1 66 SYSTEMATIZED PLANT-BREEDING 



trials. Moreover we appear to be justified in 

 looking upon the quality of this wheat as being 

 one of its distinguishing characteristics, for it has 

 proved to be strong when grown in Australia, 

 India and in S. Africa. The one objection that 

 has been raised to this view is that Fifes as grown 

 in the Pacific States of America are distinctly 

 lacking in strength. A recent test of these varieties 

 has, however, shown that whatever else these 

 wheats may be they are not Fife wheats, for not 

 only do they differ in strength but also in several 

 very obvious morphological features. The dis- 

 covery that Red Fife retained its strength when 

 grown in this country led to many trials to deter- 

 mine whether it was suitable for general cultivation 

 here. These have shown that there is no likeli- 

 hood of its ever being grown widely, for it rarely 

 crops satisfactorily. In some districts however its 

 yield is as good as that of our own varieties and 

 occasionally it gives really excellent crops, in one 

 case as much as 59 bushels per acre. Where 

 this is the case the wheat is now well established 

 and its produce meets with a good demand at fair 

 prices from local millers. These local successes 

 effectively dispose of the statement, so frequently 

 made, that strong wheat cannot be grown at a 

 profit in this country. 



Whilst the question of the possibility of growing 

 strong wheats here was under investigation experi- 

 ments were started to determine whether strength 



