WHEAT IMPROVEMENT IN AUSTRALIA. 1 1 



A good example of what may be achieved in the cultivation of wheat in 

 dry areas under good methods of soil treatment, and with suitable varieties 

 of grain, is afforded in the same investigator's report on his experiments 

 in the Mallee for 1900.* 



The total rainfall for the year was 13'24 inches (about the average for the 

 district), of which only 7'38 inches fell during the growing period (April 

 to October, inclusive). The average yield for the district was about 5 

 bushels. 



The experiment plots were one-acre blocks, and were stripped in the- 

 usual way. The average from these was 18 bushels per acre. The wheats 

 that yielded best were Queen's Jubilee and Outpost (two Farrer wheats) 

 and Improved Allora Spring. These all gave over 20 bushels. 



The Mallee district of Victoria is a tract of about 11,000,000 acres in the 

 northern part of the State, deriving its name from the scrub that largely 

 covers it. 



The rainfall is low, and frequently falls below 10 inches during the period 

 of growth of the crop, as in the above instance. Other dry-country varieties 

 will be dealt with when the work done in the different States is discussed. 



Milling Quality. 



Even with regard to the requirements of a good milling wheat there is 

 a difference between Australian conditions and those obtaining elsewhere. 

 In the first place, the Australian miller produces practically only one grade 

 of flour a straight grade. Grades such as bakers', patents, households, &c., 

 are hardly known, and only a small proportion of flour is exported. It is 

 true that in the last few years an export trade has established itself, but the 

 trade is not yet sufficiently extensive to modify existing methods to any 

 extent. Moreover, the Australian miller deals only with locally-grown 

 wheats which are fairly uniform in character, so that blending, as under- 

 stood in other countries, is' unknown. 



The only modifications consist in the production of more or less offal, 

 according to the state of the market. 



Consequently the characteristics of a wheat to be acceptable to the 

 Australian miller are that it shall not differ greatly from the prevalent type, 

 and that it shall yield a good quantity of straight-grade flour of good colour 

 and baking quality. 



In recent years the question of milling quality in wheat is receiving more 

 general attention in Australia than formerly. Until the past few years 

 the production of new varieties of good milling quality was practically 

 confined to New South Wales, and Mr. Farrer's work distinguished itself 

 from that of other wheat-breeders, in the fact that he allowed no new variety 

 to go into cultivation unless it was a good miller's wheat. The work done 

 by the New South Wales Department in this direction is described fairly 



* Report for the year 1900, by D. McAlpine, Vegetable Pathologist ; published 

 by Department of Agriculture, Victoria. 



