WHEAI IMPROVEMENT IN AUSTEALIA. 27 



The district was, however, found to be unsuitable for successful wheat- 

 growing, the season being late and wet, and Mr. Berthoud abandoned his 

 experiments. 



He was successful in producing several new and valuable varieties of 

 grain, which are still popular in Western Australia, the best known of 

 which are: 



Alpha and Crossbred No. 78. Both these wheats are of the same parentage, 

 namely, crosses between Steinwedel and King's Jubilee, and are similar types 

 of grain. They are early wheats, especially adapted to the drier districts. 



Zealand is another very valuable variety which we owe to Mr. Berthoud. 

 It was originally imported from France by him in 1888, and grown in the 

 Corowa district of New South Wales. It is essentially a hay-wheat, and 

 has held the position of first favourite for hay in New South Wales for many 

 years, and is still the most reliable hay-wheat we possess for the Riverina 

 and South-western and Western Slopes and Central Tableland. It is not a 

 good variety for grain, the flour being of low colour. 



Of the other more commonly grown varieties in Western Australia are : 

 Lott's or Gregsons. This belongs to the English Square Head type and 

 originated with a Mr. Gregson, of York, West Australia, from a single 

 selected ear. A neighbour, Mr. Lott, was also instrumental in distributing 

 it, so that it is known under both names. It is one of the most prolific of 

 late mid-season soft wheats, and in West Australia rivals Federation in this 

 respect. 



Penny's is another selection from Square Head wheat, and is also the 

 produce of a single ear. It originated with Mr. Penny, of Green Hills, 

 Western Australia, and is a similar grain to Lott's. It is also very popular 

 in Western Australia. 



Mr. Joseph Correll, of the Arthur River, Western Australia, who has 

 made a close study of wheat for the past thirty-nine years, has recently 

 succeeded in raising several new varieties, some of which are already 

 deservedly popular and increasing in public estimation, as well as several 

 others which Mr. Correll expects will prove even more satisfactory. 



Le Huguenot is the best-known of these outside Western Australia. This 

 variety originated from a single plant with two beardless heads in a crop 

 of Medeah (a bearded wheat of the Macaroni or Durum type). This plant 

 was harvested separately and sown in the following season, 1898, and has 

 now been fixed for some years. The variety appears to be the result of 

 accidental cross-fertilisation. It is particularly valuable as a hay-wheat, as 

 it possesses all the qualities of the best of the Durum wheats, and has the 

 advantage of being beardless. It is one of the varieties recommended for 

 Cultivation, for this purpose in the coastal districts of New South Wales. It 

 is also a good grain producer, but it is as an improved hay-wheat that Mr. 

 Correll created it, and it now rivals Baroota, the principal wheat grown for 

 hay in Western Australia, 



Mr. Correll has also been successful in fixing a number of promising 

 varieties by the same process of the selection of single plants, apparently 

 produced by natural cross-fertilisation. Of these, Cornell's No. 5 is among 



