice versa ? Yes ; or even farmers living twenty miles 

 apart. 



73. Mr. CockJ] May not the poverty of the plant some- 

 times arise from the shallow ploughing ; and would not deep 

 ploughing be more beneficial to the plant ? Much more 

 beneficial, even although it should only bring up a small 

 quantity of pot-clay to mingle with the soil. The sowing of 



