54 Seed Wheat. 



How much can the Grower afford to spend in Grading Seed-wheat ? 



As before remarked, we have recorded on an earlier page the answer given by our best 

 wheat-growers to the question, " To what extent is it profitable to clean wheat for seed 

 purposes?" Their answer, as represented in their practice, might, I think, reasonably 

 have been expected to be a conservative and very cautious one one that erred if at all 

 on the side of small expenditure. Let us now seek an answer to this critical question 

 among the tables of growth from large, medium, and small seed. Such a long series of 

 carefully made trials may be trusted to throw considerable light upon this radical problem. 



From the evidence given in the first section of this report it is evident that we must 

 take one of the medium grades as representing the average quality of our seed- wheat. 

 In Fig 20, showing the quality of our average seed wheat, it is the 2 '50 grade that pre- 

 dominates, though the actual average lies between 2*50 and 2 '75. Now this grade is 

 about the same as that denominated " medium " in the various tests as to the relative 

 value as seed of large, medium, and small grains. It follows that what we have to con- 

 sider is the advantage, if any, of bringing our seed up to the average represented by the 

 large seed used in the trials, namely, the 3 '00 grade. 



To the question, "Is it possible to bring our seed up to this grade ?" we must answer 

 at once, "Yes, easily." A perfectly grown sample of wheat of our commonest variety, 

 grown on ordinary soil, without manure, but with good culture, actually averages better 

 than 3'00. This is shown in our illustration, Fig. 14. A considerable number of 

 the samples of seed-wheat obtained from farmers and reported in our table of the fifty 

 best samples average better than 3 '00. With the grading machines described in this 

 report farmers can secure such seed from good average samples of wheat at a cost seldom, 

 if ever, exceeding 6d. per bushel for the labour of sieving. Millers stand ready to grade 

 wheat at a lower price still if they can have it in quantity sufficient to justify the use of 

 their machinery for that purpose. This fact established, we wish to know what addi- 

 tional yield may be expected in return for this extra expenditure of a few pence pet- 

 bushel on the seed. It is evident that what we have to ask from our tables is, what 

 extra yield may be expected over that given by medium-sized seed, or 2'50 grade, if 

 instead of that grade we sow 3 '00 grade. 



In the third set of trials the 3 '00 grade excelled the 2 '50 in about 90 per cent, of the 

 cases, the extra yield of grain being 30 per cent. 



In the second set of trials the 3'00 grade excelled in 69 percent, of the trials, and the 

 extra yield of grain was about 14 per cent. In this set of trials, however, the 3'00 was 

 almost invariably compared with 2'75 instead of 2'50. This would no doubt account for 

 the fact that the excess figures are lower than in the case of the third trial. 



In the fourth trial, in two cases out of three, the 3'00 grade excelled the 2 '50 grade in 

 yield of grain by about 11 per cent. 



In the first or preliminary trial the 3'00 grade excelled the lower grades in four cases 

 out of five, the extra yield of grain being about 18 per cent. In this case the seed with 

 which the 3'00 was compared was not in all instances smaller ; in a number of the cases 

 the seed with which it was compared was of about the same size but was shrivelled. It will 

 be remembered that this first trial was made before the introduction of accurate grading. 



To this excess of yield on the part of large seed we have to add the fact that there is 

 also an extra yield of straw, and that the quality of the grain from the large seed is 

 considerably better from a market point of view. Furthermore, so far as I am able to 

 see, the nature of the trials was such as to probably favour the smaller grade, as 

 explained elsewhere. 



Leaving these latter points out of account, we have an average excess of grain, from the 

 3'00 grade, equal to about 20 per cent., taking the yield of the lower contestant, or 2 '50 

 grade, as the basis of calculation. These figures represent the average of a succession of 

 seasons, including a very good season, a very bad season, and an average season. 



Notwithstanding the very definite results from this series of trials, I think it would 

 be best, in basing practice upon them, to allow a good factor of safety, and we maj r 

 easily allow this factor of safety to be 50 per cent, without bringing into question the 

 strong advisability of using plump, graded seed of large size. This lands us at the 

 conclusion that we may count with certainty on an extra crop value of 10 per cent, from 

 the use of large, plump, graded seed. If a farmer has an average yield of 10 bushels 

 per acre from the use of the average quality of seed now in use in this State, he may 

 increase his yield from 1 1 to 12 bushels by the use of seed of the grade shown so frequently 

 in this report under the figures 3 '00, a grade of seed that is within his reach at an 

 expenditure of seldom more than 6d. per bushel for the labour of sieving, and with good 

 practice, including the setting aside of the best portions of his crop for seed, often an 

 expenditure of not more than 3d. per bushel for such labour. To this expense has to be 

 added the interest, insurance, and depreciation connected with the grading machinery. 

 This expense is discussed elsewhere. 



