WHEAT IMPROVEMENT IN AUSTRALIA. 21 



Mr. Pye was associated with Mr. Farrer as early as 1888, when the work 

 of this investigator first came under his notice. Both worked in co-opera- 

 tion since that time, exchanging new varieties and ideas. At first Mr. Pye's 

 work was chiefly confined to perfecting Mr. Farrer's wheats and selecting 

 them to suit Yictoriaii conditions. Most of the Federation wheat now 

 grown in Victoria is from the original cross. It developed somewhat differ- 

 ently from the same wheat grown in New South Wales, and is a specially 

 prolific strain. 



In his most recent report (vide report of Principal, Dookie Agricultural 

 College for 1913-14) Mr. Pye laments the fact that he had been handicapped 

 in the early days by not being able to avail himself of the services of a 

 testing mill, so that he was unable to breed for milling excellence and had 

 to devote himself more particularly to increasing prolificness in conjunction 

 with other qualities. Now that a small testing mill is in operation he has 

 the results of twenty years' work to test. 



How well he has succeeded in producing good yielding wheats is shown in 

 the following short notes on some of his more successful creations : 



Improved Steinwedel was the first new wheat to be distributed for general 

 cultivation. It is a cross between Steinwedel and Purple Straw, two weak- 

 flour wheats, which were very popular all over Australia at that time. The 

 cross proved to be a drought-resistant, prolific, early mid-season variety, and 

 had the merit of holding its grain well. The original Steinwedel, though- 

 one of the best drought-resistant wheats we have, has the defect of shelling 

 badly. This is a very serious drawback in Australia, where the almost 

 universal use of the stripper requires the wheat to be dead ripe before 

 harvesting. 



Improved Steinwedel is still largely grown in Victoria. 



Warden was the second variety introduced by Mr. Pye. Its pedigree is 

 (Quartz x Ward's White) x Red Bordeaux. This variety was specially 

 selected for its hay-producing qualities, and is still the most popular hay 

 wheat in Victoria. It took the first prize at the last Melbourne Agricultural 

 Show for wheaten hay. 



In addition to its qualities as a hay wheat, it is a prolific, drought- 

 resisting variety, and has done well in the other States. In the drought year 

 of 1902 (when the average yield per acre for the Commonwealth was 2'4 

 bushels), Warden was the only variety that returned over 10 bushels. 



College Purple and Wallace are other popular crossbreds, the latter being 

 specially suited to the cooler districts. 



Of Mr. Pye's more recent creations, the following are particularly 

 promising : 



Commonwealth is a cross between Federation and (Queen's Jubilee x 

 Australian Talavera). In his annual report for Dookie, July 31st, 1913, 

 Mr. Pye reports that this wheat has given excellent results in South 

 Australia and New South Wales, as well as in Victoria. Yields as high as 



